Guildmaster’s Message about The 2024 Horn Fair and Annual Meeting

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays coming to a close, I look forward to settling into a slower schedule- who am I kidding!?! Winter shows start as early as January. One I personally plan to attend is the 18th Century Artisan show which will be held at the Carlisle Expo Center on Feb. 2nd and 3rd. The Guild will have a display table with a good representation of horn items, membership information, fundraising displays and Guild merchandise for sale. If you’re in the area, we’d love to see you!
There’s a few more shows on my schedule, but the biggest one on my mind (by far) is our Annual Meeting at the Altoona Grand Hotel on March 8th and 9th. Plans have been set and reservations have already started rolling in. Remember, if you’re planning to book a room, call the hotel directly at (814)946-1631 and say you want a room in the “HCH room block”. Dinner reservations are also needed for the Saturday banquet. Information on acquiring banquet seats, display tables and raffle tickets can be found here on the website by clicking here.

Please mark your calendars for this event. As it’s the biggest Guild function we have during the year, I’d love so much to see more of our members there than ever before! If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at polizzifam@netzero.net.

Kris Polizzi – HCH Guildmaster
God Bless America!

Guildmaster’s Message about The Gunmakers Fair at Kempton – Register for the Summer Reception – Please Volunteer

I’m thankful we’re actually having spring-time in Pennsylvania this year! For the past few years it seemed to go straight from winter to summer!  I know summer is close at hand, and with that comes the excitement of the biggest event of the season- The Gunmakers Fair, now at the Kempton Fairgrounds in Kempton, Pennsylvania.

Plans have been put into place and many people have donated so much time and effort to make this event happen. As the HCH is one of the four sponsoring organizations, I would love to see a large showing of our membership at the event. More volunteers are needed, so if you can spare some time at some point over the three days of the event, please let John Dewald or myself know ASAP!

Here is a link about the Summer Reception. Please reserve your spots as soon as practical. We need all reservations by the 16th of July. Last year we had a great time and the food was delicious! As our group only formally meets twice a year, I find it’s always enjoyable to see everyone at the reception and catch up with friends. There will also be a fundraising event over the weekend. Tickets for the raffle will be available for purchase at the HCH tent. If you cannot make the event, you can purchase tickets by following this link as well.

I hope you all have a safe and fun summer! See you at the Fair!

 

Kris Polizzi – HCH Guildmaster
God Bless America!

December 2022- End of Year Message. Looking forward to 2023. Merry Christmas!

As I write this a quarter inch of ice clings to the tree branches outside my window. A mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain falls from the sky. Winter is finally here. Luckily for me, I’m sitting in front of a crackling fire thinking of all the members of the Guild spread across the country, and even the world, who are also getting ready for a new year to start. There are many things to be thankful for this time of year. And I for one have many blessings to be thankful for, including all of the friends I’ve made through this organization. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year as together, we head into 2023!

At the Fall Executive Committee meeting (with most of the committee chairs present) many things were discussed, many plans were made and many updates given. There’s so much going on behind the scenes in this organization! If you’ve ever thought of joining one of our committees, please reach out to me to find out where the best place for you to “plug-in” would be!

Make sure to check out the latest issue of The Horn Book, coming out the end of February to find out about all of the “Happenings Around the Guild!”Make plans to attend the Annual Meeting in Altoona, Pennsylvania on March 10th and 11th, 2023! What a wonderful time of fellowship and fun, education and learning and growing as an organization! I hope many of you will be able to attend. If you are unable to make it this year, please find other ways to stay active in the Guild! One of those ways could be submitting a design for the Guild flag! Please send your digital design to Bill Carter along with a brief description by January 16th. We want this flag to represent the Guild as a whole and we’re looking for your thoughts on its design!

 

Wishing you and your family and very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Kris Polizzi – HCH Guildmaster

God Bless America!

