Through the Looking Glass, and out the other side
Yesterday, I posted about what I was doing trying to replace the old cotton twine that was the strap for the old family powder horn. Well, tons of you (OK, four of you) left comments with links to sites historical, and to sites catering to re-enactors. Straps (excuse me: lanyards) galore!
And what did I find was the most popular? Rawhide - exactly the stuff I bought. And so, a braidedstrap lanyard for the powder horn.
I know that my daddy put the old cotton twine on it these sixty years ago, but even he said it looked bad. This has the feel for what a mid-nineteenth century hunter might have had. And now the horn proudly takes its place on the wall Chez Borepatch.
Thanks to everyone who left a comment. This was all much simpler than I feared it would be!
To new visitors, the story of the rifle is here.
And what did I find was the most popular? Rawhide - exactly the stuff I bought. And so, a braided
I know that my daddy put the old cotton twine on it these sixty years ago, but even he said it looked bad. This has the feel for what a mid-nineteenth century hunter might have had. And now the horn proudly takes its place on the wall Chez Borepatch.
Thanks to everyone who left a comment. This was all much simpler than I feared it would be!To new visitors, the story of the rifle is here.
4 comments:
Nice piece of family history, and good on you for keeping it and being proud of it!
A friend of mine had an old family heirloom rifle hanging over his mantel for 25 years, after moving it from his parents' mantle where it hung for many years before. One day when I was visiting I noticed it had a cap installed, so I asked him if he did that for effect.
He looked at me askance, and then we took it down and did some examination, to find it was loaded with powder and a ball.
So, you may want to ask yourself . . .
If you are going to keep it as a heirloom, fill it with naphtha flakes, or crushed mothballs.
Moths will attack horn just as quickly as they will attack wool.
Tom -- A clear example of Rule # 1.
The chances that a 150 year old charge is going to go off with much of a bang are still quite reasonable. Gun powder doesn't have a sell by date but it does become unstable.
His Great Great Grandfather knew it was foolish to believe he would have enough time to fend off the local version of Antifa in order to load his musket.
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