Powder horn

[Mattmatt617]

Hi guys, new to the forum, wanted to know what you thought of this horn. Any idea on age?

 

[Mattmatt617]

Here’s a couple more pics. Thanks

 

[Grenadier1758]

Horns are notoriously difficult to determine age due the abuse that a horn will encounter during its useful life. The round head nails holding the end cap in place seem modern to me, late 19th century. I like the staple to hold the strap and the carved plug. It's a very nice horn and does seem to have some age.

 

[JeffG]

The dichotomy of photographing an old powder horn in a modern vehicle is striking.

Having said that, the square headed nails, what appears to be natural shrinkage, drying and patina, I'm going with late 1800's as well.

 

[Robby]

I think it is much older than the late 1800's but have no idea how much. The nails look to be not original to the horn. Where did you find it, any noticeable where on the body?
Robby

 

[HatchetJack95]

That's gotta be at LEAST 10 years old!

 

[user 48679]

I don't care how old it is, it's still pretty cool...…

 

[French Colonial]

It COULD be old, the staple appears to have discolored the wood around it to quite a degree. Some people think that large domed plugs are older than the flat ones. The nails could have been added later than when the horn was made to replace smaller fasteners that started to fail.

 

[Mattmatt617]

I tried getting so more photos. There is notable wear on one side. What would the strap be made out of? Sinew? Leather? I imagine the nails tell the tale. I believe them to be original. Just a guess, but I don’t see a pull mark or scratch around them.

 

[oldwood]

Well Matt............Looks like you have a first rate nice old one. The patina on the iron plug staple is deeply corroded , the gap in the edge of the plug due to natural shrinkage is telling , the small end is well designed with a small size neck and hole to access the powder and so as not to waste powder , due to spillage while filling a powder measure. The overall patina is beyond excellent.. The only restoration I can see is to apply some warm bee 's wax right from the cake around the gap in the plug end. That is absolutely traditional and though I discourage use , the bee's wax app. would make the horn usable....... oldwood

 

[oreclan]

Plain old powderhorns are just cool. If they could only talk, what tales they could tell.

 

[S.Kenton]

Ooooooh that’s nice!!! I’d love to study that one!

 

[Mattmatt617]

Ooooooh that’s nice!!! I’d love to study that one!

How do you mean?

 

[S.Kenton]

I have a few older horns that I’ve studied over the years in order to become a better Horner. Always intersted in seeing how originals were put together, how refined or rough some were, what wood was used as a base plug, how they were pinned. Just stuff like that. Originals always intrigue me

 

[rich pierce]

Those round headed nails could be replacements. The heads sometimes rusted off on old horns. Aging a horn like this is difficult but it could be first half of the 1800s.

 

[Notchy Bob]

That's a very nice old horn, and we appreciate your showing it. The way the spout is carved and the butt plug is fitted is exactly the way my dad used to make powder horns. He was born in 1907 and grew up in southeast Alabama. Muzzleloaders were still in general use at that time and place, and I'm sure he learned to make powder horns from the older men he knew. The plain, softwood tip plug is also in keeping with that tradition. No fancy fiddle pegs for those fellows! However, that is a very simple form of powder horn, and I suppose it could be from almost anywhere. The patina and shrinkage suggest considerable age, but I'll defer to the experts regarding a more precise determination.

There is notable wear on one side. What would the strap be made out of? Sinew? Leather?

Which side shows the most wear? My vision is not great, and I can't tell from the photos. With a twist like that, I would consider that a left-handed horn, to be worn on the left hip. The horn tip would then be pointing up. However, some people nowadays would consider it best suited for right-side carry, by rotating the horn to turn the tip in toward the wearer's body, which would make the tip more horizontal. I'm just curious to know the side on which it was carried by the original owner, and the pattern of wear should tell us that.

We can only guess about the strap. I would consider that a utilitarian horn, and would think a very utilitarian cord or strap would have been most likely. Possibly recycled leather, cut from worn-out harness, or a strip of raw or home-tanned hide. Cordage made of cotton was common in Alabama, and I could envision a length of stout cotton cord used as a powder horn strap. All of that is speculation on my part, though. My dad preferred leather boot laces for the horns he made.

Again, thank you for posting images of this interesting old horn!

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

 

[Flinter 2]

I have studied original powder horns and made quite a few for customers, I have a few survivors from the F&I war and the Rev. war era, as well as the mid 19th. century.
Most of the powder horns that were used pre 1800 were imported from Europe, brought over in barrels of brine to prevent worm infestations, those horns usually have a greenish tint cause by the brine with is permanent, another indicator is that the cattle that the horns were harvested from were not as well taken care of or as well nourished as our modern day American cattle, so the grain of the horns was not as straight or as smooth as those of American bread animals, they tended to be more gnarly looking.
If I had to guess the age of yours I'd have to agree with those here that place the age at about the mid 1800's or a bit later.

Congrats on your find, it's a great piece of history.

 

[springfield art]

Horns are notoriously difficult to determine age due the abuse that a horn will encounter during its useful life. The round head nails holding the end cap in place seem modern to me, late 19th century. I like the staple to hold the strap and the carved plug. It's a very nice horn and does seem to have some age.

I saw a large older horn at auction recently; it just exuded "Bi-Centennial" era! Unadorned, went for about 60 bucks. There was lots of interest in such stuff around 1975-76.

 

[springfield art]

I have studied original powder horns and made quite a few for customers, I have a few survivors from the F&I war and the Rev. war era, as well as the mid 19th. century.
Most of the powder horns that were used pre 1800 were imported from Europe, brought over in barrels of brine to prevent worm infestations, those horns usually have a greenish tint cause by the brine with is permanent, another indicator is that the cattle that the horns were harvested from were not as well taken care of or as well nourished as our modern day American cattle, so the grain of the horns was not as straight or as smooth as those of American bread animals, they tended to be more gnarly looking.
If I had to guess the age of yours I'd have to agree with those here that place the age at about the mid 1800's or a bit later.

Congrats on your find, it's a great piece of history.

Interesting info Thanks! I found at a gun show about 3 yrs ago, a pair of horns that seemed to be from the same animal, as the black grain pattern seemed to match. They had been decorative horns from furniture or similar, seemed to be from the late 19th/early 20th C. I got them for cheap, and converted them into powder horns; what was cool was they have German silver scalloped base rings. I'm not real handy with horn work, but they came out real nice; I was encouraged by the Sibley book.