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Early F&I Wars Era Horm

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Joined
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Location
Mid-Coast Maine
I made an early F&I Wars era horn to accompany my fowler and Lyman pouch. I say "wars" because Maine saw a lot of conflict with the French and Native Americans in the decades prior until the Seven Years War finally brought matters to an end. Ft. Richmond was a Kennebec River fort manned mostly by local militia from the 1720s into the 1750s when it was superseded by nearby Ft. Shirley in Dresden (itself later the site of the Pownalborough Court House.)

Two things have long been vital to Maine's economy: cod, and pine. Both are exemplified here, as is the moose, an animal important to the Native populations. I used "Powder Horns: Documents of History" and a 1657 illustration as inspiration. The floral work echoes that I put on my pouch.

I still have to add a staple in the plug, but I'm momentarily sidelined by a bum foot.

One thing I learned with horns: commercially polished is too polished. Scraping the horn roughens the surface just a touch, giving the knife blade a better bite, and making it easier to control.
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Love this!
Curious as to what you used to do this?
Is there information online to use as a tutorial to get started and buy supplies?
The spout was shaped by scraping and filing. I used a hobby knife to incise the lines, with the tip broken off (it will break off anyway) and the back edge sharpened. I get horns from powderhornsandmore.com, which are already cleaned. I did find the surface too slick, so I scraped it with a knife edge. It made it a lot easier to control the blade.

I have almost no talent for drawing, but I can emulate images by sketching them on paper, which I then copy onto the horn surface to trace with the hobby blade. Slow and steady pressure is your friend here, as is good lighting. If I do another, I'm getting a magifying visor to help my aging eyes.

Once the lines were inked (caligraphy ink works well), I buffed the excess off with #0000 steel wool, which also smoothes the edges of the grooves. Mistake lines can be cleaned out with a fine needle point to remove the ink.

Scott and Cathy Silby's book, Recreating the 18th Century Powder Horn, is a great reference for how to work horns, while Powder Horns: Documents of History by Tom Grinslade is an excellent resource for styles of carving and etching.
 
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