How to Remove Smell from Your Drinking Horn!

Learn how to easily clean and seal your horn when making a drinking horn or powder horn! Now, when we say “horn” in this context, we’re really talking about the horn sheath. But “drinking sheath” doesn’t sound as cool as drinking horn. The horn sheath covers the horn core, which is made up of bone and soft tissues, and usually smells totally disgusting. So if you want to know how to clean your cow, Buffalo (bison), or goat horn sheaths, so that your drinking horn doesn’t stink, watch this video. Master Carver Brian Stockman explains it all.
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Brian Stockman is a master carver with a deep knowledge of traditional wood, stone, bone, and ivory carving.
You can also follow us on Instagram at stockmanoriginal.

[@StockmanOriginal]

Thanks for watching! If you haven’t already, please subscribe to the channel for more videos. Stockman Original’s goal is to share with you the lost arts and forgotten crafts.

[@shizza82]

Here's a tip. You're supposed to drink from the horn with the pointed end of the horn facing downwards, not pointed up. That's why it spills on your face.

[@StockmanOriginal]

Hello K Bjorson, thanks for checking us out! And thanks for the tip, l have since figured that one out.🤪Live and learn.

[@crgaillee]

Thank you for taking the time to make this video. Although the way on the inside is not a method i would use, it's good to get a few ideas.

[@StockmanOriginal]

Hey crgaillee, thanks for checking us out. It sounds like you work with horn, that’s so cool. I enjoy very much meeting fellow craftsfolk , it’s a chance for me to learn too. I am interested to hear your method.

[@draven3838]

When drinking from a horn ,make sure the tip(point) is pointing down, otherwise you wear your drink like he did

[@StockmanOriginal]

True! Thanks for watching.

[@absynthemindedmix6790]

I absolutely love it!

[@StockmanOriginal]

Thank you so much 😊

[@MaximLedoux]

Going to have to try some of your cocktail recipes, @absynthemindedmix!

[@absynthemindedmix6790]

@@MaximLedoux thanks! I'll probably have to mess around with mead mixes for drinking horns at some point now.. (scheming begins)

[@osirisMaRkz]

I gotta subscribe, this dude is cool af.

[@StockmanOriginal]

ferdii, we are so happy you joined our tribe!

[@timothycook3566]

I had to subscribe, I'm trying to make a cow horn into a drinking horn. I love the kilt btw, I recently got a great kilt.

[@StockmanOriginal]

Thanks!

[@timothycook337]

@@StockmanOriginal I finally got beeswax too try this!

[@user-dy2cg3hj6m]

Hello, how often do you have to replace/re-coat the inside of the horn with beeswax if at all? Also are you using filtered or unfiltered beewax? Thank you for the very informative video, ~Chris

[@StockmanOriginal]

Hey Chris, thanks for watching, we appreciate your support. I think if you get a good coat in there and don’t put anything hot in it the wax should last a long time. Of course you can monitor it over time. My beeswax is store bought so it’s probably filtered but l doubt it would matter ether way. Let me know how it works out.

[@nikthetrickster9948]

I got a question! I'm kind of in a rush because I'm right now at a fair and I got a brand new horn. It does smell like horn a little bit (just a horn smell, nothing disgusting or unnatural), it has clearly been cleaned and when I drink from it, the only strange taste is from my lips touching the horn (I'm confident the liquid doesn't taste any bad). It's nothing really bad, I cleaned it again with some alcohol (just cleaning, not cured again) to sanitize it. I'm planning on getting some beeswax to seal it, but I was wondering, since this horn seems to be cured, doesn't smell disgusting nor tastes bad, is it any dangerous for me to drink from it while it is not sealed with beeswax or something else? Is it any toxic by itself? Sorry for the long question, but better some extra details than the lack of it 😅 great video!

