Engraving cow horn

[mtgraver]

Hello folks, I've noticed a few more smoke pole lovers getting on the site. I thought ya'll would like to view an engraved/carved flat style horn. I use small knives I made for use on horn only, a small skew chisel for the relief carving and palm graver to enhance the engraving. This is a type of material that doesn't lend itself to hammer/chisel technique, but push gravers or scribes work wonderfully. My style of horn work is not like the typical scrimshaw seen on whales teeth etc. I generally work in an 18th century style influence on a variety of objects I produce for collectors and living history re-enactors. Most of the powder horns I make are the typical found style, but the flat ones can be challenging to make.
Here ya go J.J., it took a while to get this posted. This isn't the horn you saw at the show.
Enjoy
Mark
www.MarkThomas-graver.com

 

[jacques herbst]

now that is a very nice looking horn,wonderful craftsmanship.thanks for showing.

 

[richard hall]

nice, made a few of the round ones over the years. a lession that people should learn is to take pictures of your work, ive done alot that escaped my hands before i started taking pictures. so, when are you going to do engraving on the bottom plug,that would set it off.

 

[jlseymour]

I like that, very nice... Your web site shows some very nice work...
Thanks for showing...
Jerry

 

[LRB]

Most excellent. I have your website on my favorites. Your are truly a versatile craftsman. I too do well in many different fields, but you seem a master of all you under take! Great horn!!! Your humble admirer, Wick Ellerbe.

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi mark

Fantastic horn you've made there. Those old powder horns have a beauty all of there own. One of my favourite books is the old Ray Riling book on powder flasks and some of those really old carved ones are stunning.

When I made mine I read somewhere that you could make the hole with a hot nail. So I'm in the kitchen heating up a nail over the gas stove and get it nice and red hot. Hanging onto the horn I plunged the red hot nail into the spout area. There was smoke and fumes all over the place.............but it worked like a charm with a beautiful round hole all the way through.

Trouble was it took a week to get the smell out of the kitchen. Mary was not very impressed

Cheers
Andrew

 

[monk]

fantastic work on that. going "cross grain" on those is not too rewarding. if you have a junk horn, try warming it as much as poss. this may help. another departure from the old "ways" : an xtra hi speed dental type handpiece with diamond burs. the cats' meow !

 

[Lori Ristinen]

Very nice Mark!

The work you did on the horn reminds me a lot of the style of scrimshaw they do in Finland - the circles, the kind of basket weave design, etc. I'd love to see a close-up!

great work!

Lori
www.LoriRistinen.com

 

[mtgraver]

Thanks everyone for viewing and your kind words.
Monk, cutting cross grain on horn is easier than catching the grain and making a flat c-scroll at the worst moment. I don't think dental burrs would work for an 18th century look in execution, unless I was engraving a smiley face.
Andrew, I know what you mean about the smell........you only burn it once before we learn another way. Maybe that's why I'm single! I'd heard of the wire trick to open a drilled hole but was done from the inside to connect the inside to the spout hole.
Mark

 

[Christiaan]

Fantastic Horn!!! Your site is splendid. You really do beautiful work. Thanks for showing.

 

[Christiaan]

Mark,
We got this heap of junk.

I thought we will get a few cents for it at the scrap metal dealer.

But there was a few that we just need to give to the dog to chew on as we will not get anything for the horny stuff at the scrap metal dealer.

They look kind of old and muffy to me.

 

[monk]

Thanks everyone for viewing and your kind words.
Monk, cutting cross grain on horn is easier than catching the grain and making a flat c-scroll at the worst moment. I don't think dental burrs would work for an 18th century look in execution, unless I was engraving a smiley face.
Andrew, I know what you mean about the smell........you only burn it once before we learn another way. Maybe that's why I'm single! I'd heard of the wire trick to open a drilled hole but was done from the inside to connect the inside to the spout hole.
Mark

I'LL SAY THERE ARE SOME EXTREMELY SMALL DENTAL BURS. AT HI SPEED, with good control, the burs don't wander anywhere except where your fingers direct them. true, it's a departure from tradition, perhaps. i always try for the result that is the combination of the best look and the most enjoyment producing that look. and heck, if you happen to save time, ugh, how bad is that ?

 

[Bama]

Very nice job on the horns. Thanks for the post, I always enjoy looking at smoke pole fixin's.