Leatherman Horn Strap - HELP!

[SimonKenton]

Last year I bought a double horn strap from the Leatherman. It's very well made and I like the workmanship and materials. Problem is that my horns are deluxe models from MLBS and both the main and primer horns have removable brass butt stoppers and NO grooves up near the spouts. I can't seem to get a decent, secure and NEAT looking attachment. Before butchering the straps, I was wondering if I should measure them. Slit them a bit and cut off the rest, soak the leather and tie them on tight and let the leather dry tight or fashion some kind of attachment with sinew or thin leather lacing? Ideas?

-Ray :what:

 

It is difficult for me to visualize someone building a horn with no means of attaching a strap, unless the horn was intended to function as a decorator piece for the mantle.

If the horns are too expensive to consider modifying them into usable form I would consider buying a less expensive item and designating it for common use.

:imo:

 

[musketman]

Problem is that my horns are deluxe models from MLBS and both the main and primer horns have removable brass butt stoppers and NO grooves up near the spouts.

What if you were to make a raised groove from another horn and then glue them into place?

Take a different horn and cut it into "rings" and fit the rings over your horn close together to make grooves, once fitted, remove and glue in place...

 

[SimonKenton]

Musketman,

That's one neat and practical idea there! I suspect that some modern crafters use a similar technique as well. I like the idea that I can unscrew the "acorn" from the butt and fill either horn quickly and store the powder in the original Swiss containers.

-Ray

 

[Okwaho]

Ray,while the lack of some kind of ring on the horn ends is puzzling,I don't see a real problem. I've seen a lot of horns {and I'n looking at a priming horn as I type}which have a small iron staple near the spout on the inside curve of the horn.These can be either on the exact center or slightly inboard or outboard of the horn depending on how you want to carry it.While the ones I have seen are single horns with a staple or some other attachment on the butt,there is no reason why you can't use two staples and attach the horn to the bag or carry it separate from the bag.See Henry J. Kaufman,"The Pennsylvania Kentucky Rifle" p.136 for a double horn using raised rings on both ends of the horns.See also Madison Grant,"The Kentucky Rifle Hunting Pouch" p.53 for a bag and horn {also with raised rings} outfit owned by G.W. Weiser,riflemaker of Northeastern Pennsylvania who was also an expert marksman.Judging by the knife attached he probably worked in the 2nd or third quarters of the 19th century.I hope this helps.
Tom Patton

 

Cut'n the leather, and soak'n it before tie'n it to yore horn won't work well. Leather doesn't "shrink" like rawhide does.

If I had yore horn, I'd make an "iron staple", drill two small holes the width of the staple, and tap the staple into the horn fer the front strap.

I make staples out of 6D finish nails, and use a side-cutter to make shallow cuts in the prongs of the staple which act as "barbs" on a fish hook and prevents the staple from pull'n out. I also drill the holes slightly smaller then the "dia" of the staple "prongs".

YMHS
rollingb

 

[2172]

I've used woven straps on two or three horns...I separate the threads into two "bundles" by whipping, and then put a bundle on each side of the horn end, and whip tightly below it...I know you're dealing with leather, but if the other good ideas don't work, you might try something like this with your leather strap...Hank

 

[SimonKenton]

Tom,

Off topic, but the reason the French made great allies was the focus of their interest in the New World. The French wanted TRADE above all else. The native tribes knew they had a great chance to trade what they had in abundance (furs, leather, timber rights and botanical items) for things they really wanted but could not make such as guns, steel knives, quality cooking ware, wool blankets and other very practical needs.

The English wanted land and cared not a whit who they killed to get it. Just ask the Lenni Lenape about the "free blankets".

