John Burston
most popular. It’s generally 8 3/4 inches long with a bell diameter of 1 3/4 inches and a wide mouthpiece; combined, these give it a comparatively high sound. The Goodall — about 9 3/4 inches long with a 2-inch bell diameter and a large, deep mouthpiece — has the deepest tone of all. Calcutt also does a steady trade in repairing and refurbishing damaged horns. “We see some horns in a terrible state,” Compton says. “We had four in last week that dated from the early 19th century and were very battered and bent, but we fixed them without too much trouble. We even had one that came to us in two pieces, but still we got it working again. “A lot of huntsmen have their own favorite horn. If they 20 | Covertside
keep dropping it or it gets trodden on, we keep repairing it, a bit like a favorite pair of shoes.” HUNT WHIP
David Thorne’s whips are more than functional. They’re also decorative, sometimes featuring carvings of a fox or a hare. And they’re made to last a lifetime and beyond, because, as Thorne points out, hunt whips often are family heirlooms passed down to the next generation of hunters. Thorne, who lives in Devon, England, taught himself the art of whip-making and has been putting his lessons to work since 1987, crafting new and repairing old whips. His works, like those of so many hunting craftsmen, must also answer to the god of practicality — a stern taskmaster
who requires strong, useful materials at the outset. Case in point: the whip handle. “Generally, with the hunting whips, the antler handle is the most important thing,” Thorne says. “Making a hunting whip, you’ve got to be very particular of what sort of handle you use, because the handle has got to be able to open a gate. If it won’t open a gate, there’s no point making a whip with it. If the antler is over a 90-degree angle, if you put it on a wet gate, it will slide off it.” For most of the 250 to 350 whips Thorne makes each year, he will use red deer antlers from Scotland (with the occasional Asian sitka antler) for handles and pigskin- or nylon-covered fiberglass for shafts. He prefers pigskin and nylon because they’re hardy and
offer a bit of grip on a rainy day. If a buyer wants a wooden whip shaft, Thorne recommends the strong and beautiful blackthorn. “It’s a very dark, rich brown with the knots up the shaft, and I will fit that in some of the more rustic sort of whips,” he says. Thorne also makes one-piece kennel whips from sturdy ash. “The handle-piece is the root of the stick, and the grain runs all directions and is always very tough and strong,” he explains. “It’s a hard-working whip for in kennels in everyday use.” Thorne’s talent for woodcarving also extends to making hunting whips from walnut and yew. The oddest order he’s ever received? A hunting whip with two gold collars and a shaft covered in crocodile skin.