A shofar cannot be made from just any type of horn. The horn that you intend to use must be obtained from an animal that is kosher. This basically implies that a shofar is made from the horn of an animal that chews cud and has split hooves. There is quite a wide variety of such animals and these include Rocky Mountain goat, gazelle, antelope, goat, and antelope. To make the Yemenite shofar you must use a horn obtained from the kudu antelope. The word ‘shofar’ translates into ‘hollow’. The aforementioned animals have hollow horns rather than solid bone and the content is only cartilage which has to be extracted for the shofar to be made. While ram’s horns can be obtained from a local slaughter house, the horn of the kudu antelope used in making the Yemenite shofar can only be found in East or Southern Africa.
The first step in making a shofar is to place the horn in water and to set this to the boil. To hasten the removal of the cartilage one can use adequate amounts of washing soda or borax. The boiling has to be done for a minimum of two hours though this can be extended to as much as five hours. As the cartilage loosens it can be removed from the shofar using a pick. A Yemenite shofar is much longer than other types of shofar and as such the use of washing soda will be much more effective. In Biblical/Talmudic times it is safe to state that there were no such chemicals. The shofar was left on the ground and cartilage removal was left to worms and other microorganisms.
The cartilage-free shofar must be thoroughly dry prior to the next step. You will be required to take measurements so as to determine how far the hollow of the shofar extends. This is done by means of a soft wire. Measurements are taken from the open end of the shofar. Next, line the soft wire on the exterior of the shofar and mark off this measurement (from the opening side). Add 1”-1.5” toward the tip of the shofar depending on how curved the shofar is. This is the point at which you should use a coping saw to cut off the tip of the shofar. Ensure that the cut is perpendicular to the shofar’s length. This cut should provide you with a flat surface.
At this point you will require a 3/16”, 6” long bit so as to drill a hole in the shofar. The bit should be placed at the very centre of the flat surface. Carefully drill into the shofar until you bore into the hollow. Extreme care should be observed in doing this since if too much a sharp angle is used there is a possibility that the drill may bore into the side of the shofar and this will mean that the horn becomes non-kosher and therefore unsuitable for use in worship.
Having done this successfully, the next step will be to form a mouthpiece for the shofar. This is done by enlarging the drilled hole. This task is efficiently done with the assistance of an electric model tool. With this tool you will be able to make a mouthpiece in the shape of a bell and you will also be able to smoothen off its edges. At this point it is prudent that a seasoned shofar-blower be requested to test the sound quality of the new shofar and then modifications can be implemented as required. These are the same steps that are followed in the making of a Yemenite shofar.
Author Resource:-
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