Rivet strap with 15 graduated bells

This strap is a little different in that the liner is held onto the bell strap with small copper rivets. This is a sleek alternative to the more bulky keeper-loop style. The bells and the original strap date from the mid to late 1800s.

The strap is about 7 1/2 feet long and 1 1/2" wide. The billet (tongue) end is about 18" to the first bell and the buckle end is about 9" long.

The strap has 15 bells that graduate from three 2 3/8" (#11) bells in the middle to 1 7/8" diameter (#7) bells at each end. The bells are spaced an even 4 1/2" apart. Because large bells dominate this strap, it has a deeper, louder sound than most 15-bell straps. The progression of bell sizes is #7-#8-#9-#9-#10-#10-#11-#11-#11-#10-#10-#9-#9-#8-#7.

The billet (tongue) end is tapered to accommodate a 1 1/4" wide buckle hand stitched to the bell strap. The use of a buckle that is slightly narrower than the strap is a graceful detail we see on many older bell straps.

This particular item is a custom, one-of-a-kind project made for a past client. Items in this Custom Projects section are for information only; they are not available for regular sale.