Horn: The Plastic Of History - Making A Horn Comb
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- Опубліковано 23 січ 2022
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I love how you steadily grow more and more secure. The first video, you seemed very nervous being "the host" all on your own, now it appears as if you were doing it for years. Keep your growth up and Jon will have to watch out :D
Brandon definitely does a great job!
Yeah, I love to see it.
He still look a bit nervous to me and the way he rub that horn shows he a bit fidgetty but he certainly is gaining confidence and more comfortable in front of camera.
Yeah, I love how Townsends continues to "branch out" with it's little list of *specialty* personalities.
Brandon does a lot of the forge and woodworking things it seems and Ryan now doing more and more cooking videos.
Soon it seems Townsends will have their own "village" with butcher, baker, and candlestick maker all doing their own niche things in the areas they are building on the 'stead there.
When it becomes a living history site, I'm coming to visit!!
@@twerktospec Um ok? Is that supposed to be a bad thing?
I didn't know that horn was malleable when heated. That's neat!
You learn something new every day. I knew it was sorta pliable but I wasn't sure to what extent.
I figured he might have boiled it or something. I have a drinking horn and the warning on the label was "do not use for hot liquids or put in a dishwasher" (or words to that effect) I figured so it wouldn't deform it
Yeah when he said at the start that it can be "MOLDED and shaped" I laughed coz i thought he misspoke. _Peh, horn can't be mo... wait what is he doing with that fire, and that press, w...WHAT!_
Put in my place in the best way: Educationally 🤯
I saw a video of a bowyer making a bow from bighorn sheep horn. That horn can be reshaped using hot water, not quite boiling. Apparently horn from different animals works differently. Who knew?
@@markfergerson2145 now I have a mental image of the animal "growing" the horn by hot-extruding it from specialised skull attachments, like making industrial plastic pipes.
I have some items made of horn, that my husband made. He wasn't very proud of them and wanted to throw them, but I find them stunning. He explained to me the process he used to made them while discussing the results, and it was marvelous to understand the procedure, and to imaging how it developed since antiquity. 🤩
That’s a very sweet story :)
Have a muzzle loader.. made my powder containers out of cow horns.
@@dstock9855 i disagree a "true" artist knows when to leave their work alone, if we didnt enjoy it wed quit.
what we as people want from our art is a true reflection of whats in our mind
to take whats virtual and make it reality that is the role of the artist and that is what we strive for.
not half made low skill objects we had little intention to make, like a drawing that didnt come out quite right,or a painting or even some code it doesnt have to be visual art.
we strive for perfection toward the communication of our intention if what comes out is not as intended, it could be sensed by another to be undesirable.
the artist the craftsman the poet we need a vision a tool and a song to bind us we need to see love to feel change and to know unity over all things
sorry to make this a a philosophy lesson but thats literally my job 🌺
Your comment is sweet though and i appreciate you leaving it
@@samwalker8200 I am an artist and I only agree with part of what you are saying. Maybe say "as an artist I" instead of "we" since each and every person on this planet is unique and may not think the same as you do.
I wouldn't call myself an artist but I am a woodworker. I have been doing it for many years. I don't do it intentionally but Im never fully happy with my work. I really don't know why. I think I should be at a different level but I have yet to get there. Maybe one day.
I Hope everyone over there is doing fine. My grandparents had a comb made of horn and I saved it. It still works, it makes me feel thankful and I’ll never forget how they used it. And most of all…. it survived a war and all the way from East Prussia. The animals were treated with respect and not taken for granted. So were people. I think this Video makes me feel a bit melancholic and yet feel a warmth inside that’s priceless. Thank you very much and greetings from Northern Germany. 🙏🏻
Lol still works.
@@MrBakedDaily Batteries haven't run out!
@Daily Still works in regard to the figurative sense, meaning that with all advancements it still gets the job done. Not a literal job which may confuse you.
I feel like the millions of people killed by the two great wars in the first half 20th century are evidence that people were definitely taken for granted and not treated with respect in the past.
*melancholy
advice for anyone using modern tools to work horn, bone, or antler, use a dust mask. you really don't want the dust in your nose or lungs. these are some wonderful mediums to craft useful, beautiful items from. also be aware, it does smell like burnt hair.
I was wondering if it smelled as bad as I thought it would... Maybe the oil method wouldn't be as stinky as just using fire.
Exactly. Horn and hides can spread Anthrax.
Same with woodworking too. Wood dust is carcinogenic
I just came in here to say this. Something over your mouth/nose while heating it over the fire isn't a bad idea as well.
