old family powder horn

[Rifleman1776]

This is a pic of a powder horn made by my father in 1922. He was born in 1912. That makes this horn 100 years old and a genuine antique. It has never been used for powder. I have had it since childhood. The story as he told me was as a Boy Scout his troop took a field trip to the Chicago Stockyards. He bought the raw cow horn for a nickel . He then scraped it smooth with his Boy Scout pocket knife and then, with an old nail sharpened on the sidewalk, later scratched (scrimshawed) the Indian designs in it. He then whittled the butt plug and dyed the designs with india ink. There are a couple worm holes but, in all, it is still in very good condition and could be used. I am happy my daughter wants it as neither of my children has much sentiment for items which have meaning for us. For the most part these things are, to them, just 'stuff' that will end up in the dumpster. Oh, well. Enjoy the pic.

 

[TC]

That is a fine horn your dad made and a piece of family history. I hope it gets passed down through future generations.

 

[Eutycus]

Pretty good looking horn for the work of a 10 yr. old boy. No sarcasm intended, it really is a good looking horn

 

[flintlock75]

Put it in a nice shadow box with a write up of its history, and display it, hopefully your children will come to appreciate it, if not maybe grandchildren.

 

[Polecat_Tom]

What a nice memory of your father. As flintlock75 said, hopefully your children will come to appreciate it.

 

[Compressorguy]

What an awesome family treasure! I have my dads Cub and Boy Scout books with my grandparents initials and dates on the pages of completed projects from the early 1950’s.

 

[oldwood]

Nice horn. The sort of "back-woodsie" theme of the horn , gives me pause to dream that , even I might scratch on a horn like yours. Again , very nice.

 

[Eutycus]

Isn't it sad when children (or their children) have little or no sense of sentimentality. I wonder if this is a trait you're born with or can it be taught.Maybe it is one of those things you either you have or you don't have. Because alot of people sure don't have it.

 

[Jaeger]

This is a pic of a powder horn made by my father in 1922. He was born in 1912. That makes this horn 100 years old and a genuine antique. It has never been used for powder. I have had it since childhood. The story as he told me was as a Boy Scout his troop took a field trip to the Chicago Stockyards. He bought the raw cow horn for a nickelView attachment 165534. He then scraped it smooth with his Boy Scout pocket knife and then, with an old nail sharpened on the sidewalk, later scratched (scrimshawed) the Indian designs in it. He then whittled the butt plug and dyed the designs with india ink. There are a couple worm holes but, in all, it is still in very good condition and could be used. I am happy my daughter wants it as neither of my children has much sentiment for items which have meaning for us. For the most part these things are, to them, just 'stuff' that will end up in the dumpster. Oh, well. Enjoy the pic.

Nice horn and.....GREAT story!

 

[oldwood]

Seems if you ' re interested in Historical stuff from M/L times , and the accouterments go with it , w/out training , kids might not have any interest in such stuff . As a kid , I had an obsession with wanting to know the "why" , about everything. With our schools not teaching history ,perhaps dad needs to bone up on m/l's and their historical significance , and see if he can spark some interest in our kids. They won't get the training from our schools........oldwood

 

[Eutycus]

I'm puzzled as to how anyone could not have an interest in historic or family "things". From arrowheads to grandpa's pocket knife and all thing in between.

 

[user 48679]

Isn't it sad when children (or their children) have little or no sense of sentimentality. I wonder if this is a trait you're born with or can it be taught.Maybe it is one of those things you either you have or you don't have. Because alot of people sure don't have it.

The results of a disposable society....

