Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: DarkSoul on April 01, 2009, 07:26:31 am
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I've found some cowhorn on an auction website. It is fairly cheap, and for me it looks like a good opportunity to get some cowhorn. I can order waterbuffalo, but cow horn is more difficult to get. Who would have guessed that in the land of cows and milk, the Netherlands?
Anyway, my question is: how big should the horns be, before the tip is solid enough to give me a good nock? I intend to make ELB-style nocks, so not just overlays. Basically Chris' process. (http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,12095.0.html)
These are the pictures of the actual lot I am eyeballing:
(http://i44.tinypic.com/1zb5rwp.jpg)
One tile is 1 foot square. Are these horns big enough?
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I would guess that at least 2" or maybe a little more of the tip should be solid. Much further toward the base would probably be getting to thin. Hard to know for sure...
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The last 2" or so should indeed be solid for the design of nocks I have in mind. But will these horns pictured above be solid for the last 2"? When are they big enough?
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I have a few the same size as the horns in the pic and they are solid for the last 1 3/4" to 2" excetp for two horns, which were solid for 4". It probably would depend on the breed of cow, diet, etc.
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You can always use the cowhorn in combination with another material if need be. A little more trouble, but I like the look of a well made tip with a couple of different materials...
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I would cut off about 3" and see how deep the core goes , you can then cut it back to the solid tip. You can have a bit of a hole in the horn before cutting your tapper in , as long as it's smaller than the tip of your stave. Show us some pics of how you get on
Chris ;)