Price of polished cowhorn

[AZ-Robert]

If we are to generalize folk into categories, I would end up over there in the "did it myself" pile. Part of that is penny-pinching ("they want how much?!?") but it is mostly about the satisfaction of saying, "I made that thing myself, thankyou."

In that spirit, I stopped off in Tombstone today and, on a whim, bought a buffalo horn in the rough. The price was reasonable, and I figured with a little bit of work I could have a plain but servicable powder horn, made myself from adornment once sported by the mighty bison.

Well, just getting the rough stuff off the exterior of the thing has turned out to be more than a little bit of work.

I first tried a grinding wheel, but the shape of the horn and the limitations of my grinder made that impractical. So I turned to hand tools. After 90 minutes of sweaty work with a rasp and coarse file, I had the yucky, rough outer covering off the horn and had it sleek and smooth enough for final polishing with sand paper and steel wool.

It is looking pretty good, and I'm sure that someday I'll be glad to stand back with my hands on my hips and say, "yep, did that myself," but right now I'm thinking that the price they're asking to let someone else tackle the first part of that job is not that unreasonable!

 

[musketman]

It is looking pretty good, and I'm sure that someday I'll be glad to stand back with my hands on my hips and say, "yep, did that myself," but right now I'm thinking that the price they're asking to let someone else tackle the first part of that job is not that unreasonable!

Not as high of a price as the buffalo paid...

I too have a buff horn in the rough, I must start it soon...

Say, I can send it to you to do the nasty part and save me a lot of work... :haha:

Or not... :crackup:

What if you were to boil the horn and use the wife's potato peeler? :hmm:

 

[riarcher]

I'm in the same pile! :haha:
Had a guy a couple of weeks ago come over and checked out my "goodies". Kept looking and I said, "what's wrong?".
He said, "Nothing's wrong,, but you've got some interesting items here. Never seen some of these things, and they almost look home made." The only things not home made were the Bess and a can of BP. (not the first time I got "sidetracked" at the range)
Best way I've found to work a horn in the rough is with a sharp pocket knife used as a scraper. The knife is actually an old "twine knife" that I've had since my net mending days as a Commercial fisherman. It's only sharpened on one side (simular to a straight razor). You'd be surprised at how fast (or slow) this can work. Closeing the knife up, the back side of the handle makes a fine burnishing tool too.
Thought you'd be interested (you're not alone) eace:

 

[2172]

I started out using only rough horns but have finally decided I can better spend the time on polished ones, and have now layed in a supply. When I did use rough horns, I found scrapers were the better way to go...at first I would pieces of broken bottle glass, and that worked OK, but I came across an old butcher knife and got a good edge on it and used it as a scraper, held perpendicular to the horn...
Hank

 

[AZ-Robert]

Scraping! That's the ticket! Thanks, guys.

Took the horn outside and used an old but reasonably sharp knife as a scraper. In next to no time had it smooth enough for burnishing. Not gonna try it to find out for sure, but I'm thinking that was a whole lot quicker and easier, and got better results, than my plan for using steel wool.

With a tip o' the hat to the purists in the hemp vs tin debate, used the back of a stainless steel spoon as a burnishing tool. Quickly had a nice smooth surface with a bit of a sheen on it. Reckon it will take a waxing to make it shine.

This is getting easier... already thinking about making a second one to give as a gift to the guy that introduced me to the ML crowd. Any of you guys done any engraving on a black horn? How do you get the work to stay visible?

 

[roundball]

Scraping! That's the ticket! Thanks, guys.

Took the horn outside and used an old but reasonably sharp knife as a scraper. In next to no time had it smooth enough for burnishing. Not gonna try it to find out for sure, but I'm thinking that was a whole lot quicker and easier, and got better results, than my plan for using steel wool.

With a tip o' the hat to the purists in the hemp vs tin debate, used the back of a stainless steel spoon as a burnishing tool. Quickly had a nice smooth surface with a bit of a sheen on it. Reckon it will take a waxing to make it shine.

This is getting easier... already thinking about making a second one to give as a gift to the guy that introduced me to the ML crowd. Any of you guys done any engraving on a black horn? How do you get the work to stay visible?

