By Roland Cadle & Art DeCamp

The American screw-tip powder horn was an innovation by professional horners, turners, and a few rifle makers. With production centered in Eastern Pennsylvania in its earliest years, the screw tip horn thread its way South on the great wagon road, west through the Cumberland Gap and across Forbes Road and down the Ohio River, thus paralleling both the production and migration of the rifle it served. Our most respected “rifleman” scholarcraftsman, Wallace Gussler, often illustrates these points while wearing a hand-made, linen rifleman’s shirt and carrying an American rifle, pouch and Pennsylvania screw-tip horn, each item the earliest known American type. Turned ends and threaded, removable tips, dating to the 17th Century, can be found both in England and on the European continent. So, in what way is this ancient technology uniquely American? Simply put, it is the application of a screw on tip, or screw-tip, on an otherwise naturally shaped cow horn. In Europe, this was not done on powder horns because quantity was not needed and the natural shape of the horn was modified to show the application of the “mystery and art” of the horner’s craft. So, let’s look at the American Screw-Tip… During the French and Indian War, the Colonies were divided into Northern and Southern districts.The Southern district included Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland,Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The screw-tip is a product of the Southern district. At least three horners, located half a block from the wharfs of Philadelphia in Strawberry Alley, advertised “the finest powder horns” for sale during the French and Indian War. As early as 1759, one horner named Christopher Anger advertised “The finest American Made powder horns, combs, spoons, etc. at the sign of The Golden Powder Horn and Comb.”We believe the screw-tip powder horn originates in one of these shops.