horners- advice?

[rich pierce]

I haven't made a horn since the old buckskinning days in the 70's and 80's but am now working on 3 horns to be based on originals from 1757 to 1777 and the originals look to be folk horns, not professionally made and scrimmed map horns etc. I am shaping them using rasps etc then scraping to get a decent finish then burnishing with a smooth steel rod. They feel good but looking at them in angled light, it's easy to see some irregularities, little ridges etc running down the horn. OK? Traditional? Or should I polish with something natural before scrimming?

Question 2: I plan to use white pine plugs and would like them to turn out brown and maybe a little crusty. Helpful hints?

thanks

 

[paulvallandigham]

Use a stain on the white pine, and plan on useing more than two coats to get the darkness you want. I use Walnut stain, but have also used Ebony, which makes a very classy looking horn.

I use scrapers to take the finish down on raw horns, after getting the larger scales off with a wood rasp. You can polish them as shiny as you desire, but most of those old horns that were not made for presentations as gifts or rewards, show scraper makrs, as if the maker used a knife, or scraper on the horn. The letters and figures all appear to have been make with the point of a knife, rather than the sharp point of an awl. I am sure you will find exceptions, so take a long look at books on horns, and pictures, before deciding what you like.

 

[rich pierce]

Thanks, Paul. I'll post some pix when I'm done.