Well yeah they are both made from keratin lol
I've seen bow limbs made from bighorn sheep horns, they boiled the entire horn and then sliced it length wise to flatten and dry. They also mentioned natives taking horns to hot springs for processing them this way.
I guess it only takes 1 horned animal to fall into the hot-spring.
💡
🤔 _"Hmmm"_
Horn on the inside of the bow to resist compression. Sinew on the outside of the bow to add elasticity. Turkish recurve bows do this.
@@andrewburns3823 Was just about to say this. Steppe peoples throughout history have done it. The Scythian bow was made this same way. Horn has a long, long tradition of being used in this way.
Recommend any videos to see them being made?
It was so nice watching you work Brandon. Craftsman, historian, teacher.
My wife is in the Society for Creative Anachronism. I mentioned what I'd learned in this video, and now with her blessing I'm off to a local leather shop to get a horn and make a her a comb.
Today, even though they are made of metal or plastic, we still call them "shoe horns." Horn was used for buttons, stems on tobacco pipes. small boxes for snuff and cosmetics, handles on pocket knives and the list goes. Thank you for this very interesting video, I am looking forward to more.
I remember Brandon being the silent handyman in blue. I thought it was so strong of a performance to just be there and silent.
But since he's started talking, in his simple humble and soothing manner, it's just a gift that keeps on giving.
The passion of the crew at what they do is contagious. Not only for the crafts, stories and items but also for the care in crafting the sounds and images of these videos.
Subscribing to your paid contents is high on my list to do when I can afford extras (kids in a big city ain't cheap), it also sound like wonderful father & son projects once he's older.
I've been using horn combs for years, it's much softer on hair than plastic ones (keratin on keratin, same for boar bristle brushes), but you need to take care and nourish them like leather boots, otherwise they cracks on the surface.
How do you maintain it? Do you put lotion on it?
@@saynotop2w Yep, simple massage with vegetable oil time to time, especially after a wash with soap. Horn is made of keratin, like your nails and hair, so the care is the same.
@@j.m.3038 Thanks for the clarification
I have seen some bone combs that Archaeologist have found made from deer antlers. In Scotland they have a regular comb on one side and a nit comb on the other. So they didn't have messy hair all the time like it is shown in movies. The comb came out very nice Bradon. I didn't know that it could be heated in the fire. Thanks for another interesting video guys. Have a good week.
Vikings were known to be downright fussy about their hair and fashionably bleached it blond and dyed it red.
@@tessat338 People were not as dirty as the movies make them out to be, humans have always tried to look their best when possible.
Had absolutely no idea horn could so easily be heated and formed. I would have assumed it would either burn or become brittle
You do have to be careful not to over heat or it can become brittle or separate at the growth layers!
I wonder if it smells like burning hair as it heats up. That could be a little off putting.
@@lorisewsstuff1607 Yes it smells terrible if it you over heat it. Think about the smell of burning hair.
@@lorisewsstuff1607 That's exactly what it smells like when it's heated. And if it burns...blech!
Me neither, I learned something new today.
It just occurred to me that they made " Horn Rimmed Glasses " from Horn.
Right up until bakelite, when they started making "tortoise shell" patterned frames and "horn rim" became a shape rather than a material. The shape was actually a result of needing to keep the frames from delaminating, using the natural "grain" to provide torsional support to the frame.
What about shoe horns?
@@takeohtyme oh that's smart, I hadn't thought of that. I was wondering why you wouldn't just cut a horn lengthwise to make combs instead of making a slice.. but the tines are perpendicular, so they'd be crossing the grain and coming apart into pieces if you did that.
@@KairuHakubi yeah, horn is basically densely packed hair (more complicated, obviously but same idea) so it has a grain to it just like wood.
@@MiddleEastMilli the real question is "What about Dragons?"
Wow that title is so true isn’t it. I never would’ve even thought about that! Very intriguing.
If you asked me before now, "What did they use before plastic?" I would have been ashamed of not knowing the answer. Glad to learn something new.
Thank you for this video. Old novels often have a damsel in distress over losing teeth from her comb. This shows just why it was such a big deal. Beautiful work and great job! :)
When we think about eco friendly living for the future we don’t need to come up with so many new ideas. Maybe it’s time to start looking back at history, the way our ancestors lived.
This is so true. The beef industry is huge so I bet we could use a lot of the horns from beef cattle to offset some of our plastic production.
