My first two horns and a couple bags

[Mcleanwelsh]

Ok so the last couple weeks after and before class everyday Ive been switching between leather work and horn work to try and teach myself something. 

A friend gave me some old leather working tools and artificial sinew and a huge box of scrap leather. 

I had a cheap 20 dollar horn that ive used for a while and decided to try my hand at scrimshaw. The "RULE BRITTANIA" was done with a patch knife and all the rest was done with a large leather awl. 

The date on the other side is the battle of the plains of abraham and them my name Around the base. Got the tacks at the local hardware store and made the staple from some steel in the shop. The strap I made from some scrap leather I had. I tried to dye it with some fabric dye similar to rit dye but it turned it green, so i sanded it back enough to get the colour out and then stained it with walnut stain. 

Here is a picture of it with my Haversack type bag with african red haarsbeast on it. 




Next up is my first horn completely from scratch. I built this as a thank you for my football coach from highschool, he taught me alot and is one of the greatest men Ive ever known.  He was also in the 82n airborne years ago and saw combat morethan once. 

 I cut it and scraped the outside down with the dull edge of an old hacksaw blade. Then I scrimed "82nd AIRBORNE" "ALL THE WAY" on one side and our team on the other "JOHN BARSBY BULLDOGS"
"GO! DAWGS! GO!"

Then finally his name around the base with the same tacks as my horn.  The plug is made from an old gunstock and I cut it all with hand tools as I dont have any electric tools with me in QC. I inset a Challenge coin for the 82nd in the base. It was stained with some rit dye once I found some. 

The strap was made from 3 separate parts of leather with red leather lacing alternating on the main part. 

Here is some pics of the horn with my first attempt at making a bag from small peices of scrap leather. Ill get some dark brown leather dye and finish the bag. 








Let me know what ya'll think! 

Cheers, McLean

[ErikPrice1@msn.com]

Nice!!!! Thats the way you do it.

[old salt]

Looks good. keep going.

[woody]

Nice, I'm sure he will love the horn. 

[Mcleanwelsh]

Thanks guys im pretty happy with them!

I took him fishing at my family lodge a few years back and he used to hunt but hasnt for a while. Also he thinks bp is really cool but never got into it so i figured I might be able to peek his interest into joining our local club back home.

McLean

[Hanshi]

You are very creative and that is all excellent work.  I'm not quite at your level but I  thmbsupplug along anyway. 

[crazell]

You did a wonderful job!! Like them bag's!!! Thanks for sharing..

[Renegade]

That's some nice work Mclean.

[pathfinder]

I like the 82nd stuff. My Father was in the 509th Pathfinders. It is a complete and total coincedence about my being Pathfinder and his unit! I recived the name 30+ years ago,and learned of my Fathers unit after reading "All American,All the way,Story of the 82nd 3 years ago. He NEVER talked of his involvment on D-day and the day's leading up to it.


Good,neat workmanship.

[Red Badger]

I like the horn and bag.  I think Coach Stevenson will be pleased with the gift, and it like almost all our creations are unique!

I would suggest praticing on some other lettering styles as they can change the way a horn looks immensly.  And Last piece of advice ... DO NOT FOLLOW PATHFINDER!  He will get you lost!     Just kidding ! Take a look in the nicknames thread and you will read how he got his name... something about taking off from the motel and driving all over town looking for food only to end up back at the motel resteraunt..... 

[pathfinder]

It's TRUE IT'S TRUE!!!!!!!!! I STILL get lost in the same wood's I've hunted for 30+ years! Scott and Kathy Sibley's book on horn making is an AWSOME insiration. It look's like you have a career in horn's! (Bag's too,but I dont need the competition!LOL,LOL)

[Mcleanwelsh]

Your name is PATHFINDER ! Yet you still get lost, for a new guy here such as myself this could be terribly misleading! Thanks red badger for helping me out haha! 

My girlfriend is in love with the show game of thrones so Im making her a candle holder out of horn with the show logo and some other stuff. Im using a different font this time like you said.

Dont think ill be on the level on bag competition for a while yet, someday mabye! Ill be safe from you thoug because if yiu came lookin for me we all know you would get lost! 

Thanks for all the kind words :)

Cheers, McLean