A little bit of horn work

[Monikieman]

This has been on the back burner of ideas for a while now.

Saw tombears grease horn which brought it to the front of my head.

Inspired by a recent visit to Lerwick museum in Shetland and the fact that I found a shop there selling loose canvas/sailmakers needles in various sizes I thought......

 

[tombear]

Looks perfect! what you going to fill it with? Mutton tallows the best i've found for not going off/smelling. Saying that I've some that was mixed with equal parts beeswax and some other stuff that's been in a open pot in a warm room that's not smelling after the best part of 8 years. I don't know if i'm having myself on but I put it down to the pine resin and turpentine acting as an antiseptic.

As well as to stop needles rusting especially at sea and for sticking grit to strickles you see big, often iron bound, grease horns for hanging on carts for greasing the axles. Some have closed tops with corks which look like they would have had something more liquid than tallow in them and some have chains with hooks to hang them from.

ATB

Tom

 

[Monikieman]

Cheers Tom. I made a few pots of 50% beeswax/25% each beef tallow and lard. it was for a leather conditioner. So far it's been used by a willow weaving friend for her fid, a hand cream and now to fill the grease horn I've only got 15 horns left so I need to find something new to make with them!!!!!

 

[tombear]

Only 15!? Only 15? you mock me Sir with your bounty! All i have are 4 small things got off carboots none of which I suspect would not be from the right sort of breeds to be "correct" for the faux period pieces i want to do, or big enough for that matter.

I'm still waiting on hearing back from the helpful lady at the White Park Cattle society but if that's a bust I will have to find which abattoirs deal with the rare breeds horns i'm after and see if i can get them to play ball for what will be to them relatively small amounts. At least 'Im registered to receive them now in their least expensive state.

I need to score a couple of matching table spoons to de handle and make a spoon clamp from a old vice grip. I've a good propane blowtorch now so I can braise (is that the right term, like soldering but tougher/ stronger?).

15 snafflegrafflewhishihadonly15snafelle....

ATB

Tom

 

[Arya]

What a beautiful result!

 

[Monikieman]

Tom. These are heilan' coo horns from the Isle of Lewis. Martin Hyslop at Highland Horn company (no affiliation) may be able to help.

Mine are all broon or greenish and nothing suitable for scrimshaw so I'm also hunting eay for white/black ones.

 

[Dreadhead]

quality work mate

 

[Tengu]

Its very good work. How did you do it?

Having examined the collection of the Worshipful company of Horners I can say it is a very versatile material...Its plastic, after all

 

[Monikieman]

Its very good work. How did you do it?

Cheers Tengu.

I started off as usual with a dreadnought file then an old table knife roughly sharpened and scrapped. I have a wee jig with a half circle, big hole and a couple of wee holes. I can push the horn against the jig and scrape almost the entire length. Must easier than filing and a nice matt finish if desired.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Very nice. Well done!

K