Your wishes are good but the world moves to fast for the ideas of good men
The world is ruled by evil
We will live like our ancestors and the rest will perish. No large scale factory will ever do good for the environment, regardless of the source of the material. There are too many people, period.
honestly, yeah. its rebranded as "zero waste" but im just using methods from before plastic was such a huge invasion into our lives. prior to the 1960s plastic was a rarity and people had ways around it. there's still some plastic thats "good" like medical waste that i wont fight against cause it is a cleaner and safer method but man. just bring a reusable bag to the supermarket and drink from a metal bottle.
@@SmashhoofTheOriginal We already have industrial processes that use these byproducts, most become glue for your Amazon packages. We are the root of the problem, we cannot continue to live the way we do while increasing our population. There is no way to offset that when it comes down to it.
1:19 - This to me it's the most interesting part of the video. Horn manufacturers started investing into the plastics industry. They knew their product would be phased out by plastics, but instead of creating lobbies to stop the technological advance, they instead embraced it and invested in it. Nowadays...
Btw, great video as usual!
I will never understand why the cattle lobby doesn't just... start raising sheep and goats. They're just little cows, same products (plus wool), more efficient feed conversion.. just diversify, instead of committing shenanigans to keep the other bovids out of the market. I shouldn't have to pay 24 bucks a pound for new zealand lamb for passover dangit.
@@KairuHakubi It's a bit stubbornness, a bit farmers genuinely not having the liquidity to make the adaptations they'll need to support diversified herds, and a lot of apprehension of how ham-handed the government is with this kind of thing. Since farming is a heavily subsidized and therefore heavily government-dependent industry, trying to keep as much control on your production as you can is a necessity.
Look at sugar cane. It was white gold until corn lobbyists demanded the industry to diversify, they did and in turn high fructose corn syrup ruined two generations of Americans' diets. It took twenty years of fighting against the HFCS hegemony for sugar cane production to return to proportionally similar levels as it had before the 70's and even then now it's got an expensive posh product for hipsters stigma.
I'm sure most cattle ranchers don't refuse to give up their role as the fulcrum of the dairy economy because they love contaminating the world with cow farts. They just fear what poison the government will push in their stead if they let up, and they're right to feel that way.
@@Stroggoii well first of all corn syrup is glucose. glucose with fructose added is just sucrose again, don't start adding pseudoscience to this, we're talking about the corruption of lobbying. also, what? corn syrup is still used universally in place of cane, because the subsidies are still there.
also all animals fart? so it's not like changing to goats would change anything, sounds like you've been huffing too much of al gore's hot air. gotta remember 100% of that eco nonsense comes from the government.
I watched this video with my dad and he told me stories about working with horn when he built cabins and worked with horns as a job. I might work for his boss when I am older. Great video I might try this
I've read of it being used for the panes in lanterns in lieu of glass, and even as windows in poor homes that couldn't afford glass. Very cool technology.
The word lantern apparently comes from Old English "lanthorn" meaning portable lamps using shaped horn reflectors and shaved horn windows.
Seems like that'd be a pretty cool lampshade; you could really see the texture of the individual piece of horn.
@@markfergerson2145 What a fantastic bit of etymology, thank you!
Lant refers to the stale urine used to flatten the horn. Hence, "lant horn"... lantern.
@@markfergerson2145 hi we have several small horn cups from the 18 c it’s very durable in the right conditions, also I got a buzz from replying to a namesake, happy new year
The first thing I remembered with the title is "How to Stain Horn to Imitate Tortoise Shell" on page 198 of The Domestic Manufacturer's Assistant by J. and R. Bronson. Thanks for the demo.
I did a bunch of horn work about 15 years ago as a hobby. You can make a finer toothed comb or rounder edges using a sanding rag. It's exactly what it sounds like, a rag dipped in oil and covered with fine sand. You basically just floss the teeth with it Though, making super fine teeth is a real pain and you gotta uncurl and clean the horn to find a good piece to work with.
The sand cloth method was dropped when sandpaper was invented, but it's the same idea
Wet/dry paper works well.
@@randycurtis1176 yep, last sentence mentioned that.
I was more commenting on historical recreation rather than modern methods. I've seen modern makers use everything from dremmels to hydraulic presses to churn out horn items much faster than the old hand tool methods. Most of them use sandpaper (or wet/dry, same same) or sand tumblers to finish edges off.
Depending on thickness of the horn you can even use steaming method to shape them.
Softening and forming in boiling water is what I have always read. But yes the type of horn or thickness clearly makes a difference.
I've accidentally made glue quite a few times trying to steam a thick horn. Hot oil always worked best for me, the next bests were ovening or direct flame. Boiling is much more of an art as the horn can go gluey or delam as it dries out
Makes sense, I know they use steam to bend wood, so it must act kinda similar. Tho I suppose the horn is less forgiving to overheating.
