Make a Drinking Horn | Skill Tree

What up, Fam? Welcome to Skill Tree, where we learn how to do... just about everything. Today we are learning how to make a Viking drinking horn. Super fun and easy project. Follow along so you can toast with me to our successful leveling up of yet another skill!
PS. I am super excited that more of my subscribers are sending me requests for skills. Keep'em coming, Fam!
Credits
........................
Movie clip:
"Labyrinth" 1986
Directed by Jim Henson
Executive-producer George Lucas
Music:
All music and sound effects are from epidemicsound.com

[@NoJusticeNoPeace]

I would recommend pure carnauba wax. It's food-safe too, and is also heat-resistant. It's most commonly used on wooden smoking pipes.

[@Orion3603]

“How Metal would a Viking elf be?” Actually the Vikings did believe there was a world full of elves called alfheim, and the elves were pretty much exactly like Legolas but plus rune magic. So yea, pretty metal in a graceful way.

[@Saighin]

Loved the tutorial, but do need to disagree with *one* thing you said. While they didn't always do so historically, food-safety-wise & to preserve/extend the life of the horn, it's still a *really GOOD idea* to seal the inside of the horn after curing - no matter how thoroughly you've cured it for. For a couple reasons. 1. No matter how well sanded, the inside of an unsealed drinking horn is still a porous surface, even if the pores are invisible to the naked eye. Meaning every liquid that gets poured into it leaves microparticles of itself trapped in those pores. So: • Unless the only thing you drink out of it is "odorless" clear spirits (like vodka or ever clear) or water, it gradually starts retaining the odor of each beverage. Cumulatively. And since most beverages you're likely to drink from a horn are fermented from a sugar or other organic material, once exposed to oxygen those microparticles trapped in the pores can *eventually* start to "spoil". Though the idea of a horn always smelling like beer or hard cider even when empty might *sound* enticing, drinking from a horn that smells like increasingly *stale* beer or *rancid* apples is a lot less appealing in practice 🤢 (washing with soapy water helps less than you'd think, because the soap gets trapped in the pores too, so eventually you end up with everything you drink from it smelling *and tasting* like Dawn Dish Detergent. So you end up having to cure it all over to deodorize it again instead.) • Lots of beverages, the microparticles left trapped in the pores can attract various bacteria that like to feed on them. While some of those bacteria just make it smell increasingly funky over time like mentioned above, a few can actually potentially make you sick 🤮 2. Horn's an organic material that's *basically* made up of the same stuff as our hair & nails but thicker/tougher. Like our nails, horn is actually layer upon layer of that material built up very densely over time; when a horn gets hollowed out for drinking, basically what's being done is peeling layers of that material away from the core (that "meaty" bits you mentioned), kinda like peeling a finger nail away from the nail bed. Which is why if a horn hasn't been sanded yet it's rough & scratchy & fibrous inside. That peeling the layers away can cause small separations and microfisures between the remaing layers of horn. They don't inhibit the horn's usability in the beginning, but frequent and/or prolonged exposure to liquid (or, truthfully, even living or storing somewhere that has constant severe humidity fluctuations) over time can cause them to expand & contract as they go from wet to dry over & over again, gradually widening as the horn ages, eventually cause "dry cracking". Sanding usually eliminates those in the upper ⅔-¾ of a horn depending on its degree of twist, but unless you're sanding via a blast-sander, depending on how much twist the horn has they're almost impossible reach with hand sanding or - even spot to address - near the inside of the tip (for that matter, so are the fibrous "meaty" flecks you mentioned). Sealing protects the horn from any potential invisible interior splits or microfisures being exposed to future liquids & repeatedly undergoing that constant wet-to-dry expand/contract process that may damage it over time. Beeswax like you used is an super popular & effective option for traditionalist/purists👍 Another good sealant options for those who want to use natural or traditional sealants is "brewers pitch" (a sap-based resin, usually pine, traditionally used for ages to seal the inside of wooden beer casks, earthenware ceramic wine jugs, etc). Once cured, holds up to temperature & time better the beeswax, though will still need occasional reapplication. Only downside, application itself is rather stinky & takes longer to cure to hardness than beeswax, as pitch is admittedly pungent in its heated liquid state, but the smell dissipates when it cools & cures hard (depending on climate,, can take up to 48 hours to cure to *full* hardness, but after that it's *significantly* harder than beeswax's most solid state). For sealants where you can drink both *hot* & cold beverages, you can use food-grade "salad bowl sealer" (used to pore seal things like wooden bowls & butcher's blocks), keeping in mind that it still needs to be reapplied - but not as often as beeswax, annually is generally a good rule of thumb but can be reapplied more often if it starts to appear matte & dull (meaning it's worn away with washing) from frequent use. If you don't care about the natural route, though, the option that is by far the *most* easy to clean, 1 time sealant which never requires reapplication, bonus hot & cold usability, is food-grade epoxy resin (I cannot possibly stress *FOOD-GRADE* strongly enough, though, should be certified FDA approved for *both* Direct & Indirect food contact; non-food-safe resin can be toxic). Most trusted go-to brand for this kind of application by pretty much every artisan I know is "Max CLR". Seal with this just once & your horn will not only be virtually guaranteed to be easily kept stink & bacteria free for life, but preservation-wise it'll probably outlive you 😜

