How was this Victor Horn Finish produced?

[fmblizz]

The picture showing the Pat Apl for is incredibly realistic as far as I'm concerned. While the dents do indicate it is probably metal the fine detail in the graining is almost too real to be some type of graining technique. I would love to actually see that horn for a closeup examination.

What a fantastic piece to survive this long.

Hoping George Paul could shed some light on this thing..

Blizz

[USlakeside]

If the horn were wood, wouldn't it need a collar like a spear tip horn? It terminates right into the elbow. Really nice piece.

[gramophoneshane]

It's definately a metal horn. Faux wood graining was a very popular and extensively used technic that most painters/decorators could do quite well, right into the 1920s. It was used on furniture, tin trunks & various other items, but it's most common use was on internal woodwork of homes, on architraving,skirtings & doors made from cheap timbers so they looked like more expensive timbers, and some painter were extremely good at it.
I've seen Victorian & Edwardian furniture that you would swear was veneered, and the only way you could tell it wasn't, was where paint was chipped or scratched off.
It was practiced less & less during the 30s, and virtually replaced with "photo-finish" by the 40s, and few people now days are capable of such realistic graining as was common place 100 yrs ago.

It really was a form of art, and Victor would have employed very skilled wood grainers to do these horns, which is why this horns faux mahogany finish is so detailed & life like.

[martinola]

The basic color looks like what I got with one thin coat of asphaltum when I was re-painting a bedplate. Very cool horn!
- Martin

[Valecnik]

Check out this thread for some additional discussion of unusual horn arrangements for the Victor VI.

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... ese#p12596

In addition to the different types of "jappaned" or "japanese" horns, some with different colored interiors, there was also at least one petaled horn offered. I've one with a paper label mostly entact saying:

"This horn may be exchanges without charge for the Japanese horn with which the machine should be equipped but which is out of stock owing to the Japanese-Russian war."

I've also got somewhere an advertisement from "Munseys" magazine showing a Vic 06 with this horn.

[alang]

In addition to the different types of "jappaned" or "japanese" horns, some with different colored interiors, there was also at least one petaled horn offered. I've one with a paper label mostly entact saying:

"This horn may be exchanges without charge for the Japanese horn with which the machine should be equipped but which is out of stock owing to the Japanese-Russian war."

That is beyond cool. Would you mind posting a picture of this paper label and horn?
Thanks
Andreas

[Valecnik]

In addition to the different types of "jappaned" or "japanese" horns, some with different colored interiors, there was also at least one petaled horn offered. I've one with a paper label mostly entact saying:

"This horn may be exchanges without charge for the Japanese horn with which the machine should be equipped but which is out of stock owing to the Japanese-Russian war."

That is beyond cool. Would you mind posting a picture of this paper label and horn?
Thanks
Andreas

You can see both at the start of this thread.

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... t=japanese

[outune]

Thought I'd weigh in on this horn. I own the "other known example" of this horn. I say that because this weekend at the Wayne, NJ shoe, several collectors were talking about the ebay auction and referred to mine as the "other" one. However, I suspect there are indeed other ones floating around in collections, attics, storage sheds, etc. My horn is pictured in the Fabrizio/Paul book on Accessories and Contraptions on page 20. To answer a few of the questions posed.... No- It is not wooden.. It is a metal horn woith a brass bell. At Wayne, there was speculation that the body may have been brass, which would have contributed to the deep reddish color. But-- a magnet sticks to the body-- magnets don't stick to brass. Also-- There is no decal on the horn--never was. My horn is a clean example in very good condition-- it is obvious that there was never a decal present. The horn measures 24 inches long and 16 ⅝ across the bell. It is the same size as a standard B/B horn-- just made more beautiful by the mahogany grained appearance. It is my understanding (as mentioned in the book) that they were used for a short time on the Vic 6. I haven't heard that they were used on the Vic IV, but anything is possible and it certainly looks good.
I corresponded with the ebay seller when I saw his Vic IV listing. He is a reputable and knowledgeable seller. This was the first of this type horn he had encountered.
As to how the finish was applied.... I have no clue. I'm not well versed in finishing techniques, but I'm sure there are folks who have the skill to replicate it if so desired. I hope this helps. Thanks--- Brad