[@StockmanOriginal]

Hey nik, so happy you found our channel!! No, nothing toxic, all good. I seal them because a lot of the horns l deal with have sat around for a while and decay is what freed the bone core and that’s a stinky process with bugs often involved. Now l scrape out the inner walls which removes the offensive membranes but even with my smallest scraper l can’t get the very bottom. Beeswax is a very sticky flexible wax which goes in and locks up that tiny bit of ick, but technically every bit of it, even the bugs are eatable just not palatable.🥴l hope this helped, thanks for checking us out.

[@nikthetrickster9948]

@@StockmanOriginal hey! Thanks a lot for answering, just in time, I'll drink from my horn in peace today. I'll use beeswax as soon as I get my hands on them, but for now I'll just enjoy some nice mead 😊 thanks again! Great channel, always very useful and informative:))

[@nistaffsubs6787]

In Venezuelan Tradition after do that we put the horn under the sun for a week , the Sun melt the wax inside and the horn suck all the liquid melted wax as the Wood suck the oil ...

[@StockmanOriginal]

That’s a great idea! Thanks for sharing this.

[@horncraftindiawoodenhandic6055]

I am manufacturers this item thankyou very much

[@biketopia]

Where do you get your beeswax? I’d like to follow your method for the cow horn. Thank you!!

[@StockmanOriginal]

Tractor Supply Co., actually. But you can get it from lots of places. Pretty much any hardware store.

[@biketopia]

Stockman Original Thank you so much.

[@StockmanOriginal]

Also the Crazy Crow catalogue has beeswax.

[@Hamrik_Oswald]

I acquired some horns from a shop. There was no mention of how long ago they were harvested. The inside looked clean and there was zero smell. I intend to sanitize it myself so I can sleep at night, but I was still curious if an unclean horn could smell clean eventually if it sat out long enough - or is that just a dumb question?

[@StockmanOriginal]

But at all! It’s a great question. I’m sure if you left the horn out long enough it would have that affect, eventually. Just not sure how long that would take. If the insides don’t have any remaining bits of that horn core then I’d say these horns were definitely cleaned to some extent at some point. I would still seal them, though!

[@StockmanOriginal]

Hello, I wish I had rune caricatures to address you properly, but thank you for watching. I just got my first phone and was catching up on my messages when I saw your question. Sometimes odors can go dormant when dry , then reappear when moistened. Max was correct in recommending waxing your horn, wouldn’t want to ruin a fine crafted beer or mead😉

[@JOHN_COSMO]

👍🏻

[@youronlinefriend2859]

I bought a horn with Beeswax but after a long day drinking out of it the Beeswax smell starts to smell like a chemical and it made drinking out of it not as good as it was at first. Any recommendations on how to remove Beeswax smell?

[@StockmanOriginal]

Hey Alekz, Gosh,I never had that problem, Beeswax always just smells like Beeswax to me. I hope the maker was being honest about the finish. I have a small horn I use for shots, and I just poured one, I’ve been using it for years with no bad smells. Makes me a bit concerned.

[@youronlinefriend2859]

Yea ima have to look into it , ive never smelled Beeswax before so i wouldn't know the difference ima have to do a bit of research on it thank you

[@crazynorsemen114]

What if u get wax on the outside?

[@StockmanOriginal]

If it's still liquid you can just wipe it off with a cloth. If the wax has dried then you can scrap it off pretty easily -- with your finger nail, even.

[@andyblaire8703]

How u been 😄 sorry had to make another account

[@StockmanOriginal]

Hey Andy, we’re doing good. How have you been? Good to see your name come up.

[@hifzan139]

If you want contact to me

[@dlighted8861]

I cleaned mine out washed it then coated the inside with beeswax. It still added a terrible taste to potables. I will try your way.

[@StockmanOriginal]

Let us know how it goes! Thanks for watching.

[@ilnooore11]

Excuse me How can I melt animal horns and make them melt without burning?

