Scrimshawing a horn

[joeboleo1]

Anyone know of a good beginners book to learning the basics of scrimshaw? Want to try it on a powder horn.

 

[GreyWhiskers]

Joe,

I just got "Recreating 18th Century Powder Horns" from Track of the Wolf. Haven't read it through but there is a section on scrimshawing. Also there have been posts on the forum about it. GW

 

[Harddog]

Anyone know of a good beginners book to learning the basics of scrimshaw? Want to try it on a powder horn.

Joe B,

I hate to say this, but the basics of scrimshaw on horn is just that, Basic. Get yourself a horn and find any instrument that will scratch or cut the surface and start scratching and cutting designs into the horn. Your scrimshaw tool will be a matter of personal preference. You can use a pocket knife, an Exacto knife, a good stout needle mounted in a piece of wood or a knife or needle like tool of your own make.

I use a small knife like tool for the majority of my scrimshaw because I am convinced, after looking at many original scrimshawed horns, that a knife like tool was the tool of choice in the old days. Others use a stout triangular needle or home made needle like tool to scratch the surface of the horn. I only resort to a needle type tool to acheive a shading effect.

Once your done cutting or scratching on your horn fill the cuts or scratches with black india ink or any other black or dark medium and then steel wool the horn to remove any burrs of horn that you have kicked up with your scrimshaw tool.

Thats it, the basics of scrimshawing a horn.

If you are like most people who start into scrimming horns, you will find that deciding on a design and drawing that design on the horn will be your biggest stumbling blocks.

If you must resort to instructional type material, then go to Pioneer Video and buy Ron Ehlert's CD on scrimshawing, buy Scott and Cathy Sibley's book on horn making from Track Of The Wolf or just Google up some instructions on scrimshawing on the net.

Randy Hedden

 

[longshot47]

Randy-
Don't mean to hi-jack this post, but since I fully agree with you concerning the most difficult part of good scrim, -and having seen your work; I've gotta ask about design sources. Have you found any single, rich cache of PC, baroque style line drawings, or folk patterns/images -other than Dresslar, that you might share?
~Longshot

 

[JAFO]

Check out Barnes and Nobel book store. They have a selection of designs in 8" x 11" booklet form ranging from North American Indian to Viking; Celtic; Elizabethan etc...The last time I checked there were about 15 different design pattern bookslets. Usually found in the Art section. These are made to be used as patterns and traced.

 

[Old Salt]

Randy-
Don't mean to hi-jack this post, but since I fully agree with you concerning the most difficult part of good scrim, -and having seen your work; I've gotta ask about design sources. Have you found any single, rich cache of PC, baroque style line drawings, or folk patterns/images -other than Dresslar, that you might share?
~Longshot

Lee Larkin is a member of "The Honorable Company of Horners" and has two very good books showing lots of original detail in line drawing form.

I've seen his books for sale at local PA rondevous and at Dixons' Gunmakers Fair.

You might be able to get a copy through this link

http://www.hornguild.org/default.html

Books on PA folk art will have some designs and Madison Grant's book on powder horns will also provide plenty of ideas.

Old Salt

 

[2172]

agree with Randy on every point...have even begun to use an X-acto knife in place of my long-used three sided needle in wooden handle....as to subject matter, agree it is tough. I try and use something that ties it to the intended user...the "so and so, his horn", and then maybe an illustration...Masonic symbols if he is a mason, and so on. I saw a nice horn recently where the maker had mapped out the route to the owner's home....lately, I've been putting bible quotations...Isaiah has a lot of tough quotations...I admit to using carbon paper to trace out illustrations from magazines and such, too....Hank

 

[Harddog]

I've gotta ask about design sources. Have you found any single, rich cache of PC, baroque style line drawings, or folk patterns/images -other than Dresslar, that you might share?
~Longshot

Longshot,

The only book I have on powder horns is Jim Dresslar's book. I have also personally seen and handled a lot of the horns in Jim's collection. What I have done for almost 35 years is collect photos of nice old powder horns and a few outstanding contemporary powder horns. I have a photo file of between 300 and 400 original horns.

You might also try and find a copy of John DuMont's powder horn book or Bill Guthman's powder horn book. DuMont's book is out of print and would be very expensive. Guthman's book has been reprinted, but is still expensive. Both of these books are in B&W rather than in color like Dresslar's book.

I don't think you will find anything in most other "graphic" type books that would have appeared on original powder horns. I suppose there were a few horns with typical Pennsylvania Dutch folk art designs on them and books on this subject are readily available.

Randy Hedden

 

[longshot47]

Randy's 35 year photo stash is where I need to be.
Now, with a little schmoozing...I wonder if photobucket............?
Thanks to all for the quick response.
Have already pirated much from Lee's pamphlets; but I've obviously got to reconnoiter the shelves at Barnes & Noble more closely.
In return, I have had some success finding useable patterns/images by Googling 'tattoo flash' [tribal/celtic], and likewise, from a chunky little book called '1000 Motifs for Crafters' by Alan Gear + Barry Freestone.
But lets get back to photobucket.......perhaps if run in series......... :hmm:
Longshot

 

[Todd Rickard]

I have been practising some scrim, but horn is precious so I looked for something to practice on. I found plastic electrical switch cover plates work well. They are cheap, don't require prep work and they come in a nice antique ivory color. You can get just a cover plate that does not have a hole for the switch. Or you could customize the ones in your home!

 

[whiskey]

I don't know of a good book but let me give you a few tips that makes it very easy. A slick, polished horn is difficult to write on with a pencil so go to any art supply store and get a small tube of "china white" water color paint. Once it drys on the horn you can draw any design on the horn, You can even use carbon paper to transfer a design on the china white covered horn. Once the design is on the horn, use a scribe, you can buy these at any good hardware store. They are used to scratch on metal, very sharp. Just use this scribe on the lines you drew on the horn. When done scribing, use an eyedropper to put black ink in the scratches. The china white you painted on previous to scribing fill in any cracks or defects from getting ink you don't want. Because you painted the horn, it doesn't matter if you slop a bit around the lines because after the ink dries, just rinse the horn and gently rub with fine steel wool. The paint and all ink comes off except in the scratches you made with the scribe. This works great everytime.

 

[longshot47]

Whiskey-
I like the 'china white' idea. I've been using water soluable hair spray, which serves similar purposes, -but does'nt do much for the 'slick'.
Longshot :thumbsup:

 

I am just getting stared in this too and have the same book. I have found that the X-Acto it not very contrlable - al least for me - and a knife is just out of my ability to control without murdering myself. However, I have found that sharp slivers of flint epoxied into a short wood haft are very useful.

 

[ricktwin]

Anyone know of a good beginners book to learning the basics of scrimshaw? Want to try it on a powder horn.

Just remember, there are basically three types of scrimshanding. One is scratching, like with a sharp needle or scribe. The second is line, using a sharp blade edge for fine lines. The third, and most time consuming, is stippling, or using hundreds or thousands of very tiny dots to make up the scene. The third one can result in almost photographic quality of scrim, but the other two work great for me too. Get you some old horns, draw on your design and practice, practice, practice. Soon you'll be doing it without giving it a thought.

Ron