powder horn usage

[mowolf]

If you can find polished or even unpolished horns it is easy to make your own. Then you have a hand made horn for maybe 7-15 bucks and a few hours of your time. I have made 5 and am working on a 6th, no reason only need a couple one for 3f and one for 2 f, but I just enjoy making them. Plus you can make it as fancy as you want. Mine are all pretty basic as I figure most Mt. men were not into thos fancy frilly things . Two I made from raw horns a nephew cattle rancher gave me after he had a cow dehorned. Got to do everything from "boiling" out the core (pew ee) to polishing. Next 2 made from pre-polished horns I picked up at a rondy. Current one from a unploished horn I bought at a Rondy, got to watch those as sometimes the solid part can go a 1/3 of the way down the spout end. Have made the base plugs out of hand carved walnut, pine and red cedar, epoxed and covered with bees wax. Plugs are either horn tip with glued in dowel or hand carved wood. Straps are either, 6 ft leather shoe string or half inch wide latigo from the horse riders section of local farm supply store

Waya

 

[brushbuster]

Is Tandy leather still around?

here in san antonio tandys and the leather factory are the same place. they do not carry powder horn kits but thet have 12" horns for about $9. they also have longer hornsfor $15. these horns are already polished and cleaned and they are the real mc coy not plastic imitations.i think their web site is www.tandysleather.com

 

[pepperbelly]

Their site shows 3 stores here in Fort Worth. I was thinking of leather to make a ball bag and maybe try to make a possibles bag. It's cheap enough to try.
Jim

 

[brushbuster]

when you get there dig around their scrap bins you may find enough pieces to make them and you can save money buying it by the pound instead of a half or whole hide even though i think their springbock hide may make a very nice bag :winking:

 

[Dances With Coyotes]

I personally like the powder horn the best.(more nostalgic). Check out ebay they have some nice stuff sometimes. If you have a leather shop in your area check them out, that way you can pick out the one you want instead of getting what someone else picked out for you. I'm itching to make me one and put a brass valve on it and try my hand at scrimshaw, as for the pouring down the barrel thing, I think if I'm fighting a bunch of indians I've got bigger problems to worry about,but safety first. ("thems blackfeet dammit! I know blackfeet sign when I see it")