Thank you to
@TFoley for alerting me to this thread. As mentioned elsewhere, I have a flat horn made by Ron Vail about eight years ago. I sent Ron this image, from one of Ted Spring's sketchbooks...
... and asked if he could make a flat horn similar to the one on the lower right, but not quite as big. He could and did. Here are a few photos I took today at
TFoley's request. The first one shows the outside of the horn, if it were worn on the right side. There is a cosmetic defect, with a slightly concave area right in the flat of the horn, with some surface cracks. This does not affect the structural integrity of the powder horn. The horn wall is solid, and it is airtight.
The next photo shows the other side. Not much else to say about it. I probably should have laid a ruler next to the horn, but I can tell you it measures about 8-3/4" around the outside curve, from tip to base. Maximum thickness is just slightly over one inch, and maximum width at the base is about 2-7/8".
This is an end view, showing of the butt. The base plug is an airtight fit. I don't know for sure what type of wood he used for the base plug, as it is stained very dark. The visible grain structure suggests the wood is pine. This is very much a "rough and ready" horn for the field. Definitely not fancy. It is tight and solid, small enough to carry easily in a haversack, game bag, or the pocket of a greatcoat, but large enough to carry in the conventional way outside your pouch if you prefer. I haven't measured its capacity, but I would guess maybe 6 ounces. By calculation, six ounces would be 2,625 grains.
Finally, here's a top view of the horn. You can see that the raw horn had a little twist, which was preserved after flattening. I think it looks cool.
I looked up Ron Vail today, and it appears his website has been taken down. However, I did find his profile on the Early American Life website:
Ron Vail Bio
Mr. Vail's contact information is shown, but I don't know how current it is. I don't know if Mr. Vail is still in business or not, but if he isn't I'm sure there are some other horners who could make a flat horn for you. Maybe some of the other forum members will show us their flat horns and provide some information about the makers.
So, good luck to
@Sunbeam in his quest for a flat horn!
Notchy Bob