[@Saighin]

TL;DR 😆 To sum up: You don't necessarily *have* to seal your horn, but you'll thank yourself if you do, to protect it against turning stinky, growing bacteria in between uses or developing dry cracking with age & use. It's an extra step before use, yes, but one that will save you from having to repeat the curing/deodorizing step on a monthly or bimonthly basis. So while skipping sealing saves time in the beginning, overall skipping it costs you time in the long run 😉

[@SkillTree]

@@Saighin Hot damn! That was, by far, the most in-depth comment I have ever received. Thank you! I was echoing whatvI had read online but your points 100% make sense. I DID look into both resin and pitch. The resin looked great but it was hard to find food safe and I kept getting mixed reviews on the food safe ones I did find. As for the pitch, it was hard to find, period. It is the rout I wanted most but these skills are shot on a very limited timeframe and I just couldn't pull it off in time. I WILL get some, though, for a leather water skin I want to make. Anywho, thank you so much for watching and for the excellent advice!

[@Saighin]

@@SkillTree 😊😁 Sorry, can't help it, blame the nursing background in me for my going into rambling details on food-safety of porous inner surfaces (and the first-hand experience of 2 weeks in the woods drinking nightly from my first horn, which had been gifted to me cleaned & sanded smooth & well-cured, but not sealed...that was a definite learning experience in vinegar baths & vodka washes 😆) And, I mean, they definitely *can* be defunkified by re-curing, but the more regular use you give them they more regularly you need to re-soak in an astringent like the vodka or cider. The preventing dry cracking from microfisures I learned about while restoring a bunch of antique (unsealed, of course) horns & horn cups a friend inherent that his parents had collected world-traveling 50-60 years ago. They may have been in usable shape when they'd been packed away, or may have already been beginning to split, but after beinh stored in a cardboard box in a non-climate-controlled garage in Boston for 25-30 years? He was afraid he was gonna have to toss them all when he saw that interior fissures had started growing up from the tips & it's one of the only times I thought I'd see him cry 😢 But once we confirmed none of them had reached full thickness, I was able to save them & now his go-to drinking vessels for holidays & special occasions are these heirloom horns & horn cups that are close to 20 years older than he is 😄

[@Saighin]

@@SkillTree I've done a lot of research into the resin thing the past year or so with the FDA regs getting more specific with the difference between compliant for brief contact (indirectly) vs compliant for prolonged contact or storage (direct), and you're right it there are aren't many compliant for both yet, enough that I *objectively* feel comfortable with the very few that are, at least for beverages (but not, say, sealing a cutting board which is going to scratch by the nature of its function & you'll end up outright eating resin powder)...but I still haven't tried it myself... *yet* ...because I'm still trying to talk myself out of being *such* a "natural & traditional method" stickler with my craft works 😆 So far, all mine have been beeswax sealing like yours as my go-to. I agree, what I *REALLY* want is to do brewers pitch! 😃 But, yeah, not the most accessible medium at times 🥺

[@adain9002]

Sealant level > 9000

[@Gideon-STC]

Running back through your old videos is fun to see how you've grown and your editing has changed.

[@Keith-rk4td]

Ren Faire craftsman use food grade epoxy to seal the inside.Works very well. You only have to do it once.

[@startrek2365]

I use a dark beer to cure my horns. It also darkens the inside a little too which looks cool. Added bonus it's more authentic as spirits are a relatively new thing. Not to mention it starts it out correctly with the kind of thing you will probably drink out of it, because really other than beer and mead what should you be drinking out of a horn?