A bit about the Guildmaster's Challenge 2023! (At the Annual Meeting in Altoona, PA)

Fall is officially here and has brought hurricane season with it. I’ll be praying for all of our members that may experience bad weather this fall and winter- stay safe! As the summer and fall events are winding down, our thoughts turn to winter horn projects, next year’s activities and have no fear- planning for our own Annual Horn Fair is underway. Keep an eye out for information about details in the next issue of The Horn Book. One bit of “sneak peak” info I can give you is next year’s Guildmaster’s Challenge.

For years, the Challenge has been the same; make a horn item in a completely traditional manner- no power tools, electric lighting or modern day means. From my own personal experience, this wasn’t an easy task! When I became Guildmaster, I started to think about what I would choose as my challenge. Would I continue with tradition, or veer off for something new? After some discussions with Past Guidmasters and Executive Committee members, I decided to take a different look at the idea. As you’ll see in my article in the Fall issue of The Horn Book, “Traditional vs. Contemporary…”, I’ve been thinking quite a lot about this very thing!

So, I’ve designed the 2023 Guildmaster’s Challenge to stretch your creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.I hope that it will spark an interest within many of our members new and old alike! Your item may be made using any means you have at your disposal. It is to be a completely contemporary piece- one that can be found in any modern home, office, workshop or school. Something that others might look at and not realizeit’s made with horn- but what a great conversation starter when you reveal its secret! Use your imagination! Your items will be judged on creativity and of course workmanship. Let the fun begin!

 

Excitedly awaiting the next time we meet,
Kris Polizzi – HCH Guildmaster

God Bless America!

If you have not gotten your HCH 25TH Anniversary Pin yet, you can order it from our Merchandise Page. Click Here.

Click Here

Register by the July 14th, 2022!

More about the Summer Reception at Kempton!

Register NOW if you have not already!

Join us at The Gunmakers’ Fair at Kempton.

July 29-31, 2022

As the temperatures start to rise, thoughts of great summer activates start floating into our daydreams. After the disappointment of having to cancel the last two Summer Receptions, we are more than happy to announce that this great tradition is back! As you all should have heard by now, The HCH, along with three other organizations have sponsored a new Summer event- The Gunmaker’s Fair at Kempton. As one of the sponsors, it’s more important than ever for us to make sure this event is a success! We hope to see many members there!

The Summer Reception will take place Friday, July 29th at 6 PM on the grounds of the Kempton Community Center.  This is the same location as the Gunmakers’ Fair, so no need to travel anywhere else for the dinner.  Dinner will be catered by the Kempton Kitchen with a buffet that will include:  Salad bar, pulled pork, baked chicken, mashed potatoes, corn and green beans, rolls along with coffee, ice tea, water and assorted desserts.  Also available will be non-alcoholic drinks, beer and wine.  In continuing with the HCH anniversary celebration, we will be offering samplings of five 18th century punches to include Fish House, Rum, Gin, Arrack and whiskey.

If you have not registered for the Summer Reception, you can do so via PayPal by using this form.

            This year’s raffle consists of a collaborative horn and bag set crafted and donated to the Guild by members and supporters. Daniel Boling has created a elegant York County Screw-tip horn engraved by John DeWald.  It will be paired with a wonderfully crafted bag by Shelly Gier. Tickets will be $5.00 each or a sheet of 5 for $20.

Print off and mail in raffle tickets here.

 

During the evening reception we will also hold an auction for an amazing set including a horn tobacco box, created and donated by Billy Griner, and a brass tamper paired with a beautifully crafted pipe with a custom case donated by Manfred Schmitz.

 

Help is always needed to support the Guild’s table.  If you would like to assist in selling merchandise, recruiting new members or just answering general questions,

please contact Mark Amey at: wmarka13@gmail.com.

June 14, 2022 – The Gunmakers Fair at Kempton is around the corner!

Summer events are now in full swing and the excitement is building for one of them in particular- The Gunmakers’ Fair at Kempton! We all were overjoyed when the news broke that The Gunmakers’ Fair would continue. This amazing event always brought so many people who love the longrifle culture together and it will continue to do so! Invites to the Guild’s summer reception will be arriving in your mailboxes soon and the next issue of  The Horn Book will have even more information. As the Guild is one of the four organizations sponsoring this event, we should be working even harder to ensure its prosperity. Spread the word, plan to attend and bring some friends! It will take everyone’s help to make this event the huge success that it has the potential to be! We are looking for volunteers to fill various jobs at the fair. Anyone who is interested in helping can contact Jeff Warner at leftylongrifle89@yahoo.com.

The second thing I’d like to mention is this, I’ve been informed that many of our members have not paid their dues for this year. We will not be able to continue our amazing Horn Book publication as well as other programs without everyone’s help. If you haven’t paid your dues yet, please do so now. As always, if you have any questions, concerns or suggestions, please feel free to contact me at polizzifam@netzero.net!

Kris Polizzi – HCH Guildmaster

God Bless America!

Date Set for 2023 Horn Fair and HCH Annual Meeting (March 10&11, 2023 in Altoona, PA)

Member’s must call the reservation desk to receive any discount. Do not use the online registration system.

814-946-1631

https://www.altoonagrandhotel.com/

 

It’s amazing when you see how much our Guild has grown and changed during such a difficult time in our country’s recent history. Our membership numbers have fallen off during the pandemic for various reasons, but I hope, now that the worst seems behind us, that we will be able to pull those numbers back up.

The record attendance at this year’s Annual Meeting shows that our membership is ready and willing to get back to what we do best – spreading the history, art and knowledge of hornwork! The amazing displays and unique items that were present made this meeting one of the best ever! We had so many favorable comments about the location, we’ve reserved the Altoona Grand Hotel for next year. However, due to it’s availability, the date had to be moved to the second week on March, so next year’s Annual Meeting will be March 10th and 11th, 2023. I hope the early news of the date change will give everyone time to get it on their calendars and plan to attend!

More news on Guild events, projects and activities will be in the Summer issue of the Hornbook.

Enjoy the Spring weather!
Kris Polizzi – HCH Guildmaster
God Bless America!

A Success! – 2022 Auction of the Masters – 25th Annual Meeting/Horn Fair

March 15, 2022 UPDATE:
By all accounts, the 25th Anniversary Horn Fair and Annual Meeting was a success, which includes the Auction of the Masters (round two).
We raised over 7 thousand dollars for the Guild. Thank you to all that participated to make the auction a success.

-Your Executive Committee

In 2016, the Honourable Company of Horners celebrated its 20th year of being the leading organization in the research, preservation and education of the art of hornwork. One of the highlights of that year was the “Auction of the Masters”. The auction, which involved all of the members who had achieved the prestigious status of Master Horner (except the late Ron Ellert) showcased a wonderful assortment of hand crafted horn items. Each item bore a commemorative “touchmark” linking all of the items to this special event.
Over the past five years, the Guild has grown and changed and it has added seven new Master Horners to its ranks. How does one become a Master Horner you ask??? Members must demonstrate a superlative level of ability in carving, heating & pressing, turning, engraving, and integrating woods and metals with cow horn by presenting three horn objects. They must also give an original written and oral presentation to the HCH at an annual meeting or to another accredited organization on some aspect of horn working or its history. As you can see, it’s no easy feat to become a Master Horner!
In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the Guild has decided to once again celebrate the skill of its Master Horners, by again showcasing their work through a similar event. All seven new Masters agreed to donate their time and skills to create a horn item of their choice, in their own style. Each was asked to incorporate the specially designed 25th Anniversary touchmark, somewhere on their item. Some latitude and artistic expression was given to the artisans in the fulfillment of the touchmark.
As you can see, they did not disappoint with their creativity and talent. The seven items below will be auctioned off at the HCH’s 25th Anniversary Horn Fair on March 4th and 5th, 2022.

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Clinton Byers of Lenior, NC: A unique, curled Scottish snuff mull made in an early 1780’s style from the tip of a Highland Cattle horn. This mull features a simple lid with a handmade copper “butterfly” type hinge. The creation of this particular mull was chronicled by Clint during his Masters presentation at the 2020 Annual Meeting and is featured in Part 3: Curling the Horn, of his article “The Scottish Pocket Mull: A study in its origins, evolution, and manufacture”, as published in the Horn Book.

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John DeWald of Pennsdale, PA: A delicate all horn beaker with horn handle and rivets. The cartouche was inspired by the HCH’s 10th Anniversary tee-shirt designed by Willy Frankfurt The script inside was also changed to reflect the Guild’s 25th Anniversary.

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Edward Long of Bethlehem, PA: A striking pressed bison horn with flats on the front and back. It incorporates an elegant 2-piece applied tip, turned out if whitetail antler with a yellow pine spout plug. All parts are pinned with copper and the base is natural bone.

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Walter Mabry of Jackson, MS: An excellent example of a horn in the Tansel family style. It features a hand carved, applied spout and a lathe turned, hardwood maple plug with strap attachment. The ageing and accents were accomplished with varying strengths of Aqua Fortis.

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Rex Reddick of Denison, TX: A wonderfully crafted, traditional style walking stick of curly maple in a tapered octagon form. It features a turned, pear wood top with 3 horn bands encompassing a “cup” engraved with the cartouche of the HCH’s 25th Anniversary. This, along with the two piece horn tip is reminiscent of the various parts of a powder horn.

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Tim Sanner of Rockwood, PA: An intriguing double candle holder in his own original design. The main body is comprised of rounded horn, engraved in the style of John Bush and includes the HCH Anniversary logo. The cap and bottom are made of hand turned sapele wood. The adjustable arm, also made of sapele, is threaded onto a dowel of maple wood and threaded for the arm’s height adjustment. To finish the design, tin cups hold beeswax candles.

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Rick Sheets of Durham, NC: A beautiful, neutral curved powder horn with engraving inspired by Richard Cresey, also known as “The Hellhorse Engraver”. The horn has a low cherry dome butt with incised design and a light artificial patina. It comes with a Polizzi woven strap and a display stand.

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The public is welcome to attend this event at no charge and we’d like to offer a special invite to our friends of the NMLRA!

2018 Member’s Only Summer Raffle and Silent Auction During The Gunmakers Fair at Dixon’s

 We had two happy winners at the end of our fundraising events last month. Past Guildmaster, Master Horner Ed Long won the “members only” raffle and took home the beautiful knife made by Past Guildmaster Tom Ames and Guildmaster-elect, Master Horner John DeWald.

The silent auction of the donated bag and horn set by late Guild member, Robert Coffey went to Journeyman Horner Clint Byers. It becomes a really heart-warming story when you learn of all of the connections between Clint and Robert. I could think of no one better to win that auction!
– Kris Polizzi (August 18, 2018)

2018 “Members Only” Summer Raffle
This summer, we have a most amazing item that will be raffled off at the Summer Reception! This beautiful and creative knife was the result of teamwork between two of our most involved members, Past Guildmaster Tom Ames and Guildmaster-elect John DeWald. Tom’s contribution was making the blade & sheath.  The custom sheath is genuine

brain tanned/smoked moose hide. The handle was turned from a moose antler tine and then the Tammany heads were hand carved into each side of the handle by John. Once done the handle was dyed and aged the same way John does to all of his horns. Tickets will be on sale at the Guild table at Dixon’s and at the Summer Reception. Don’t worry, if you can’t make the summer reception, you do not have to attend. (This raffle has passed. Winner Ed Long.)
 

Silent Auction
Before his passing, greatly missed HCH member Robert Coffey left two bag and horn sets to the Guild, to use for fundraising purposes. Being able to determine the best way to do so, we thought fitting to allow the public at The Gunmakers Fair at Dixon’s the opportunity to bid on the items, as Robert was so well known at that venue. Last year we auctioned off the first set, Robert’s personal hunting set, a bag of his own making and an original horn. This year we will be offering the remaining set, one that Robert made himself, which won blue ribbon honors at Dixon’s. The set will be on display at the Guild’s table for the weekend, with the bidding opening on Thursday evening and running until 4pm on Saturday afternoon. (This auction has passed. Winner Clinton Byers.)

