Trapper's of Starved Rock
In every great novel there is at
least one main character and as
far as the Trapper's go, John
Adams fits that analogy to a tee.
John is one of the Trapper's
elders, starting with the club in
1978, which would put John a few
years into retirement. He got
started making powder horns back
in 1989. First for himself, then
friends as gifts until he finally
started selling what he created.
He fancies the making of the
Ticonderoga or New York era
horns of the Golden Age. John's
horns are worn throughout the
country, plus scrimshaw artist
Gary Fiedler has had John make
several of the horn's that Gary has
done.
When I asked John how he
decides what the horn is going to
look like, his response was "The
horn will tell you what you're
suppose to do and how it is
suppose to look." Watching John
do his craft, that response
becomes very clear. John went on
to explain that horners use to use
pine for their spout and end plugs.
It was readily available and was
light in weight. Those horners
who wanted a more decorative
look used walnut or cherry. John
can make a horn in about a week.
John has been the Trapper's
Historian for many years, digging
up pictures of old club members
and finding articles of past
Rendezvous. John got involved
with muzzleloading back in the
early 50's when he bought his first
muzzleloader rifle from a farmer
outside of Indianapolis for $5.
He still has that rifle. Being of
Scottish heritage, you will find
John at many of the rendezvous in
Scottish attire and yes, even
including a Kilt. If you are
interested in horn making or want
to invest in one of John's horns,
you can e-mail him at:
least one main character and as
far as the Trapper's go, John
Adams fits that analogy to a tee.
John is one of the Trapper's
elders, starting with the club in
1978, which would put John a few
years into retirement. He got
started making powder horns back
in 1989. First for himself, then
friends as gifts until he finally
started selling what he created.
He fancies the making of the
Ticonderoga or New York era
horns of the Golden Age. John's
horns are worn throughout the
country, plus scrimshaw artist
Gary Fiedler has had John make
several of the horn's that Gary has
done.
When I asked John how he
decides what the horn is going to
look like, his response was "The
horn will tell you what you're
suppose to do and how it is
suppose to look." Watching John
do his craft, that response
becomes very clear. John went on
to explain that horners use to use
pine for their spout and end plugs.
It was readily available and was
light in weight. Those horners
who wanted a more decorative
look used walnut or cherry. John
can make a horn in about a week.
John has been the Trapper's
Historian for many years, digging
up pictures of old club members
and finding articles of past
Rendezvous. John got involved
with muzzleloading back in the
early 50's when he bought his first
muzzleloader rifle from a farmer
outside of Indianapolis for $5.
He still has that rifle. Being of
Scottish heritage, you will find
John at many of the rendezvous in
Scottish attire and yes, even
including a Kilt. If you are
interested in horn making or want
to invest in one of John's horns,
you can e-mail him at:
| John Adams Horner Historian |
St. Charles, Missouri
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