[@michaelarmbruster586]

Used to make candles so i just melted the bees wax on the stove poured in the bees wax and pourd it out

[@aricjornstudios6150]

Fun video and I look forward to checking out the rest of the series. That said, I feel compelled to point out that "halls of Valhalla" is a redundant phrase since Valhǫll is itself a hall (from "valr" meaning dead/fallen warriors and "hǫll" meaning hall) and nobody's ancestor really dies in Valhǫll since everyone there is (by definition) already dead. Anyway, once again, good video!

[@SkillTree]

Thanks for watching and for the info! I did not know that. Hope you like the rest of my videos. If you have anything you would like to see covered, let me know!

[@robb4044]

It seems like a lot of people that make these seal them with bee's wax, which is a good idea. But I was thinking, what about hot rosin? That's what people use to seal leather water bottles. Or would it be too hot and damage the horn? Anyway, good vid.

[@hugh1997]

Came because of business blaze; subbed because you’re really interesting and chilled presenting

[@SkillTree]

Thanks! Welcome to the Fam!

[@horncraftindiawoodenhandic6055]

I am manufacturers this item thankyou My whatsapp number to [phone]

[@julescar74]

I came across your channel by way of Business Blaze, Simon was right your channel is very cool and seriously unappreciated. I really like Skill Tree. I shared a link with all the makers of things in my family. I believe they will love the many level-up projects you do. The projects are right up their ally since they already make bows and do some blacksmithing. I see a busy future for them with your help. Thanks for such a great channel. I love your projects and I'm glad you take the time to do your wonderful videos.

[@SkillTree]

Oh wow! Thank you so much for the kind words and for sharing my show! It means a lot to me. Welcome to the fam!

[@vosveloz9589]

Could you do a tutorial on how to add the gold ring around the top of the horn?

[@SkillTree]

Sure! I can bang that out. I will add it to the list! Thanks for watching!

[@dickjohnson8636]

@@SkillTree you're awesome sir thank you!

[@purplerach1977]

Awesome video!!! I'm off to have a go at my own drinking horn

[@silverbackgrizzly2402]

Vikings don't die in the halls of Valhalla. It's where they go if they lived an honorable life and fought and died in battle.

[@Professionalmustard]

he said dine not die

[@silverbackgrizzly2402]

@@Professionalmustard thank you. Sorry bout that

[@nosaltiesandrooshere7488]

👍 = there is nothing left to say! Everything perfect! Yes, I am Austrian old Guy and speak German & English!

[@juananz007]

This is useful when you have already sanded the outside of the horn, which is the most tedious part

[@zacksnyders6534]

Very cool. I'm gona give it a try

[@SkillTree]

Sweet! Make sure you share it with us when you're done! I would love to see how it comes out.

[@aymannadi9491]

You rock man

[@user-sp6ju1zo3d]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@David35445]

I keep seeing those horns on the Tandy website, since I don't need a powder horn I now need a drinking horn.

[@SkillTree]

Let us know how it comes out!

[@horncraftindiawoodenhandic6055]

I am manufacturers this item my whatsapp number to [phone]

[@DeA2875]

Dope....

[@robbierobot7753]

mines cooling off in the oven now, gonna head off to the forge and have an ale with it when I get back

[@TheAzhrael666]

fun video and love your whole series, however i also feel compelled to point out that despite popular belief. Viking was in fact a occupation, not a race or nationality of people

[@platon1810]

Georgian glass for wine )

[@lydiakopmann6056]

Hey! Very beautiful work! What Kind of colour do you Use for the Lines?

[@RobertWardJones]

Nice! Something they didn't teach us in shop class.

[@redneckpatriot4714]

Your funny and I really enjoyed your video and I subbed so keep making badass videos

[@SkillTree]

Thank you so much! I will try my best!😄

[@leot.3356]

Can you drink soda out of it? I have seen on some websites that sell them that you can't use it for soda(like coke or bubbly/aha) and I don't know why

[@matthewnolen7467]

2 questions how do you take the sdge off of the lip of the horn and how deep did you etch it

[@CorsoWorkshop]

Hey man! I just discovered your channel. It's amazing and your videos are awesome! haha keep it up man! Also, while we're at it, I'd love to see you learn making chainmain to go along with your leather bracer video.

[@SkillTree]

Thanks for the love! And for the idea! Consider it added to the list! I'll shout you out when it goes up. Thanks again for watching!

