Art DeCamp has been building muzzle loading rifles and powder horns since 1980, and specializes in replicating the Kentucky rifles, and shop-made screw-tip horns of Pennsylvania. His horn making is concentrated on the lathe-turned, screw-tip type horns from the various “schools” of eastern Pennsylvania, and accurate replication of Tansel style engraved horn work from central Indiana. Much of his horn working time is spent performing historically accurate museum quality restoration work on original powder horns.
Art has achieved the "Master" rank as a member of The Honourable Company of Horners hornmakers guild. His work was recognized with first place awards at Dixon’s Gunmakers Fair for, Best Decorated Horn, and Best Non-Decorated horn in 1999; plus overall Most Historically Accurate accoutrement in 1999, 2004 and again in 2019. In addition, his horns received Best Pennsylvania Horn in 2002, Best Southern Horn in 2004, and "Best of Show" for a horn inkwell at the 2010 Honourable Company of Horners Annual Conferences. In 2017 his Armstrong style rifle was awarded "Best of Show" at Dixon's Gunmakers Fair.
His horn artwork has been featured in “Muzzle Blasts”, “Muzzleloader”, “Westsylvania” and “Common Ground” magazines; and has been exhibited at the Heinz Museum of Western Pennsylvania History in Pittsburgh, PA, the Jacobsburg Historical Society Museum, Bolton, PA and the Huntingdon County Art Space Museum, Huntingdon, PA. Several horn items by Art were featured in the book "Following the Tradition" by Gordon Barlow. He has been commissioned to make powder horns for eight Presidents of the National Rifle Association. He has lectured on horns and horn making at Dixon’s Gun Makers Fair, the Horn Guild annual meeting, and the Kentucky Rifle Association; and teaches horn classes at Conner Prairie in Indianapolis, IN and Village Restorations in Hollidaysburg, PA, the NMLRA Seminars at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY and the Washington Historical Gunmakers, Olympia, WA. He is a past-President of the Kentucky Rifle Association, a Life member of the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association, a charter member of the Contemporary Longrifle Association, and a Life member of the National Rifle Association.
His articles on powder horns and Kentucky rifles have been published in various magazines including "American Traditon", the KRA Bulletin, "The Horn Book" and the OWR-CSA Newsletter. His noteworthy book Pennsylvania "Horns of the Trade" Screw-tip Powder Horns and their Architecture was published by The Kentucky Rifle Foundation in 2012. This book is the culmination of over 40 years of collecting and study and features over 440 color photos and fifteen chapters of information and documentation on Pennsylvania shop made powder horns.
Art resides in LaGrange, GA with his wife Sharon.
Art DeCamp's
Authentic Custom Powder Horns
"Best of Show" Armstrong style rifle by Art from 2017 along with a Late Philadelphia screw-tip horn also by Art DeCamp. Horn is displayed on a fine hunting pouch fy Eric Fleisher