[@StockmanOriginal]

Hello and welcome to our channel. I’m not sure about melting horn, but you can soften them to bend and form them by boiling in water. Bone and ivory can be softened by soaking in vinegar, maybe horn would work as well. You can scorch horn with a torch and it becomes very Malleable

[@StockmanOriginal]

Sorry, didn’t finish, hit the wrong button. The scorching does not go very deep and can be sanded off-play around, have fun, learn.👍🏼

[@ilnooore11]

thank you so much I have benefited from you

[@StockmanOriginal]

I am so happy for that.👍🏼

[@jackellock7113]

I'm going to be different and make a drinking antler.

[@StockmanOriginal]

Hey Jack, that would be awesome! Would love to see what you come up with. Thanks for checking in on us!

[@Dabbo_007]

Just a tip on drinking with a horn. Make sure the tip is facing down and it slqsh you in the face. Works like a boot if you ever drank out of one. Just helpful tip skol

[@StockmanOriginal]

Thanks Collin, we needed you that day. I learned my lesson. Thank you so much for checking out our channel, we appreciate your support.

[@crazynorsemen114]

Do u need beeswax I'm on a budget

[@StockmanOriginal]

Well, if you don't seal it then you'll probably taste the horn. You can get beeswax pretty cheap, though, at most hardware stores. A couple dollars for a cake.

[@crazynorsemen114]

@@StockmanOriginal were went to some they gave be candel wax

[@StockmanOriginal]

Oh, yeah, you definitely want just the beeswax not the candles, which are expensive. The cake of beeswax is not too expensive. I buy at Ace Hardware, but I think I’ve seen at Tractor Supply as well. You can order from Crazy Crow as well: www.crazycrow.com/bead-craft-supply/beeswax As you can see, very cheap at Crazy Crow. However, you’ll have to pay shipping for orders less than I think $50.

[@SatanenPerkele]

You can use baking soda. Soak the horn in regular water for at least 1 day. Scrub. Fill the horn with bakingsoda and let it sit for 1 or 2 days and then scrub.

[@StockmanOriginal]

@@SatanenPerkele Great tip, thanks!

[@sebastianbach6102]

So you can’t drink hot drinks with it or even wash it out. 🙃

[@StockmanOriginal]

It’s okay to rinse them out after use but yeah they aren’t intended for hot beverages. I would avoid milky drinks as well.

[@sebastianbach6102]

I just bought a drinking horn. But I am a greenhorn, understand?😂 In the description they wrote it’s okay to drink warm beverages and to clean it with a brush. But in doing so I damaged the wax. 😞

[@StockmanOriginal]

Plus, they can be rewaxed.

[@sebastianbach6102]

@@StockmanOriginal that’s why the Vikings used ceramic Cups and not drinking horns. 😅

[@sebastianbach6102]

@@StockmanOriginal Anyways, thanks 4 your interesting vid. Getting to know the spirit of drinking horns.

[@70sman]

More like stinking horn

[@StockmanOriginal]

Yes, sometimes they start out that way.

[@MtnBadger]

It was all good until he said he was dumb enough to put a hot glass into snow... Even once. 😉 Good video but he should make it known that using wax A, means no liquid hot enough to melt the wax, cold drinks only. B, you need to reapply the wax every few months because it doesn't maintain its integrity indefinitely and 3, if you want a permanent, hot/cold, dishwasher safe horn, consider a two-part, food safe, clear epoxy. Yes, the wax is "traditional" but horns aren't used "regularly" enough that you might have to warm, strip and rewax your horn every time you want to use it.

[@StockmanOriginal]

Hey Boomer Taylor, so happy you’ve found our channel and thanks for your input.

[@Blood_Boy]

Is it a woman ?

[@StockmanOriginal]

Why bless your teeny tiny little heart, you must be one of those haters that l have heard about! May happiness peace and good fortune be ever just around the corner from you.

[@Blood_Boy]

@@StockmanOriginal Didn't mean to offend, nice video btw