[@LKH4896]

"Skol, Vikings"

[@larasomcutean7950]

love the skyrim referenc

[@SkillTree]

After Bethesda has somehow managed to get me to buy the game 5 times, my entire life is mostly skyrim callbacks 😅. Thanks for watching!

[@patrickbrick8865]

Have to ask I used the butcher block conditioner an it has an oily feel to it. Does that go away? Is there a way to help it go away?

[@SkillTree]

Over time it does lessen but using regular dish soap should get rid of it pretty easily😁

[@jamesansell1872]

you should do a war-horn with a leather strap

[@SkillTree]

Oh I LOVE that idea! Added to the list!

[@Scalesthelizardwizard3399]

I just got my horn from Amazon one I get everything ready I'm going to make my own drinking horn

[@SkillTree]

Awesome! Share with us how it comes out!

[@Scalesthelizardwizard3399]

@@SkillTree I made my drinking horn and it turned out great I went for a more simply look

[@SkillTree]

@@Scalesthelizardwizard3399 stop by the discord and show us what you came up with! I would love to see it! discord.gg/mPQjqS5

[@fakeaccountboi2464]

Can I get a link to a reliable place to buy horns?

[@bretlemieux2489]

Axe throwing an sword fighting or axe fighting.

[@MetalVikingBatmanfan1989]

SKÄL

[@SkillTree]

SKÄL! MY FRIEND!

[@andreasofsweden1]

Skäl? Its skål. Skäl translates to 'reason' in Swedish.

[@specs6637]

Oops, I made the mistake of instead of using a “clear strong spirit” and instead used Brandy

[@adain9002]

...how'd it change the final effect? Asking because Science.

[@specs6637]

@@adain9002 it darkened the inside of the horn to a more brown color, and left behind a strong smell of brandy Aside from that though it’s still useable and works well

[@cernstormrunner7263]

Brandy, youre a fine girl

[@jasonjohnson6447]

Has raw horn at home and thinks "how hard can it be?". Googles it. Finds great video. Not that hard at all. Subscribes to new fun channel. Thanks for quality video. Cheers!

[@joshuasprings6927]

I know this video is old but couldnt you use a food grade resin instead of beeswax

[@SkillTree]

Sure can! As long as it is food grade you should be fine😁

[@stormbreaker758]

Scythians and Thracians were European and what you meant to say is that Germanic peoples have been using them forever long before the viking age. They didn't "make there way through or to europe" or whatever you said.

[@SwordOfPersona]

Thanks to covid, you could buy straight cleaning alcohol for cheap.

[@donniehodges9857]

could you use medical alcohol?

[@crgaillee]

Correction..., they die to go to the halls of Valhalla. It must be in battle with a weapon in hand, or with the blood of your enemies on your hands.

[@dothanwhite]

Food safe epoxy is your friend

[@Sawzall123]

I just ruined this perfect number of comments

[@Walsfeo]

Great video, but wow has your presentation style changed. You are much less over the top in this video than your more recent videos. I like both styles, but this is more approachable and less... artificial feeling. Still, I enjoy both and appreciate you making these videos.

[@SkillTree]

Lol. Thanks for giving the older stuff a look and letting me know your thoughts. I wasn't so much more "real" as I was terrified of the camera. I am actually quite introverted by nature and the thought of putting myself on the internet was kind of terrifying. I enjoy naking content just never really thought others would like what I make😅. I am more animated on camera now because I am comfortable lol.

[@Walsfeo]

@@SkillTree it's cool either way. The new stuff is also excellent, it just feels a bit more like a character. Like you've amped yourself to 11. Good fun.

[@oriode2783]

Buy Premium Drinking Horn HERE: oriodeint.com/products/viking-style-drinking-horn-with-stand

[@SkillTree]

OR make your own CUSTOM horn HERE!

[@dickjohnson8636]

You don't die in Valhalla you go there after you die to fight for odin, no one can die in Valhalla its odins hall. Sorry had to...

[@SkillTree]

Lol. That is just me being mumbles. Listen closer, I say "who dine in the halls of Valhalla". 😁 thanks for watching!

[@dickjohnson8636]

@@SkillTree fuckin youtube comments can't win em all 🤦‍♂️

[@brightdarkness420]

your intro makes no sense walhalla is the place warriors go to after death , they dont die there

[@Gamble9110]

What the hell was that? You’re energy was way different. Less enthusiasm, less emotion. At parts it seemed like you didn’t want to be here. What happened?🥺