About Our Specialties
These are usually custom order requests only. Occasionally, based on availability, production needs and number of available employees, we will have some at our festival shops.
The reasons for the limited availability of these items are that we, at The Horn Shoppe, want to produce unique high quality pieces that our customers can tell are our products.
In the case of the Mugs, Jugs and Tankards this means that we use a process called horn-smithing to stretch and shape the horn around a California red cedar base/bottom that has been specifically hand-shaped for each horn.
We feel that our Horn-smithing technique provides a much tighter and durable seal at the base than those of our competitors or imported pieces. This process also allows our customers to identify our Mugs, Jugs & Tankards from those of a lesser quality.
Our Shot Glasses are made with a solid horn base. You will see import and competitor pieces with horn or wood glued "in" or "to" the bottom. Again, we do this so that our customers can both identify our product and be assured of a quality Made in America item.
Mugs
- Made with a red cedar base hand shaped to fit the horn. Then the horn is "smithed" (heated and stretched) to fit over the base.
- The Mug is then drilled & riveted to provide anchor points for the leather handle (optional).
- The Mug is then given an extra sanding/polishing, washed in hot bleach water and then coated with resin.
Tankards
- Made with a red cedar base that is hand shaped to fit the horn. Then the horn is "smithed" (heated and stretched) to fit over the base.
- The upper portion is cut to leave a long tab. This tab is sanded and hand-worked to the appropriate shape/thickness and then is Horn-Smithed (heated and bent) to form a traditional Tankard handle.
- The Tankard is then given an extra sanding/polishing, washed in hot bleach water and then coated with resin.
Horn Jugs
A cross between our mugs, powder and combination horns.
- The base is set the same as the Mugs & Tankards but has the tip and cork seal of our combination horns.
- The Jug is then given an extra sanding/polishing, washed in hot bleach water and then coated with resin.
- Horn Jugs were an "original" item from the Horn Shoppe but recently a few of our competitors have started to make nock-offs
Shot Glasses
These are a very rare item for us. The reason for this is that, unlike Mugs, Jugs and tankards the bottoms are solid horn. Only about .5 percent of the horns that we get are solid far enough up from the tip to be able to be made into one of our shot glasses.
The Shot Glasses are sealed on the inside just like our regular drinking horns. On the bottom is solid horn that we sand & polish after cutting off the tip.
Note: It is not uncommon for horns that are this thick to have internal separations (gaps) or flaws (lines) that will be visible. Be assured that not only are the Shot Glasses sealed, but such gaps and lines add to the character and authenticity of the horn.
