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Shipping Books NOW! Bone Tipped & Banded Horns Regional Characteristics of Professionally Made Powder Horns

Rick Sheets — Mon, 30 Jan 2017 21:47:51 +0000

Bone Tipped & Banded Horns
Regional Characteristics of Professionally Made Powder Horns
By Jay Hopkins
Published by The Honourable Company of Horners

For any student of powder horns and or the Kentucky rifle, this is a “must have book” for your personal library.

This first volume of a planned two volume set is the culmination of a 50-year study concentrating on regional characteristics of professionally made powder horns. It has been significantly augmented by collaboration and cooperation with other collectors, students and museums. The focus is on powder horns of the south including Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, but also includes examples from South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and New England.

Volume 1 is hardbound with approximately 400 pages, over 150 powder horns illustrated and over 700 full color images. Each horn will be illustrated, measured in multiple parameters and the various materials and woods are identified. Then, pertinent history and biographical information will be included, as well as an analysis of the horn and its likely origin. This study will provide an excellent framework for future study and clarification.

$100.00, plus $10.00 postage.
Payment by cash, check or money order, made to “HCH”:

HCH Treasurer c/o

James Steele
510 Coffin Alley, PO Box 382
Portland, PA 18351

Ensure your phone number and mailing address is included with your order. Expect delivery within 10 days of placing your order.

June 2014 – The Second Advanced Horn Class at the Boulton Historic Site was a Success.

Rick Sheets — Fri, 10 Oct 2014 23:22:34 +0000

The second Advanced Horn class held at the Jacobsburg Historical Society Craft Center took place on June 7^th and 8^th in Nazareth, PA. This followed the first class of last year where John DeWald and Frank Willis taught a capacity group of 10 students the art of scrimshaw and horn decoration.

This year John and Frank offered a program to teach students how to make a flat horn with a screw-tip. Hoping to match last year’s full enrollment, they were not prepared for the response they received. 16 students signed up for the class! It was not possible to accommodate that many students for the weekend program. The 2 HCH instructors put their heads together and were able to find a second weekend and split the class in half. The first class, held in June taught 8 horners how to flatten a horn and fashion a screw tip.

The second class is scheduled for the 6^th and 7^th of September to instruct the remaining 8 students to do the same.

John and Frank worked as a team. John handled the lathe and the turning of the screw tips and Frank oversaw the shaping of the horn, installation of the base plug and the final finish. All the students made great horns. The remaining question is – what do these 2 Horn Guild instructors have planned for next year, perhaps a horn cup with a chimed in bottom?

If you are interested in attending one of these classes taught by HCH members, contact Frank at: 908-246-8935908-246-8935 or ftwillis@ptd.net.

The students standing left to right: Frank Willis – Instructor, Meg Weinhofer, Brian Morris, John DeWald – Instructor, Jim Steele, Roy Finocchio, Gary Steele. Kneeling left to right: Rod Shaker, Jakob Griffing Bianco, Andrew Albanese

The students Left to right: Hoyt Masterton, Jason Moyer, Rich Hujsa, Andrew Albanese, Todd Searle, John Kochey, Richard Seidel and Ed Weinhofer.

March 2014- The 6th Annual Basic Powder Horn Class at Boulton Historic Site was a Success.

Rick Sheets — Fri, 10 Oct 2014 13:31:12 +0000

The 6^th Annual Basic Powder Horn Class at Boulton Historic Site (Nazareth, PA) was a great success.

2014 Basic Horn Class at Boulton.

For the 6^th year members of The Honourable Company of Horners were active in teaching the basic horn making course . This class is held at the Craft Center located on the grounds of the Bolton Gun Works, where the Henry family made firearms for over a hundred years. The site is managed by the Jacobsburg Historical Society (www.jacobsburghisory.com).

Six students attended and each made a beautiful, early period stepped down horn. This task was completed in four Saturday afternoons in March 2014. One student was a 15 year old that already won a ribbon at Dixon’s last year in the junior category. He was invited to take the course at no charge. Every year Frank Willis, the instructor (and HCH Journeyman Horner), sponsors a youngster who gets to attend the class at no charge.

Many of the students that take the class become Horn Guild members and they are all encouraged to enter their work at Dixon’s Gunmakers Fair in Kepton, Pennsylvania.

A special HCH thanks to Guild members, Hoyt Masterdon, Gary Steele, and John Kochey, who assisted Frank Willis in teaching the class. Also, a big thank you to Roland Cadle and Village Restorations who donating the horns that were used in the class.

All the fees collected are donated to the Jacobsburg Historical Society. The next class is scheduled for January 2015. For more information or to reserve a spot contact Frank Willis at (908-246-8935908-246-8935) or ftwillis@ptd.net

November 7-8, 2014 – The Screw-tip Powder Horn Class is BACK! – Hollidaysburg, PA

Rick Sheets — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 14:52:01 +0000

Successful Horn Skills Class Held – Village Restorations in Hollidaysburg, PA on April 11-12, 2014.