 

[oldwood]

Eutycus.........If the only things most kids see in their limited young lifetimes , is the crap on their button boxes , they'll never have the proper clues to draw them to historical subjects. I grew up w/in walking distance of the Monongahela River. My Mom would push me out the door , with orders to go entertain myself. SOOO , me and the neighbor kid would head to the river to explore it. Most every trip down there , we found arrow heads , fire stones , bright gold chunks of iron pyrite (fools gold") , etc.. We would bring them home and dig out the old world atlas , to see what we had. Kids today wouldn't have a place like the river bank to explore , let alone any interest in doing it. They will ask some one , what might be found on a river bank , and type that into their button box , and out pops some answer that might be accurate or , probably not . They wouldn't fall in the river water , see a snake , or fish , no collateral excitement , to stimulate their curiosity as well. The button box is not a device to expand curiosity in anything , except what is in it's limited repertoire of BS. Times have changed , not for the better. We can be proactive , and ask kids we know , what they know of natural things , Indians , and historical facts to test their knowledge , and we might see an opportunity to expand on those subjects in ways the narrow minded button box can't. Sorry , I'm too far afield , you get my drift.......oldwood

 

[Eutycus]

Eutycus.........If the only things most kids see in their limited young lifetimes , is the crap on their button boxes , they'll never have the proper clues to draw them to historical subjects. I grew up w/in walking distance of the Monongahela River. My Mom would push me out the door , with orders to go entertain myself. SOOO , me and the neighbor kid would head to the river to explore it. Most every trip down there , we found arrow heads , fire stones , bright gold chunks of iron pyrite (fools gold") , etc.. We would bring them home and dig out the old world atlas , to see what we had. Kids today wouldn't have a place like the river bank to explore , let alone any interest in doing it. They will ask some one , what might be found on a river bank , and type that into their button box , and out pops some answer that might be accurate or , probably not . They wouldn't fall in the river water , see a snake , or fish , no collateral excitement , to stimulate their curiosity as well. The button box is not a device to expand curiosity in anything , except what is in it's limited repertoire of BS. Times have changed , not for the better. We can be proactive , and ask kids we know , what they know of natural things , Indians , and historical facts to test their knowledge , and we might see an opportunity to expand on those subjects in ways the narrow minded button box can't. Sorry , I'm too far afield , you get my drift.......oldwood

I understand fully. Growing up Mom would also tell us to go entertain ourselves. Or even take part in our activities herself. Dad was almost always too busy. It was a kids paradise growing up on the farm. A creek nearby, Numerous swimming holes (irrigation tanks), trees to climb, animals to pet, tractors to drive, etc. Indeed times have changed and not for the better.

 

[pab1]

Great horn and story @Rifleman1776.

 

[S.Kenton]

That’s a pretty cool horn Sir! Great to hear your daughter has interest in it… I know I certainly would if it was fathers or grandfathers

 

[toot]

WOW! at 10 yrs old and he had MUZZLE LOADING & BP, in his blood. GOD bless him.

 

[Boatncamp]

Put it in a nice shadow box with a write up of its history, and display it, hopefully your children will come to appreciate it, if not maybe grandchildren.

Add a photo or two of your father to the display, one of him from his childhood if you have it and one of you and he together to show the generations. Need to show the human element and tie generations together. Was your father alive for your children to meet. If not it looses something to them if they never met him but photos help to bring it together

Very nice and a great item to keep.
I have a few tools to hand down to my boys that were my father's that they remember working with when he was alive. My younger son finds it very relaxing to do wood working / cabinet making which is something that my father did on the side.

 

[Whitworth]

That's a real treasure, your Dad did a nice job. The Scouts were founded in 1910 so your Dad was an early recruit. I know the Boy Scouts had a great beneficial effect on me and my Eagle Scout brother. You learned to be good citizens, stewards of the earth and gained outdoor skills. Our troop was lead by a old Navy vet who believed in sink or swim and no coddling of the weak .

 

[Tenmile]

Powder horns are one of my favorite hobbies. I have looked at a good many originals and the workmanship and scrim on that one are on par with many of them. Give a 10-year-old a pocket knife and you will be surprised at what he or she will make. That’s a special keepsake. Thanks for sharing it with us.