Indian made powder horns

[spottedhorse]

Anyone ever see any examples (or, historical references), of using "rawhide" as a means to fashion a butt plug for a buffalo powder horn?

It seems like rawhide would be easier to use, than expending the extra effort to carve and fit a wooden base plug if you were living on the Plains.

[Mark]

I have seen them, but could not tell you where. Maybe Tom Tobins horn in the Gordon collection in NMexico.

Mark

[Chuck Burrows]

I've seen several repaired with rawhide including the Mariano Medina horn and have repaired several with that method, but I've never seen one using just rawhide.

the Medina Horn (which I think Mark may have mixed up with Tobin?)






While there were undoubtedly some buffalo horns made in the west, many others were commercially made eastern products - there are several fancy ones that appear to have been made in the St Louis are - William Clark owned one.
Plus while commercially made horns were made by forming the end round, etc. horns can be made without that - just cut and fit - pine or cottonwood are common to the west and both are quite soft so they be easily shaped with nothing much more than a knife and/or file.

[Mark]

Yep, I did. Thanks for keeping me on track, Chuck.
Mark

[spottedhorse]

Thanks fellas for your replies.

[Pare]

I suspect this Comanche horn, ca. 1840s, was Indian-made. It came from the Comancheria Collection.



Pare-