Rick Sheets — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 23:13:11 +0000

Seven participants attended the two-day class at Village Restorations to learn a variety of horn making skills including coloring and decorating horns with engraving, polychrome coloring, lead oxide spotting, the uses and application of aqua fortis and ferric nitrate and basic screw-tip horn manufacture. As you can see from the attached photo, all participants left with completed works, great memories, new friends and new knowledge.

Front row left to right: Art DeCamp instructor, Glenn Hurley, Clay Weaver, Bryan Nye
Back row left to right: Rex Reddick, Sam Thompson, Jason Randolph, Craig Jarrett, Roland Cadle organizer and instructor.

April 11-12, 2014 – Horn Class by Roland Cadle and Art DeCamp – Hollidaysburg, PA

Rick Sheets — Thu, 06 Feb 2014 21:33:07 +0000

Build a Powder Horn and then color and decorate it with period dyes and stains!

Can You Indentify the Maker of this Horn?

Rick Sheets — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 12:47:27 +0000

We have a member who needs to know the identity of maker of this horn. The horn is a modern made piece made to look like an antique.

If you can help, please send an email to: curator(put @ here)hornguild.org. Please put “Mystery Horn” in the Subject Line. Thanks, Rick Sheets

Success! – Horn Skills Class at 24th Annual Conner Prairie Arms Making Workshop

Rick Sheets — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 20:52:49 +0000

Ten participant horns, plus the one made as a “demonstrator” during the class by instructor Art DeCamp.

This year’s 4-1/2 day long horn skills class at the 24th Annual Conner Prairie Arms Making Workshop in Fishers, Indiana, focused on each participant making their own replica of the Early Philadelphia style internal screw-tip powder horn. The class started on Saturday, October 5 and concluded on Wednesday, October 9, 2013 with all ten participants completing a fine Early Philadelphia powder horn with screw-tip, applied collar, and decorative band.

The class began with a lecture on screw-tip powder horns in general and the specific historic significance of the Early Philadelphia style. Several original examples of this style were on hand for reference, along with additional contemporary examples. Following the lecture, question and answer period and distribution of the course syllabus, work began in earnest.

Instructor Art DeCamp and his assistant Jim Pease helped all the participants in the class learn how to heat and shape the horn body, turn its ends true in the lathe, cut and fit a horn band, drill, bore and fit the applied collar, turn and thread the internal screw tip, and develop their lathe turning skills on both horn and wood to the point that each was able to produce a very nice rendition of the French & Indian War period style horn that was made in Philadelphia, PA in the late 1750′s through the early 1770′s. With four individual turned horn pieces, and one wood piece this internal screw-tip style horn is one of the most complex types that can be replicated.

The participants came from near and far and included:

Daniel Boling, Maryville, TN
Jeff Gier, West Liberty, OH
David Gundrum, Fortville, IN
Walter Mabry, Jackson, MS
Rex Reddick, Denison, TX
Chris DeCamillis, Traverse City, MI
Joe Rushton, Tipton, IN
Brian Shrader, Marion, IN
Glenn Sutt, Olympia, WA
Kevin Walden, Russiaville, IN

Front row kneeling (L to R): Art DeCamp, instructor, Joe Rushton, Daniel Boling, Jeff Gier, Back row standing (L to R) Brian Shrader, Walter Mabry, Jim Pease, instructor, Dave Gundrum, Chris DeCamillis, Kevin Walden, Rex Reddick, Glenn Sutt (standing on right).

To see more of Art DeCamp’s Master level work, go to his website at: www.artspowderhorns.com.

Nov. 1-2, 2013 – Horn Class by Roland Cadle and Art DeCamp – Hollidaysburg, PA

Rick Sheets — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 21:04:30 +0000

The class is being held at Village Restorations, Inc. in Hollidaysburg, PA. Click Here for their website.

October 5-8, 2013 – Recreating the Philadelphia Screw-Tip Horn Class at Conner Prairie

Rick Sheets — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 20:44:45 +0000

24th Annual Traditional Arts & Arms Making Workshop
Saturday-Tuesday, October 5-8
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Wednesday, October 9
8 a.m. – 12 p.m.

This class is sold out, but Conner Prairie is taking names for a waiting list.

Further develop your horn-working skills through the construction of an early style internal screw-tip Philadelphia horn. Noted hornsmith Art Decamp will cover a wide variety of topics, from the history and architecture of early horns to many tips and techniques for reproducing period-correct powder horns. This horn will have a turned tip as well as turned and applied collars. Other techniques covered will include proper horn selection, scraping, heating, shaping and coloring of horn.
$580/$560 member (tools required).

For more information see Conner Prairie Interactive History Park’s Website.

Art DeCamp 2012 Conner Prairie Class.