1840 Era Blackpowder Help

[Alpinbogen]

To a friend, I owe great gratitude in the form of a handmade powder horn and possibles bag.  Can anyone point me towards pictures, descriptions, or instructions of either?  It must be circa 1840 and I have to nail it.  Not ornate neccessarily, but period correct.  I have limited (one) powder horn experience, circa 100 years earlier, plus a possibles bag and many quivers.  I just know there's some nitpicky stuff in the BP re-enactor world that qualifies such things to fit...or not, and I need to get it right.

[stickbender]

     You might try asking some of the Black Powder magazines about rules, and such, and descriptions, for that period.  I would not think that there would much difference in a Powder horn from the 1840's or the 1850's, or the 1700's, even with carving and scrimshaw, except for maps or period events embellished on it.  But I do not do reenacting, so I am just guessing.  I would think the same would be true with the possibles bag also.  But again I am not informed on that kind of rules, and requirements.  I am sure that any of the Black Powder shooting magazines would be able to inform you, or some of the reenacting groups and such.  To me a powder horn is pretty much a powder horn, and the same for the possibles bag, just the degree of embellishing of either.  But that is to me.   There is always someone who has say " Well now we do have rules you know, and that horn has a fiddle peg for a stopper, and not a horn or antler stopper with built in powder scoop measure, and that brass filler acorn in the horn plug just isn't correct for this period, and that priming horn shouldn't have a spring loaded pouring tube!" ad nauseum!
I wish you luck.  So check with those sources, and see if they can answer your questions, or steer you to where someone that can.
                                       Wayne

[madcrow]

Look online and fund out if you have a fairly local black powder club or reenactment.   Go straight to the horses mouth and ask.  They have a French and Indian war reenactment close to where I live and yes they are very picky about what is allowed.  The good thing is that when you ask ten of them the same question, you get the same answer from all of them.

[JW_Halverson]

There are some things that don't change much from one era to the next, but youj gotta realize that these people were just as much into style then as we are now!  There are a number of details you can glean from websites like Contemporary Longrifle Association (serious skills in this crowd).  They have actual antiques as well as contemporary work.

For horns, search out Roland Cadle, Art deCamp, and Joe Becker.  These three guys work elevates powderhorns to serious collectable art.  Look for the Honourable Company of Horners, an organization dedicated to the Guild of Hornworks.  It's much like the old guildcrafts, you must apprentice under a Master, pass his testing to make Journeyman, then continue your own craft research and training until such time as you feel ready to submit a series of "Masterworks" for inspection by a cadre of Masters who will judge your work.  These guys are pretty serious about their research on historical pieces. 

Then you gotta consider what socio-economic level the person would inhabit.  Too many "commoners" carry super-high grade curly maple custom engraved flintlocks when they should be carrying a used up, passed on musket of questionable safety.  Then consider their location.  Many horn styles are unique to regions.  Also remember, it was more likely for a rich guy to carry a plain horn than a poor bloke toting an engrailed, banded, silver mounted, three color scrimshawn powderhorn with handwoven 4 color silk shoulderstrap!

And whatever you do, if he is going to wear it at Rendezvous or re-enacting DON'T ANTIQUE IT!  Nobody walked around in the 1840's carrying a powderhorn that was 170 years old.