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Post by hawkeyes on Mar 6, 2020 12:08:33 GMT -7
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Post by lenapej on Mar 8, 2020 13:00:44 GMT -7
Thanks for sharing, some beautiful horns there.
Question, I noticed that many original horns are colored yellow/orange, is that just from age, or did they color them back in the period? I have seen many modern horns that have been colored and wondered if it is pc.
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Post by hawkeyes on Mar 9, 2020 5:43:19 GMT -7
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Post by Sicilianhunter on Mar 9, 2020 7:12:00 GMT -7
Hawk,
How do you go about the polishing process?
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Post by hawkeyes on Mar 9, 2020 7:31:28 GMT -7
Hawk, How do you go about the polishing process? Very easy, just time consuming. First the horn obviously has to be stripped of its layers. Once you are to the point of finishing I will scrape the exterior with... wait for it... a simple box cutter blade. Very handy tool! After that I'll polish to a high shine with pumice and rotten stone, then beeswax, that's it. Faster methods are likely available, however the above works for me. |
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Post by Sicilianhunter on Mar 9, 2020 9:24:06 GMT -7
Hawk, How do you go about the polishing process? Very easy, just time consuming. First the horn obviously has to be stripped of its layers. Once you are to the point of finishing I will scrape the exterior with... wait for it... a simple box cutter blade. Very handy tool! After that I'll polish to a high shine with pumice and rotten stone, then beeswax, that's it. Faster methods are likely available, however the above works for me. Hawk, I have more horns than the time to make them right now. Some are already polished which really just require fitting components to them but I have a couple that are raw. Should I just rasp off that scale and then get to scraping? |
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Post by hawkeyes on Mar 9, 2020 9:29:27 GMT -7
Very easy, just time consuming. First the horn obviously has to be stripped of its layers. Once you are to the point of finishing I will scrape the exterior with... wait for it... a simple box cutter blade. Very handy tool! After that I'll polish to a high shine with pumice and rotten stone, then beeswax, that's it. Faster methods are likely available, however the above works for me. Hawk, I have more horns than the time to make them right now. Some are already polished which really just require fitting components to them but I have a couple that are raw. Should I just rasp off that scale and then get to scraping? Soak the horn in warm water for a few hours. This will help loosen the sacle and rasp away... Once you get through the sacle you'll know, the rasp will glide over the horn very differently. Hard to explain but easy to feel and hear. |
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Post by Sicilianhunter on Mar 9, 2020 10:41:13 GMT -7
Hawk, I have more horns than the time to make them right now. Some are already polished which really just require fitting components to them but I have a couple that are raw. Should I just rasp off that scale and then get to scraping? Soak the horn in warm water for a few hours. This will help loosen the sacle and rasp away... Once you get through the sacle you'll know, the rasp will glide over the horn very differently. Hard to explain but easy to feel and hear. Hawk, Thanks!! I will give that a go some time soon |
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Post by artificer on Mar 9, 2020 16:51:50 GMT -7
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Keith
City-dweller
Bushfire close but safe now. Getting some good rain.
Posts: 990 
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Post by Keith on Mar 9, 2020 19:02:18 GMT -7
I used to be a hornsmith, but as I made everything by hand, I was unable to compete with others that used modern equipment, so eventually I had to give it away. Polishing horn was done with sheep's fleece & wood ashes. Any vegetable oil, foot oil or beeswax could be used to finish. I wish I could share some of the items I made back then, but unfortunately digital cameras were not in use then, or if they were I never heard of them.   This is the only Piece I have left, apart from my own powder horns. I made this shoe horn for myself back then & I still have it  Keith. |
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Post by lenapej on Mar 14, 2020 9:17:15 GMT -7
Sorry for the late reply, I have been working out of town all week. Thanks for the reply, I have two horns, and so far I have only stained the neck as you did above, BTW is anyone familiar with the cattle breeds of the mid 18th century? one of mine is Longhorn, and just does not look right! lol, my second ( pictured below) I picked up at Fort de chartres a year or two ago, and it has a pit of the natural patina that you mentioned above, I have no idea what breed of cow it comes from.  |
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