I used long strips of Crokus Cloth to smooth off a couple old plain hand me down horns that had been in the family for decades...like using a shoe-shine strip-rag back & forth across a shoe...makes fast work of a smoothing/buffing job

 

[rmonday2]

Im not sure how traditional or fancy you want to stay, but you could use brass dust from a course sandpaper to mix with some clear hide glue to inlay the engraving. Just a thought! Ronnie...

 

[bigsmoke]

Having been in the powder horn making business since about 1984 I can surely appreciate what you are going through. I used to think that if I ever had to buy a horn that wasn't polished, I would just forget this silliness and find something else to do.
I visited a horn vendor in Texas several years ago and looked at his set-up. He had a glass grinding machine set up for horn polishing and it was pretty intimidating. Used a 4" x 118" 50 grit sanding belt for the first sand, then he switched to a 400 grit belt for final sand. Ran the drive drum off a 3,450 rpm motor, so it really made the belt sing. I picked up a similar machine and tried it a while back, but found I could have much better results with a 2" x 72" sander.
For the average home craftsman, the scraping is no doubt the most practical way to do things. Glad it is working out for you.

Big Smoke

 

[merdean]

I scrape mine down til the rough is gone. Then I sand with 320 wet/dry used wet. Then I get wild and put them to the polishing wheel on the grinder. A little polish and they polish up nice! More fun when you do it yourself.

 

[BLAHMAN]

I know just what ya mean...........

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which one do I want, which one do I want????? Is that me that stinks or is it the pile of horns?

 

[scott k]

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Is that me that stinks or is it the pile of horns?

Was that you that brought in those flys too? :crackup:
I looked at the raw horns and realized that if I took it home the wife would have a cow when she smelled it.
I picked one up that was cleaned and it's a nice one ::
Lehigh...

 

[BLAHMAN]

I picked up four of them stinky things, and yes, they were stinky!!!

So far, they worked down pretty good and I've got one completed, just need to put in a staple.

That guy tried to charge me extra for the flies!

In all actuallity, those raw horns were reasonably priced.

 

[musketman]

Blahman, looks like there are some sun bleached horns as well, the white ones on the far right of the picture...

 

[2172]

A couple of years ago, my son gave me a goat horn...black and small..I made it into a priming horn (I was still using 4f then) and i scrimshawed it using white India ink from the local craft store...I guess it was OK, as a friend begged it, but I never really cared for the look..Hank

 

I picked up four of them stinky things, and yes, they were stinky!!!

So how does one go about removing the smell? I am guessing the horns were not fleshed on the inside of the base.

 

[BLAHMAN]

I picked up four of them stinky things, and yes, they were stinky!!!

So how does one go about removing the smell? I am guessing the horns were not fleshed on the inside of the base.

Well, here's what I did. When I took my nightly shower, in went the horns with me and I scrubbed 'em down with soap and water and some hydrogen peroxide...worked great!



And in answer to MM's comment about polished horns, I like 'em unpolished sometimes...them polished horns are kinda over polished and they sorta get lumpy....but not like oatmeal....it gets somewhat hard to finish out them lumps!

 

[AZ-Robert]

Still a ways from finished, but thought you guys might want a peek at the work in progress.

Brother Buffalo is relieved up to 1/8" in some places, but he stands out visually mainly as a result of the rough carving that has left the background whitish. I'm sure that will change once I start scraping things smooth again. I might use some sort of cross-hatching around the edge to make him stand out, or roughen up his body so that it is the buffalo that is a lighter color than the horn behind him. Anybody have any other ideas?

 

[scott k]

I did the cross-hatching on the deer on mine, It ads shape to it and makes it stand out some.

(My horn) Here is the one I did.


I think I would try to make small curly line on the bisson on your horn to simulate fur. Mabe try to follow the leg lines you have on it allready. That would make it stand out.
And good job :thumbsup: Looks nice so far :hatsoff:
Lehigh...

 

[shmrck1]

Robert,
Lookin good...Be sure to post a picture when it's
finished. :applause:
snake-eyes :hatsoff: