If you love drinking, you must have surely come across drinking horns. They have been around for decades now, and are more than mere drinking vessels.
In modern times like today, drinking horns are symbolic of the hallowed past. Having wine or mead in drinking horns is more of a ritual that gives you a feel of an ancient culture.
Apart from the historical aspect that intrigues drinkers, the preparation of a drinking horn also appeals to many. One of the most common questions that are asked by drinking horn lovers is – how do you make a drinking horn?
Read on to learn the process and decide if you want to take this challenge on yourself.
To make a drinking horn, you first need a raw horn. This is most probably the trickiest part. Unless you have a cattle farm or are a hunter you can find horns at horn stores or meat establishments.
The good thing about choosing a store is that most of them offer already cored and polished horns. This means that they remove the soft bark and the spongy insides.
If you acquire a raw horn, you will have to remove its inner core yourself. This can be done by soaking the horn in hot water and then scraping out the softened marrow. However be warned, this process can be incredibly messy and difficult.
Once the initial scraping is done, clean it thoroughly to get rid of any remnants of the fleshy material. Use warm water and a scraper or brush to clean the horn. Fill the horn with warm water and let it sit for an hour.
Continue to scrape off every bit of fleshy material that you see and reach. Keep using warm water until the horn gets cleaned.
While some people love drinking horns in their natural shape, others want them designed in a specific style.
If you want to retain the drinking horn’s natural shape without moulding it, any practiced hands can help you saw and trim rough edges using woodworking tools and give it a finished polished look.
To mould your drinking horn into a design, the horn must be heated until it is pliable. Since each horn has a different melting point, it must be heated as per the required temperature.
This may be difficult to find and you run the risk of permanently damaging the horn. If you heat it too much you will cause it to melt completely. If not enough heat is given you can end up breaking it while trying to shape it.
When you get the temperature correct and the horn is heated just enough, it softens and can be pressed to fit into the designated shape.
Another option would be to engrave the horn to create some carved patterns. Again this can be tricky as you do not want to engrave too much and go all the way through the horn, instead leave a stylish groove in the outside of the horn.
Final cleaning, polishing and sealing are the last steps in transforming a raw horn into a drinking vessel. While some horns demand high polish and a smooth look, others may need less refining for a more natural look.
Raw horns are susceptible to degradation to certain acidic and dairy beverages. As such, a sealed coating is necessary to make them usable for cold liquids. Most ready to use drinking horns are lined with beeswax or similar material to make it safe for drinkers.
Once the horn is sealed and polished your horn is ready for use.
As you can see making your own drinking horn can be time, money and energy taxing. You may even require a few trial and error attempts to achieve the desired look and feel that you are after.
Creating a stunning looking drinking horn that is also safe to use and has the quality to last for many years to come requires skills, patience and precision.
Alternatively, you can buy one right here by clicking any available option on our website. This also gives you access to horn mugs and cups, which require another level of modification from what is detailed above.
Whether you seek a Viking beer horn, a Medieval horn, an XL drinking horn or any other type, we have a wide array of these products ready to be shipped to you and used right away. Enjoy!
