Bell ID?

Ed-NH · Nov 30, 2008

Hi all,

I posted these yesterday on the finds forum and have a question. I cannot find any information as to what exactly the crotal bells with the sloped sides are. They have an iron top/hook and sound a bit duller than the regular crotal bells. Any thoughts on what they are and the age? Thanks for looking.

justinsas · Nov 30, 2008

rein deer bells lol

Montana Jim · Nov 30, 2008

justinsas said:
rein deer bells lol

Maybe! At least just sleigh or horse harness bells - as stated.

BioProfessor · Nov 30, 2008

How about a door strap bell?

Daryl

woody50 · Dec 1, 2008

Ed, have myself never seen any with a sloped side. Maybe it was a cheaper way to manufacture the bells, seeing that they also have a iron connecting hook...

Ed-NH · Dec 1, 2008

woody50 said:
Ed, have myself never seen any with a sloped side. Maybe it was a cheaper way to manufacture the bells, seeing that they also have a iron connecting hook...

That could be Woody. They just have a newer look than the other ones that I have found. I'm still trying to identify them. Hey maybe they really are reindeer bells

woody50 · Dec 1, 2008

Ed-NH said:
woody50 said:

Ed, have myself never seen any with a sloped side. Maybe it was a cheaper way to manufacture the bells, seeing that they also have a iron connecting hook...

Click to expand...

That could be Woody. They just have a newer look than the other ones that I have found. I'm still trying to identify them. Hey maybe they really are reindeer bells

Yea they could be that, but the Bio Professor does not show the back side, so we can't see....

CRUSADER · Dec 1, 2008

Technically they are all 'Rumbler' Bells & not Crotal bells which were cast in two pieces. These are 3 piece construction, ie. the top loop was cast seperately & attached later. Specially obivious if the sloped ones are iron looped. I have many bells, none sloped & none with iron loops. So that suggests to me that they are a later development, probably late 1800s.

Ed-NH · Dec 1, 2008

CRUSADER said:
Technically they are all 'Rumbler' Bells & not Crotal bells which were cast in two pieces. These are 3 piece construction, ie. the top loop was cast seperately & attached later. Specially obivious if the sloped ones are iron looped. I have many bells, none sloped & none with iron loops. So that suggests to me that they are a later development, probably late 1800s.

Thanks for the info Crusader. My other three bells are all cast as you suggest with the loop attached. I'm happy that you think these are later and they do not sound a nice as the older ones. I do have a question about bells in general. From the reading that I have done I am told that the rumbers are the larger sort of bell and the smaller are the crotal. Is there any sort of distinction between 'rumber' and crotal' ? Here in the states we mostly find the smaller variety. I was told that they were put on sheep and other livestock. Thanks again for your help 8)

Ed-

CRUSADER · Dec 1, 2008

Ed-NH said:
CRUSADER said:

Technically they are all 'Rumbler' Bells & not Crotal bells which were cast in two pieces. These are 3 piece construction, ie. the top loop was cast seperately & attached later. Specially obivious if the sloped ones are iron looped. I have many bells, none sloped & none with iron loops. So that suggests to me that they are a later development, probably late 1800s.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info Crusader. My other three bells are all cast as you suggest with the loop attached. I'm happy that you think these are later and they do not sound a nice as the older ones. I do have a question about bells in general. From the reading that I have done I am told that the rumbers are the larger sort of bell and the smaller are the crotal. Is there any sort of distinction between 'rumber' and crotal' ? Here in the states we mostly find the smaller variety. I was told that they were put on sheep and other livestock. Thanks again for your help 8)

Ed-

Crotal Bells & Rumblers were made in many sizes according to function. In the UK the smaller were for sheep & Goats & the larger for Horses & Cattle. Although they did grow slightly larger over time, it has nothing to do with whether they are crotal or not. IMHO.

Don in SJ · Dec 1, 2008

Ed, I sure agree with Cru on it being a later version, since all the information I have seen over the years never showed that style of bell. Here is a website used for helping in dating the bells, not sure if you have this one or not, but if not, enjoy looking and save as a favorite. :wink:

http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/pages/crotal-bells.html#Anchor-Decoratio-18609

Don

Ed-NH · Dec 1, 2008

Don in SJ said:
Ed, I sure agree with Cru on it being a later version, since all the information I have seen over the years never showed that style of bell. Here is a website used for helping in dating the bells, not sure if you have this one or not, but if not, enjoy looking and save as a favorite.

http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/pages/crotal-bells.html#Anchor-Decoratio-18609

Don

Awesome site Don, I don't have that one thanks a million!
Ed-

VERMONTPACKRAT · Dec 1, 2008

I have one like yours too. It is not anything like the others I have found.

Thanks for posting. VPR

Mike in Berks · Dec 2, 2008

hello Ed - NH i have a few similar to your style w/ patent dates i had a really good
web site on the history of crotal bells but, i deleted it

and i did'nt write it down
i searched for it last night but could'nt locate it that site said after 1860 they started
making the Rivet Type bell mine has PAT. OCT. 24 .76. & MAY. 14. 78. as you can
see mine still has the leather attached at the rivet CRUSADER was right in saying
probably late 1800's i hope i helped you out here are some photo's of one of mine

Ed-NH · Dec 2, 2008

Mike in Berks said:
hello Ed - NH i have a few similar to your style w/ patent dates i had a really good
web site on the history of crotal bells but, i deleted it and i did'nt write it down
i searched for it last night but could'nt locate it that site said after 1860 they started
making the Rivet Type bell mine has PAT. OCT. 24 .76. & MAY. 14. 78. as you can
see mine still has the leather attached at the rivet CRUSADER was right in saying
probably late 1800's i hope i helped you out here are some photo's of one of mine

Mike that is great info. I bet mine are the rivet type too. No writing on mine whatsoever though. I'll clean up a bit more around the rivet and see if there is leather in there. The link that Don posted in this post is good check it out.

Thanks VPR for your info. Maybe the sloped ones were used more in NH-VT than other areas who knows.....

xlt nh · Jan 11, 2009

Hi Ed! I was cruising through posts that I'd missed in the past and came across this one. A friend of mine just got into the hobby...and this bell was his very first find.

It's exactly like yours and was dug in Jaffrey, NH....and in 20+yrs I've NEVER found one like this...so I investigated.... :wink:

I contacted Ed Fedory...and he did some research...and came to the same conclusion as the others here. Late 1800's rumbler, with the iron rivet being the 'give-away'....

Great Find and Great Research by the others!

HH, Hank 8)

Ed-NH · Jan 12, 2009

xlt nh said:
Hi Ed! I was cruising through posts that I'd missed in the past and came across this one. A friend of mine just got into the hobby...and this bell was his very first find.

It's exactly like yours and was dug in Jaffrey, NH....and in 20+yrs I've NEVER found one like this...so I investigated....

I contacted Ed Fedory...and he did some research...and came to the same conclusion as the others here. Late 1800's rumbler, with the iron rivet being the 'give-away'....

Great Find and Great Research by the others!

HH, Hank 8)

Wow that is great info! Thank you for the pictures it is exactly like mine. Same here I have never seen one in all my years till this year. Good luck and great finds!
Ed-