@@roidroid horn is actually more resilient in most senses when it comes to open flame heat and wood does better with steam or water. The collagen in bone and other bits can turn to gelatin if over steamed or boiled and it doesn't catch fire as quickly as wood.
A horn project?! Great, I've been looking forward to learning some of the basics of working with the material!
Truly some of the best content on UA-cam! 😁
This is such a pleasure to watch. I'm a maker and I love watching other people at work, especially with traditional artisanship. Working with horn seems like it would be similar to fiberglass composite.
E: I have a very thin, shiny horn bowl that I got at a Renaissance festival, and seeing how much work it is just to flatten it, I can't imagine making a nice round bowl shape!
I love info on working with horn! In a previous live stream, you pointed out in an illustration a lantern that had panels made from horn. I would love to see you guys make one of those!
That is where the word comes from; lant-horn.
This was really fascinating Brandon. I have a couple of Shofars so this was interesting to watch. I love the relaxing music and Townsend's videographers are expert!
incredible to see how this was done.
its a shame how little of human life-style, technology, and processes are actually taught/passed down.
I agree. That's because the powers to be want us dependant on them for everything.... the ultimate consumers! We must regain some of that lost knowledge!
@xHideousFoxx a more optimistic outlook is that people still know how to do it, and are using the internet to spread it! I didn’t know about this before, and now me and thousands of others do!
@@bytecarter I was well aware horn was used to make combs and other items. If push came to shove, I'd have to figure out how to do it. I think I could, as could most ordinarily intelligent people. Glad we have plastic.
When the parents are comfortable in their craft and ready to teach you seldom find a child willing to listen. Children tend to resemble their own your own more than that of their parents and anything that is old and Antiquated or Not Cool is often disregarded and the skills are lost. I think that's why my grandfather was so grateful that I wanted to learn carpentry from him
Wow, this brought back a long forgotten memory. Many years ago, my grandmother owned a translucent, wavy comb. As a little kid I always wondered why it looked so different from the straight, black plastic ones I used. After watching this video I think her comb was a plastic replica of a horn comb.
Interesting that this was kept in one piece. The most well-known premodern combs, the scandianvian/pre-norman english ones are made of several pieces, sometimes down to having individual pairs of teeth.
Very pretty! It actually just occurred to me that my great-grandparents' horn rimmed spectacles were actually made of horn. Now I feel silly 🤦🏼♀️
It would be great to do an episode at The Woodwrights School with Roy Underhill.
I'm very interested in combs, vintage and antique, and I have some wooden ones. But seeing one made out of horn and seeing all the work that went into it has given me a new found respect for the humble comb! I'd love to see a video on jewelry making with silver or gold!
I love the way you’ve done this largely without music and just had the sounds of the fire and clamps, vices and equipment - creates a real sense of the purpose and serenity of the work
It's interesting to consider, that as plastics became available and easy to produce, producers of items that were once made by horn, used plastic in colors that imitated natural horn. Think of combs, eyeglass frames, compacts, utensil handles.
We need to get back to the simple things in life, that's why I like this channel so much.
Love the insights I get with this channel. I would never have thought of horn as the cheaper alternative to things like wood and metal and ceramic, but that makes perfect sense in context! You guys make my research for my historical fantasy fun and delivered in little tidbits, rather than all at once and overwhelming. Thanks so much for sharing!
“Brave men all, lost sons of New Bedford, ahh that’s good scrimshaw”
Wow! I didn't even think about items made from horn. What a great video! Thank you!
The finished product at 9:50 was very nice.
9:43 for the people who went too far
Love your nice conversational style while you work, John! Excited to hear more from you!
This was absolutely fascinating! I truly love this expansion of Townsend crew and content. I never imagined horn could be so malleable when heated
Caution: Always wear a dust mask if you're grinding or sanding horn or bone. The dust can easily be breathed in and will cause respiratory diseases.
Excellent video. Enjoyed watching you make the comb!
Fascinating, educational and with an evocative atmospheric quality. Fantastic. Thanks for this!
I really appreciate the photography/lighting in this video.
really like these kinds of videos Townsends, keep them coming!
This was so cool. I will probably watch it over and over . Thanks for bringing this to us
Looks like a fun series, will definitely watch for more.
Horn = Nature’s Bakelite! I absolutely love the Townsend & friends videos on early science and technology (gall ink, soaps, leather & tanning, tools, etc.). My specialty is later technology (late 1800’s to mid 190’s: telegraph, phonograph, radio, vacuum tubes, x-rays, etc), so these videos featuring earlier crafts and skills are a special treat! There’s great joy, personal pride and a respect for the source or your natural materials that comes with a hand-crafted object that gets lost in the disconnect of modern hands-off mechanized manufacturing. Please keep these types of videos coming!
