Garage Sale Powder Horns

[Big Bubba Daddy]

Hi all,

I am new to muzzleloading and just signed up on this forum, looking forward becoming part of the community.

So I was at a garage sale last weekend an came across a box of powder horns. A few were definitely modern horns but these five seem to have some real age to them. So it is time to play antique road show, ever seen that show?

I have no idea of the worth of these horns and was hoping you all could help me get an idea.

I'll start with the two I think are the neatest.

The first is about 12 1/2 inches long. It has the initials MC and the date 1770 carved into it.

The next one is 11" long and has a cool rib pattern carved into it.

The other two are smaller 9" and 7 1/2"

So there you have it, any idea of value or estimated age, style, region of origin etc. etc. would be great.

Thanks all...

 

[smo]

Welcome aboard BBD, nice find. :thumbsup:

 

[Mulebrain]

Very nice, you struck gold there! Love them!

 

[cowpoke1955]

Welcome. Wonderful find :thumbsup: . That's why I don't argue with the wife when she wants to go to a yard sale "yard junking".

 

[Bountyhunter]

You know what that old guy on antique road show says dont you?,,,,,"if those were mine I would be making a bee line down to get $XXXXX insurance put on them."

I think that you have quite a bit of value there.

 

[Big Bubba Daddy]

Thanks for all the kind words and welcomes guys. I am pretty happy with this find, trying to figure out how to get them appraised, any ideas?

 

[jethro224]

WOW!I bet they're worth more than you paid. :shocked2:

How come all I ever find on garage sales is old baby clothes, like-new exercise equipment, and Presto Hot-Doggers?

 

[Big Bubba Daddy]

I used to have a hot dogger, loved that thing :grin:

 

[AeroncaTAL]

Nice find! Wish I could find something like that here on the left coast.

No. 1 looks similar to photos identified as a Berks County, Penn horn. Beautiful turned spout. Is it is a screw tip?

Not sure about the other horns. I like the flutting on No. 2.

You definately have some keepers there. :thumbsup:

Scott

 

[Big Bubba Daddy]

Yes the tip screws off, I can take a picture of that if it will help identify the horn. By the way, I am a Left Coaster as well, down in the Santa Cruz CA area.

Like the Areonca, is she yours? Ever do the Watsonville flyin?

 

[Many Klatch]

If that is an original Berks County horn with a screw off tip it could be worth a couple of thousand dollars to the right person. The CLA might be the place to go to get a correct appraisal.

Many Klatch

 

[chance]

Great find They are too coool.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Your horns do look old, and original, but I would ant a member of the Horners Society to take a look at them, to tell you what you have.

I was given a horn by a friend who bought it at an antique store. It had an old repair, badly done, resulting in another break at the spout.

I found Bruce Horn, who makes gorgeous horns, and hired him to restore the old thing. He ended up putting a new plug in the base, and glueing a new piece of horn tip to replace the bad repair. The rest of the original horn dates back to the early 19th century at the latest, making this truly an old horn.

It is not a big horn. I can't know if or how much of the horn was cut away when the repairs were made 80-100 years ago. We do know that some part of the base of the horn was cut away, because some of the hand scratched letters and drawings are cut off. I can only assume that someone took a horn that was badly neglected towards the end of the 19th century, or the early 20th century, cut away that part that was cracked, or split, or damaged, and made a then-new horn for himself.

The horn holds about 1/2 lb. of powder, and that has proved to be a very nice size to carry. Bruce did great work, and was glad to have the opportunity to work on such an old horn, and see what he could do to restore it. He has much older horns in his collection, but this horn required the most extensive work to put it back in working condition that he had to date. The seam where the two piece of horn are glued is covered in the groove for the carry strap at the spout by the thong that carries the horn. Unless you are looking, you are not going to see the repair.

I think the horn makers guild is listed in organizations under our Links section here. You might contact those folks to find a member closest to you to check out those horns. I do believe that a couple of those are very valuable horns, to collectors.

Congratulations on a terrific buy. I would suggest leaving them " as Is " until someone has appraised them. After that, soap and water will get rid of a lot of the dirt that covers them now. I would not remove the wood finish from them, unless it detracts from the collector value of the horn. Sometimes, merely rubbing in a coat of boiled linseed oil, or tung oil, is all that is needed to protect existing exposed wood, while leaving whatever is left of the old finish in place, be it oil, varnish, shellac, or what have you.

 

[Chilidog]

Wow, great find... Please keep us informed as to an appraisal by a qualified horner.

Really cool.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Great looking horns and a great fine as well! The ones I have come across are plain jane working mans horns. Enjoy them.

 

[Highlander73]

Nice looking horns...Which makes me wonder why I never luck out like that in flea markets and garage sells. Looks like you got some value there. I'd definately get those appraised.
Highlander

 

[Big Bubba Daddy]

Sent an email to the Honorable Company of Horners, hoping that will lead me to someone who can do a real appraisal. Anyone out there know one of their members I could contact directly?

Also sent an email to the CLA.

Any other suggestions?

On the shooting side of things I am just a babe in the woods when it comes to muzzleloading, I picked up a .50 Cal Hawkins left handed flintlock used and have been enjoying getting exposed to all of this. I am a traditional archer and build my own longbows so someday I can see myself building my own muzzleloader. Think I would like to build a longrifle in a flintlock.

 

[Ridge]

Anyone out there know one of their members I could contact directly?

Try "Wild Willy". He's a fantastic horner who has as much knowledge on horns as anyone out there.

Willy Frankfort
724-348-9705

 

[Ridge]

Also, Mike Small.

He posted on here for awhile (I think) but I'm not sure what happened to him.

 

[Big Bubba Daddy]

Thanks... I will put a call in to Wild Willy tomorrow, not sure how to get a hold of Mike though.