Milk Creek Tin Ear Trumpet (Ear Horn) Reproduction The Milk Creek tin ear trumpet is not a genuine antique ear trumpet, but rather, is a reproduction of what an ear trumpet from the civil war era (~1865) supposedly looked like. This reproduction ear trumpet was made by/made for and sold by the Milk Creek Mercantile Co. of Mulino, OR around 2012. (They specialize in civil war reproduction items.) The Milk Creek reproduction tin ear trumpet measured 14¾" (37.5 cm) long. The bell opening is 3⅜" (9.3 cm) in diameter. It is made of tin painted black and weighed 3.8 oz. (110 g). |  | Click picture for larger view | | |   | | | |
| Back view of the Milk Creek reproduction tin ear trumpet. Unlike most ear trumpets of this length, the Milk Creek reproduction tin ear trumpet is made in one piece so it cannot collapse down for ease in carrying and storing.
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| Side view of the Milk Creek reproduction tin ear trumpet.
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| Close-up of the ear tip of the Milk Creek reproduction tin ear trumpet.
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| Close-up side view of the ear tip of the Milk Creek reproduction tin ear trumpet.
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| As is true of many reproductions, the workmanship of the Milk Creek reproduction tin ear trumpet is inferior to that of genuine ear trumpets. Notice how the tube sticks out into the bell (center) rather than being nicely finished off.
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| The joint on the tube is rather crude and unfinished. Note: the tube, rather than being round like all genuine ear trumpets seen to date is 11-sided—not that this is a bad thing, just different.
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| The edge of the bell is rounded over a wire frame, but the workmanship is rather shoddy and the rolled edge doesn't even go around the wire like it should (bottom).
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| Another view of the leading edge of the bell showing how the wire doesn't meet, and the rolled edge doesn't even go around the wire to hide it.
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| Note the big blob of "solder" on the left side—more evidence of crude workmanship. The above evidences of "rough" workmanship are not found in genuine production-run ear trumpets. In spite of its crude construction, this ear trumpet works quite well.
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