PS- Anything else that involves early chemistry, processing metal from ores, etc, and other day-to-day skills would be very interesting and most welcomed by a lot of us.
I never imagined horn would be malleable when hot! That was really surprising and cool to see.
Great demonstration Brandon! A pleasure to watch. 😀
Wow! That’s amazing! Never knew horn was able to be worked like this. Thought you would be limited by the size of the horn. No clue you could cut it, heat it, and flatten it out!
This video was fascinating to watch. Thankfully there are people helping to keep alive this knowledge!
I'm really glad you did this episode. This doesn't get touched on enough
Great presentation. Thank you!
Looking forward to more.
Wonderful informative video as always!
I love these videos very nice for relaxing or trying to go to sleep, also incredibly educational. Thanks guys
absolutely incredible content!!! well done.
excellent video. Looking forward to seeing the horn spoon video. I really like these period craftsmanship videos.
This video is just incredible!! I made a powder early last year and this video takes me back to that process. Love these videos!!!!
Very impressive craftmanship, and what an excellent host!
I love your video! Bravo!!! Nicely done! Thank you so much for sharing your creative craft and its history with all of us. Blessed Love!
I love all the fun facts I discover on this channel, thanks!
Great video. Thanks for helping keep tradition alive!
Beautiful video. Very calming
the results are so pretty for such a simple item, the material is just pretty..
Speaking of the bricks; I am extremely excited to see what it is you guys are going to build with them and I'm waiting as patiently as I can.
These videos are just so pleasant to watch. Looking forward to the spoon vid!
Finally finished the whole Townsends' Wilderness Homestead playlist and gotta say it was fantastic! Thanks for the entertainment and education!
What a lovely little project to get into a craft with. I could see trying it out sitting by the fire the next time I go camping. Thanks
This is a really cool project! Awesome job Brandon!
This was so cool! More, more, more! :) Thank you!
Really great episode and learned a lot
You're quite the storyteller my friend. Your thought is so easy to follow. I enjoyed your video 👏🏻
Very cool and it looks like something I can try! Thank you again!
What a fascinating video. Beautiful comb.
So much effort and pride.
Je trouve ces vidéos d'artisanat vraiment incroyable. On apprend beaucoup d'astuces et de procédés artisanales.
En plus avec cette ambiance très "chalet". Je revoie le savoir faire de nos aïeux. Cette chaîne est un pur plaisir à regarder.
This was fascinating. Thanks for making it.
This channel keeps on getting better and better. This is a really good looking project. As someone who is originally from a very large farm in Alberta, I did not know that horns could be used in this way. Cheers!
This is really cool. Lots of inspo for other periods as well.
Fascinating video! I have Townsend's horn spoon...so I will be watching carefully for your upcoming video! This comb is such a lovely and simple an item for a farmer to make to give to his wife at Christmas!
Love these type of videos!!!😍
This is awesome!! I discovered horn combs a few years ago and I love them!! I look forward to more videos on this. I’d love to try my hand at working with horn. It really is so beautiful!
You introduced me to a whole new craft, technology and skill set. Fascinating and inspiring.
Cheers.👍
Great info! Thanks for posting
Neat video, I used to do a program I titled “ Plastic of the 18th century” for several historic sites, covering similar topics, with examples of turned and molded horn items… great job as always…
I have done oil heating of horn but did not know about direct heating for shaping the horn. Thank you for an excellent and very instructive video.
Fantastic video!! Thank you Brandon.
Now that is AWESOME! I have lots of horn and all kinds of leftover materials from my skull mount projects. And now I have a new craft to master. I can't wait for the spoon video!!!
Native Americans used horn as well. They made practical items such as combs, sewing tools and bowls from horn. They were called horn bowls. It was heated and shaped into form.
Fascinating video! Thank you!
Man, you just made my day, Thanks a lot for your precious time :D
I use a lot these videos for Worldbuilding my Dungeons & Dragons setting.
This video in particular was super useful. Thanks.
I experimented working with deer antler once, to make a decorative handle for a knife I made for my Dad. One thing I learned quickly... don't try to work antler/bone with power tools. The friction from power saws and Dremel tools will get the material super hot and it smells worse than burning hair! Lesson learned lol.
wow, things ive ever seen yet they happened hundreds of years ago. this channel is amazing
This really is a great video!
i cant wait to see the next spoon video. great stuff