Forum rules
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.
Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
Many moons ago I used to do a lot of powder horn and blow horn work creating them from cow horns. I had a great supplier - the guy who owned the meat processing (slaughter) house for Wendy's was a friend of mine and had the workers keep the horns for me.
I have recently sarted back by making some blow horns for my grand kids and the bug bit me again. The only problem is that I exhausted my remaining supply of horns and can't find anything locally. I have searched the Net and did place an order from Track of the Wolf this morning. I am not cheap, but their pieces are running way north of $20 for each horn. I am looking for leads to quality "American Cattle" horns if you happen to know of any. No horns from India or Africa etc.. as they tend to have major flaws.
The horns can be in the rough and I actually prefer them that way. Goat and buffalo horns leads would be appreciated also. Anything that will make a powder, primer or blow horn is of interest to me. Thanks in advance.
BTW, pay back is great when you give three grand kids their blow horns just before they leave to go home from their weekend visit. The look on their mothers face was priceless.
Last edited by Bruce on Mon Sep 14, 2009 3:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I not sure where to get them but I had a few blow horns growing up. I don't know where the got off to but would like to have another one. Good luck with your search good job on the pay back with the grandkids.
The last time I was at Dixie Gun Works they had a lot of rough horns. I bought three for powder horns that made up pretty good, used some cherry for the base plugs, and fiddle tuners for the spout plug.
JerryB II Corinthians 3:17, Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Finding a "long" enough horn today is hard to do. The few I run into are short and IMO are not for hunter horns. They may work fine for powder flasks, but not horns. Do you make them the "old" way? glass and a hot wire? I have the horn my grandfather used (he made it in the 50s or 60s) tucked away in the gun safe as I treasure it greatly.
When I was a kid I made a powder horn. I boiled the horn in moms kitchen to get it off the whatever that mess inside it is called. Stunk the house up bad. Did I do something wrong, or should I have boiled it outside?
I use a horseshoe file sometimes on real rough horns to get them started. I also have an old carburator spacer plate (1/8" thick) that works great as a scraper. I will use a knife, sand paper and various files (including a chain saw file) to make octagon tips etc. If I don't get the hole right when I cut the tip off, I will cheat and use a drill.
I have my fathers horn, which he purchased some time in the 60's. I also have my grand fathers horn which is hand made the old way and I am guessing it was made in the early 1900's. It could be earlier, but no one knows for sure.
Bill,
The first horn(s) I boiled got me in real trouble. Used my wifes best pot and inside also. Folks, don't try this at home.
Bruce wrote:BTW, pay back is great when you give three grand kids their blow horns just before they leave to go home from their weekend visit. The look on their mothers face was priceless.
Can't help ya with the horns but your last statement reminds me of the time we gave our grandson a set of drums for Christmas. Man-oh-man, he drove his parents crazy for about 3-months until he finally lost interest in them.
I'm sorry, but they bred the horns off most of the cattle around here. Not as pretty to look at in the pasture, but a little easier to be with in the pens.
