Horn Of Gondor

[GeneralMayhem]

A commissioned project I just finished for a fellow fan...









~ GM

[MoonLight~Dancer]

That's beautiful!! A very nice job there!!

[Mungo]

That's really cool!

Can you tell us about the materials you used? Like is that real bone? What are the gold and silver portions made of? Also, can it be winded?

It looks very nice.

[GeneralMayhem]

The project was originally started with a natural horn as a model, but I soon decided a synthetic horn was a more logical choice, as that gave me more control over the size and shape, and since the ones made for the film were also synthetic.

The gold and silver parts were made from aluuminum and brass filled resins, in a process known as "cold casting".

And yes, the horn is a fully functional sounding horn.

Hear the Horn in action!


Here are some pictures of the individual parts under construction.

First look...






More details laid in, and some small changes made...



After a little more tweaking, the upper ring section shown here will be replicated 4 times, with an alteration made to the uppermost section to accomodate the rings for hanging.





Upper band sculpt, almost finished. Again, this section will be duplicated 4 times around the full diameter of the band.



Here's the mouthpiece, built up from the mouthpiece for a french horn, almost ready for molding...





The finished bands, ready for molding...



~ GM

[Boromir the Great]

How long did it take you to make that beauty???

[GeneralMayhem]

It was several weeks of work, on and off between other costume and prop projects I was working on at the same time.

[Boromir the Great]

Hey, how much would you take if you made another horn? $40? $50?

[GeneralMayhem]

Hey, how much would you take if you made another horn? $40? $50?

You're kidding, right? Is that what you think weeks of a craftsman's time is worth? I won't shock you with the actual price, since it seems clear you have no idea what a custom made item like this costs to produce. Suffice it to say it's probably out of your price range.

[Mungo]

Thanks for the reply and for the additional images. Its nice to be able to make a comparison.

I'm no expert on metals, and it could just be the lighting, but I think the luster of the gold and the silver (mainly the mouthpiece) is just a bit off.

I don't mean to be overly critical on your work, as it is really good. I'm just a stickler for the details.

The horn looks excellent though. I would've sworn it was the real deal and I was getting ready to ask which animal it came from.

edit:
Oh hey, I just noticed from your location that you're just a few counties away from me. Neat.

[Boromir the Great]

No. I don't how much you would price it. That's why I suggested it. So that way you could tell me what you would sell it for.[/i]

[GeneralMayhem]

You can view the product information here...

http://www.shadowdalecreations.com/lordoftherings.htm

[Boromir the Great]

400 bucks. Well, in two months I could pay it off. Or, do you have instructions on how you made it (detailed ones) so I could make mine own for a cheaper price? I mean, pics help show what they look like, but, more info would help.

[GeneralMayhem]

Sorry, that's as much detail as I care to get into. Trade secrets and such.

[Mungo]

Boromir, get some do-it-yourself books. There are so many books available on sculpting, metal-working, and leather-working. Your finished product probably won't look exactly like the one here, but at least you can be proud of your own handiwork. Hey, it might even look better and then you can get into the business of making replicas yourself.

Just try your hand at it.

edit:

A question for you, GeneralMayhem: Did you have to ask permission from the respective copyright owners before making and selling products designed from their works?

I'm interested to know as I'm thinking about making replicas myself, though not costume or accessory replicas.

[Vanaladiel]

Very impressive work! I am glad to see that you know the value of your craft. I think it is awesome that you have the means to make such fine items. What other items do you make in replica? do you do the armor for the elves or the cloaks too? Or is that a joint site for selling LoTR replicas?

[GeneralMayhem]

Yes, I also make 2nd Age style Elven Armor, as well as other LOTR items by request.

With regard to unofficial replicas, almost everything I do is custom work for private individuals and collectors. The studios don't consider what I do as a threat because I make individual pieces that are either one of a kind, or in very small runs. Also, since most of my references are from public sources, there are always small differences in the pieces I do which tend to make them fall under the catagory of "artistic interpretations".

Since they are in a sense original sculptures, etc., i.e. not recast from studio pieces, they don't cause the studios any concern, since they are in effect my own interpretation, and I don't claim that they are official in any way.

Look at how many cheap foreign copies there are of items like the LOTR swords, and I think you'll get the idea.

[rectangleboy]

Where can I find a synthetic or real animal horn? I'd like to make my own battle horn (not necessarily of Gondor, but the same idea) and am having trouble finding horns to make it out of.

[Alotr]

I like your work and I was wondering how loud it is, and how far you may be able to hear it.

[azog-pocky-addict]

That is truly gorgeous!

[ringwraith]

Great replica!! I love it