Camby artisan recognized in magazine – again

By Amy
July 13, 2013, last update: 7/13 @ 12:20 pm


Ron Vail is shown with one of his powder horns that was pre- sented to the Early American Life magazine. The artisan makes all kinds and all sizes of horns. Photo by Amy Hillenburg. /
Ron Vail, a powder horn artisan, shows off his many horns and the new coffee/tea cups he makes that can really be used. The Camby resident loves history and Indiana lore and loves history on Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett. Photo by Amy Hillenburg.

CAMBY

Ron Vail loved to watch “Davy Crockett on TV when he was a child — and he still likes playing cowboys and Indians. But more recently, he’s become a sought-after powder horn artisan who’s named in the August edition of the Early American Life magazine. This is the second time he’s achieved that feat.

Editor Jeanmarie Andrews said the artisans selected for the publi- cation are among the nation’s most prestigious. They are chosen by collectors, historians and museum curators for the magazine’s 2013 Directory of Traditional American Crafts. Andrews said Vail’s handcraft showed mastery of the art form, heritage techniques and workmanship, according to the judges.

“They look for authentic design and workmanship and whether the piece is a faithful reproduction or the artisan’s interpretation of period style,” said Tess Rosch, the magazine’s publisher.

“I started out with experimental archaeology and living history. It was in the early 1970s, and after the Air Force, I began looking for someone who shared my interests in history,” Vail said. “I do go to shows, but not as many now. I’m retired. I go to Kalamazoo, Michigan in March, and I’m headed to Lexington, Kentucky next month.”

Vail has written many articles for the Tomahawk and Long Rifle, which are the official publications of the American Mountain Men. He’s also written for Muzzleloader magazine and published a first book, “What They had to Say — A Collec- tion of Sayings Engraved on Eighteenth Century American Powder Horns.” He’s even been part of seven Lakota Sun Dances.

When he was in living history events, Vail made his own clothes and equipment to suit the period. He designs his horns the same way.

“I used to get my cow horns from Mexico, but since the mad cow disease scare several years ago, I can’t get them from there or South America,” Vail said. “The United States Department of Agriculture has closed that source.

“I am able to get them from a seller who I think probably buys them in South Africa. He can do that because the horns are polished and finished as office or home

accessories. Vail said most raw horns come dirty, so they have to be scrubbed and scraped. He hollows them out and smoothes them down with another file or knife. They usually cost between $20 to $25 each. Vail uses wood stain to make them look old and can also do engravings on them or scratch marks for originality. He’s now making historic cups out of the horn that can actually be used if they are boiled and cleaned. Vail had to submit two projects to be admitted to the Early American Life magazine.

“I used to make the horns in my yard, but now I have a little shop. Some of the more complicated horns take four or five days but when I worked, I did it part time for maybe 10 days,” Vail said. “I can custom make them for people by researching the time period they were used in, like the Revolutionary War. Then I come up with the style. I can make a horn that people can actually blow through.”

Vail sells mostly on the Internet and finds that many buyers just want the horns for decoration. He finds making powder horns relaxing since he spent 41 years working for the Indiana Department of Corrections. The last few years, his job had involved working with sex and violent offenders, as well as the sex offender registry.

A museum in Texas has asked him for an estimate on some pieces. Curators are also interested in his new pioneer cups once used for coffee and tea water. Vail’s wife Shelly works at a “real” job, but both enjoy nature, traveling and being part of preserving the best parts of America. For more information on the artist, email him at . His website is ronvailpowderhorns.com. For more information about the magazine, go to