Spotted Northern Berks County PA Horn
I am bemused by spotted horns. They have an interesting history. The process of staining horn in this manner originated with comb makers. The demand for tortoise shell combs in the 18th and 19th centuries far exceeded supplies of genuine tortoise shell. So the comb making industry created a chemical process to make imitation tortoise shell using cow horn. It is no surprise that this process eventually made it into the shops of powder horn makers. As far as we know, spotted embellishments served purely as decoration.
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Caring for your powder horn.
Horn items are susceptible to moth and beetle damage. The best thing you can do to avoid this damage is simply to fill it with black powder and use it. If you plan to store your horn, you might be tempted to put it in a box and tuck it away on the top shelf next to the extra towels in the second bedroom where it's good and dry. Giving in to this temptation, may not be a sin, but it's pretty close. You'll be storing up your treasure where moth doth corrupt. You see, worms prefer to dine in the darkness. Instead, when you ain't using it, hang it up on display and let it shine for everyone to see. But be forewarned: they will be bound to ask, "where did you get that powder horn?" And you can say, "from K. Carter, hornsmith, at KC-Hornworks.com."
One last thing: It's always kinda nice to give your powder horn a name. It's just one more way of showing your horn that you really do care.