Making a powder horn from scratch

[S.Kenton]

Hi all,
Just acquired two raw powder horns..when I say raw...I mean fresh off the steer....nasty stuff in em and all..so how do I go about hollowing them out? As of now I put them in a bag and put them in the freezer till I figure out what to do next.

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

When I got raw horns in the past, I boiled them in water for about thirty minutes. Then I held the horn by the tip with a glove, and gave the base of the horn a couple of sharp raps on a log. The core center of the horn just slipped out. Very clean too. Just do it outside... :hmm:

 

[nhmoose]

Just do it outside... :hmm:

Especially if you are married. :v

 

[S.Kenton]

Thanks DD...I'll give that a shot. These two horns I have are from an Irish dexter bull....about the right size I'm looking for and the color is a light brown...I've never even heard of that breed....and this is the first time I've tried this....wish me luck...their on the grill in about a gallon of water heating up now.

 

[S.Kenton]

Just do it outside... :hmm:

Especially if you are married. :v

Hahah...yes I am and quite happily I may add...so yep...outside they go to be boiled...

 

[BrownBear]

And downwind from the house....

Got a pair of really nice buffalo horns. Came from a large cow, long and more slender than bull horns, yet with the distinctive curve.

Trouble was, the rancher let them rattle around in the back of his truck for a few days before getting them to me. HIGH doesn't describe the smell.

Boiled them downwind from the house, but for about 30 seconds the wind swapped directions. You could still smell them inside the house a week later.

My wife has suggested that next time I boil high horns, I should take them to the nearest salmon river.... Upwind from a bunch of hungry Kodiaks. :rotf:

She still gets mad any time she sees me with a raw horn. :td:

 

[S.Kenton]

All done now...grabbed a half gallon pan about 10 Inches deep filled with water....dragged grill out in the yard...and about 30 minutes later I was whacking the horns against my nearly dead ash tree. It took about 4 descent whacks and the cores popped out....I didn't notice ANY terribly foul odor, and what odor there was resembled a odd smelling roast in the oven. I rent a farm that has about 50 head of Irish dexters roaming around. Already I am spying more future horn projects....THANKS GUYS for the advice and replies and I apologize for not being more active on the forum as of late...life's been busy.

 

[BrownBear]

...a farm that has about 50 head of Irish dexters roaming around....

Ask them if they have a bone yard where they dump animals that die off. Most ranches out west do, and it's a gold mine for horns, no boiling required. Unless the head is pretty fresh, the horns virtually fall off in your hand. Unless you have a whole lot of gnawing rodents around, the horns are easily good for several years after they land in the bone pile.

 

[S.Kenton]

I will ask, I think I know where the bone pile is. I'll nose around thanks for the advice!

 

[BrownBear]

...I think I know where the bone pile is....

Excellent!

Don't overlook horns that look weathered or faded. My all-time favorite horn was a range find, so weathered it looked darned near white and some scale flaking off in places. Took about 10 minutes to scrape it down to the purtiest horn you can imagine. You wouldn't believe the colors hiding under that innocent looking surface.

 

[omarick1948]

hotoSmile:

 

[BillinOregon]

I did the raw horn thing ONCE. Got a couple of horns at a tallow works. Hooooo boy, the stink remained in my truck bed for days.

 

[Rifleman1776]

These two horns I have are from an Irish dexter bull.......I've never even heard of that breed.

Be careful of that breed. One in four of them Irish Dexters carry a death gene. :shocked2: Really.

 

[S.Kenton]

They're not my cattle...I just snag up the horns.... :grin:
Horner, I have an iPad now and am not real sure how to take or transfer photos onto it..I'll work on it

 

[MSW]

if you don't already have a copy, here's a useful book: http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/76/1/BOOK-R18CPH

(Recreating the 18th Century Powder Horn, by Scott and Cathy Sibley)

beware: hornmaking can be very habit forming!

 

[BillinOregon]

I can't recommend the Sibleys' book highly enough.