Auction Powder Horns

[Runner]

My brother-in-law got these for me this weekend. The smaller is a started project and the bigger seems to be an older horn. It is light and feels pretty delicate. Anyway, here they are.

I kind of wonder if the one is as old as it looks!

 

[Bearbait2]

Mr. Runner,
Are you saying you are going to convert the antlers into powder horns?
I'm confused but that is nothing out of the ordinary.
Best Wishes

 

[Runner]

Photobucket goofed the link! Sorry! I manually copied it this time.

 

[Ridge]

I really like the bottom one.

 

[Harddog]

The bottom horn has some age on it. I can't really tell from the photo, but it looks like it may have an applied tip or a screw tip??

Randy Hedden

 

[Runner]

Sorry it took so long to respond! I spent the last 24 or so on Council Bluffs with my father and my brother-in-law. The fishing wasn't great, but everything else was!
Anyway, back to the horn. The horn is pretty small. It is approximately 8.5 inches from center of fill hole to center of spout hole. The plug is thin at about .5 inches. The fill hole appears to be made with a drill, but it isn't perfect. The plug is hand carved. The plug is held in by 8 small nails I guess. They may be simple pins. Those nails are very close to the edge in some places. The construction seems to be pin the plug and rasp down until satisfied! The spout end is round with one simple string groove that is cut a little shallower than we would expect to see on a new horn today. I do not know if it was dyed brown at some point, or if we are looking at age. The obvious usage stains and prints are there, including proof of how the previous owner held it when he was reloading. The base plug is slightly egg shaped and on the left side as a right hander would carry it, there is a short bevel on the edge of the plug and the horn as if to clear something or to remove damage. It appears to have been made after the horn, but it is hard to tell. As I said before, it is very light. A simple food scale puts it at less than four ounces. It feels dry and delicate. Plug is hand carved on the spout end also. Several auction geniuses scratched the outside to see if it was something other than horn I guess. The auction was in Hillsboro Mo. I am no where near good enough at the history game to even begin to try and date it.
The horn is in need of some kind of preservative treatment I believe. As soon as someone like Rich says it is ok, I am going to attempt to return it to good service condition. The little black project horn is very thick and very solid it appears. The plug there is also hand carved, but not completely bedded yet. That one needs the attention of a crarver once the basics are done.
You have a nice day!

 

[omarick1948]

Hi Runner,
I haved examined many old powder horns over the years while employed by a large museum in the midwest, as well as having the chance to personally own a few original horns that are very old. It's hard to tell from your photo, but the horn looks to be original and of a patten type, that many experts refer to as a "Trade or Indian" horn. As you might already know, your bottom horn follows a common style noted thu the Civil War.

I won't stick my neck out to far from a photo and say that it is an original, but if it were mine. I would just wipe it down with a very light coat of mineral oil and hang it on the wall to enjoy!

I once attended a seminar in Cody, Wyoming a few year's ago titled "Artifacts or Artifakes". This seminar was for museum workers and professionals, to show how to identify original historic artifacts, from fakes. One class example showed us how you can bury a new or fresh cow horn in a barn yard manure pile and leave it there for several months and the matter and ammonia gives off a chemical reaction and greatly artificially ages and makes the horn look decades old. I don't age my horns that way, but I know at least one Horn Maker who goes to this trouble makng his powder horns look old!

Just my opinion...so enjoy your horn!
Best regards,
Rick

 

[Runner]

Thanks for the info! It is in storage until I get someone to look it over that knows a lot more than I do. Learning to smooth the other down and making my own first horn is much higher on the list of things to do tho!