BTW, how's a guy from TN end up with a Haudenosaughnee moniker like Okwaho? (Wolf in Mohawk dialect to the linguistically impaired) :m2c:

 

[Okwaho]

Ray, That's something I will talk to you via private message. It's not something I care to discuss on an open board.Are you by any chance acquainted with my friend Mel Hankla who does stage impressions of both Kenton and George Rogers Clark for the Kentucky Arts Council?
Tom

 

[SimonKenton]

Tom,

I got to learn about Simon Kenton in a roundabout way. I really got into the Eastern scene circa 1750-1799 via both the Leatherstocking Tales (which proved that sometimes you SHOULD write about things you know nothing of) and the graphic novel about Simon Girty. I always suspected Girty got a raw deal in folk history and that this colored more scholarly works about him. Who's to say that some of the more upright folks who condemned Girty out of hand would've been much different having had the same experiences? He did some low things but many more (and lower) things were done to Girty.

-Ray :hmm:

 

[SimonKenton]

OOPS! Forgot to anwer your question. No, I've never even heard of Mel Hankla. Does he stay in character or is this "performance caricature"? Here in the Broncks (correct spelling BTW) we have Dutch colonial history up the ying yang but no direct connection to either Kenton, Girty or the Corps of Discovery.

-Ray

 

[musketman]

Leatherman Horn Straps, they're something else, aren't they? :winking:

 

[Okwaho]

Mel lives in Kentucky and does a one man show for the Kentucky Arts Council on both George Rogers Clark and Simon Kenton as old men. I have only seen Clark but he is really good.I will see Kenton the first chance I get.So you live in Da Broncks which I understand is the forerunner of The Bronx.You should go up to Ft. Ticonderoga this summer. It's above Albany on the 25th and 26th of June.Great F&I event and my favorite one.Some brouhaha wasn't it. Maybe theres a duel here somewhere. You really have a lot of history up there and I would like to see more of it.
Take care
Tom :RO:

 

[SimonKenton]

When I get my F&I horn from Crooked Hand AND a nice Edward Marshall-styled Christian Springs transitional longrifle I will not wait to go to that little soiree. I always picture Gentleman Johnny filling his britches when he looked up and saw all those huge naval cannon Knox had set up from Ft. Ti aiming at him from the heights.

-Ray :agree:

 

[Stumpkiller]

If "MLBS" is Muzzleloader Builders Supply their site is down and I couldn't get a visual clue.

Two things you can do. Take a round file (chainsaw file or a modeler's file) and file a groove around the horn a couple inches back from the tip to hold a strap.

Or, snip an inch of clothes hanger wire and form a staple (15 minutes with a propane torch and a hammer will make a staple that looks like it is forged iron. Pound it into square stock or leave it round). You can then drill two undersize holes and insert the staple.

Consider putting it on the bottom of the horn. That way it doesn't need to carry the horn's weight but serves to keep the strap from sliding forward. :winking: A LOT less chance of it pulling out accidentally.

 

[musketman]

Or, snip an inch of clothes hanger wire and form a staple (15 minutes with a propane torch and a hammer will make a staple that looks like it is forged iron. Pound it into square stock or leave it round). You can then drill two undersize holes and insert the staple.

Empty the horn first...

 

[Claude Mathis]

Tom,

Off topic, but the reason the French made great allies was the focus of their interest in the New World.

Please stay on topic.

 

[Kenney Moore]

If I had yore horn, I'd make an "iron staple", drill two small holes the width of the staple, and tap the staple into the horn fer the front strap.

I make staples out of 6D finish nails, and use a side-cutter to make shallow cuts in the prongs of the staple which act as "barbs" on a fish hook and prevents the staple from pull'n out. I also drill the holes slightly smaller then the "dia" of the staple "prongs".

Howdy,
I'd make one small addition to this idea. Be sure the powder is out of the horn before doing this. When you install the staple with the barbed ends in the horn, heat them with a torch a little and they will go into the horn easily and when they cool will not come backing out on you. This will smell some what like in a dentist office when they drill teeth, so do it in your shop or outdoors.

 

[Griz]

Or, take a small piece of rod, bend it to match the curve of the horn and with a hammer, clinch the staples over inside the horn. That's what I do.