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Title: Cow Horn Protectors or are they ? Post by: simon c on August 29, 2009, 06:43:59 PM I read the post a few weeks a go about the copper alloy "horn protectors" and having found quite a few myself i can't see that they would be for that use ?,i have also found quite a few larger lead horn protectors which to me seem more practical,the one did have copper alloy rivits holding the remains of leather straps but they have now dissintergrated and i removed the rivets to weigh in the lead ::),The main reason i can't see the copper ones working, is the diameter at the screw end isn't big enough to fit on a cow's horn,is it possible they are off Rams or Goats,one of mine has remains of molten glass in it but i guess that could have got there in a fire,but all 3 of the copper ones have deliberate after manufacturing cut marks on either side ? Any idea's would be much appreciated.
Title: Re: Cow Horn Protectors or are they ? Post by: hedgehog on August 29, 2009, 06:56:00 PM I haven't got a clue Simon , but that is an impressive collection!
Title: Re: Cow Horn Protectors or are they ? Post by: DIGGA on August 29, 2009, 07:51:13 PM I TOO HAVE NO IDEA BUT AS ITS BEEN SAID WELL DONE ON A GREAT COLLECTION BUD ;) ;)
Title: Re: Cow Horn Protectors or are they ? Post by: hedgehog on August 30, 2009, 07:29:15 AM Found this bit of info Si.
I just read about how to do this in the animal doctoring book that belonged to my great-great-grandfather! I had always been curious about how the balls were screwed onto the horns, and it sounded like this method would really work. The book (printed in the 1880's) says to bake two large round potatoes, until they are not quite as done as you would like them to eat. Stick a hot potato on each horn, and leave them there until the potato cools down some. (10 minutes?) The hot moist potato sort of steams the horn, to soften it. Then you take the hot potato off the horn, and screw the threaded brass ball on as tight as you can with pliers. According to the book, it will never come off. Had a look around and think they were only made for cattle, may have been for the longhorn type which came to a fine tip, and of course the lead ones are home-made The oxen pulling the plough would be the long horn type and maybe that's how and when they ended up in the ground. Title: Re: Cow Horn Protectors or are they ? Post by: simon c on August 30, 2009, 06:54:53 PM Thank's for that Steve,very interesting info,seem's i was wrong about the copper ones,so i am assuming that if the book was printed in the 1880's they would be dated to around then,to be honest the lead ones way that much i had them down for the scrap pile,might just keep the two better ones. ;D
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