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact Kris Polizzi at polizzifam@netzero.net.

2018 HCH Annual Meeting Auction – A Success!

This is an update on the 2018 HCH Annual Meeting Action. It has been held and it was successful.

Kris Polizzi, Fundraising Committee Chair

I am very pleased to announce the items for the 2018 HCH Annual Meeting Auction are donated by dedicated members of the West Coast Horn and Accouterment Fair.
The second and live portion of the auction will be at the banquet on Saturday, March 3, 2018 during the annual meeting. If you are unable to attend, you can put in a pre-auction bid at the bottom of the page.  (We do not have the means to offer online bidding during the banquet portion of the auction.) And yes!, people have won using the online form below.

From Friend of the Guild, Steve Skillman (Yelm, WA), we have two sets of sewing and weaving related items. The first set is sewing items including an Etui (needle case) including a horn needle, a pincushion, and a tortoise button box. The second set made by Steve Skillman is made up from weaving items including a lucet and a shuttle. Also included in each set is a ring holder – just for the fun of it. Every item is made of horn and is beautifully done.

From Freeman Horner Dave Rase (Bremerton, WA) comes a fun “what if ?” item. It’s a 10 to 70 grain adjustable powder measure that is meant to appear as the result of re-purposing a screw tip from a lost or broken Philadelphia screw tipped horn. The tip is turned from a single piece of horn. The adjustment rod and furniture pull finial are hand made from brass round stock with a steel lanyard loop. An internal leather washer is used to keep the measure from moving after setting the size of the charge to be thrown. The markings on the 3/16” diameter adjustment shaft are set in 10g increments.

 

 

Journeyman Horner Scott Morrison (Keizer, OR) has made a horn with Virginia elements. The applied tip is turned from American Bison (Buffalo) and secured to the horn with wood pegs. The finial is threaded with the top piece turned from bison and the bottom threaded portion hickory. The butt is turned walnut and secured to the horn with iron tacks.

Next we have a beautiful French & Indian War horn by Freeman Kevin Hart (Hillsboro, OR). The horn is roughly 14 inches in length with an engrailed edge followed by a 2 1/4 inch throat and short turned deer antler tip & peg. The carvings and inscriptions are cut at different depths to show dimension and include plants and flowers along top and bottom borders, various birds sitting on bushes, a large compass and the Sun and Moon. The inscriptions read as follows:
I Powder with My Brother Ball, A Hero Like, Do Conquer All / dated 1769 / has an area for the owner’s name and His Horn.

And last, but certainly not least, is a horn by beloved friend and strong supporter of the Guild, Journeyman Horner Glenn Sutt, who passed away in February 2017, and is greatly missed. Glenn had been very excited about this auction and was happy to participate. Since Glenn is not here to give a description of this horn, I’ve asked his friend, fellow horner and Tansel expert Art DeCamp for details.

“The horn itself was made by Glenn and is a careful replication of Tim Tansel type work, including Glenn’s use of specific construction details used by Tim Tansel. The spout end is shaped in typical Tansel fashion with a rounded bead at the very end and a raised ring about 1-1/2” back on the throat of the horn for strap retention. The cherry wood butt was copied from an original Tim Tansel horn owned by Glenn. Its lathe-turned domed shape with incised carved decoration is typical of several known horns. In addition, Glenn used copper to fabricate the round ring for strap attachment, and the staple that holds the ring in the butt end of the horn, just as Tim Tansel did on Glenn’s original.”

This horn is graced by a beautiful beaded strap by Gary Bertelsen. Our thanks to Glenn’s family, for graciously allowing us to have this horn for our auction. The auction will run similarly to last year’s with the live auction held at the banquet Saturday night. If you are unable to attend the meeting and would like to bid on an item, look at the bottom.
Personally, I am very excited by this new focus on small groups within the Guild- it’s all about connection! If your group would like to participate or have any questions, please feel free to contact me at polizzifam@netzero.net. And don’t forget, all members can request a copy of the Guild roster to see if any other members are in their area!

See you at the AHEC,
Kris Polizzi

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