How was this Victor Horn Finish produced?

[Zwebie]

How was this Victor Horn Finish produced? Did it Originally Have a Decal?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... true&rt=nc

I missed out on this rare horn, finding it after the auction closed. I belive it is a 16 ½ inch belled Mahogany Victor VI horn from 1904. I've only seen mention of these in a Victor machine catalog, and have never seen one in person.

Any idea how the finish was produced? It appears to be tinted shellac over bare metal? There is a woodgrain in the finish that looks like it was scratched and stained, or painted on before the final topcoat? Did it originally have a decal?

[EdisonPhonographGuy]

I know woodgraining has been around for a long time. Not sure if it was factory done, but even the woodgraining on original horns bring excellent $$. The basecoat is a light color and stain is used for the woodgraining and then a top coat. I have researched modern ways of doing it and it is just neat. I have purchased a few woodgraining tools and i'm going to be playing. that is a BEAUTIFUL horn and unit. I can only dream of having one of those.
This probably doesn't answer your question, but thought I would chime in anyway.

[bobsled48]

I attended a local auction recently that the machine in question sold at,the horn is not wood-grained, the cone portion is actually mahogany, it is really cool,and apparently very rare. Bob Smock

[wjw]

I attended a local auction recently that the machine in question sold at,the horn is not wood-grained, the cone portion is actually mahogany, it is really cool,and apparently very rare. Bob Smock

Well, I don't know. Looks like an all metal horn to my eye.

[HisMastersVoice]

Well, I don't know. Looks like an all metal horn to my eye.

I would tend to agree. You can see dents on the "wood" section, and some paint wear, revealing the metal.

[Jerry B.]

Cool horn! It looks metal to me but I wasn't at the auction. The next brass belled horn with steel body that needs paint is going to Gregg Cline for a wood grained paint job. Jerry Blais

[Jerry B.]

For what it's worth... I was talking with another collector and it was his belief that a mahogany wood grained brass bell horn was standard equipment with some of the very early Vic VI's. Maybe there was a shortage of the all black rubber (really paper mache) horns. I would expect to see a Victor decal on the wood grained horn but I've never seen an original horn. Jerry Blais

[Henry]

IMO, it's metal. The dents, and the squiggly pattern in the second photo, large end of bell, are diagnostic. Faux wood graining on metal was brought to a high craft level. I have seen fine-looking cabinetry that you'd swear was wood, until closer examination revealed it to be painted metal (the dining salon of Lehigh Valley Railroad business car #353, for example).

[Silvertone]

Jerry, you are correct. According to the trade journals the black "Japanned" horn was actually made in Japan. The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) interrupted trade from Japan, so Victor had to look for a substitute horn.

[antique1973]

For what it's worth... I was talking with another collector and it was his belief that a mahogany wood grained brass bell horn was standard equipment with some of the very early Vic VI's. Maybe there was a shortage of the all black rubber (really paper mache) horns. I would expect to see a Victor decal on the wood grained horn but I've never seen an original horn. Jerry Blais

I wonder if it had a wood style or metal style decal. Unless we can locate a picture of an original
one I guess we will never know for sure.