This dark brown unlined strap holds 28 antique bells. I do not know the name the original makers used for these bells, so I call 'em a "flat top globe" bell.
These bells are less common than the highly collectible acorn bells, but they are not as valuable on the antiques market as acorn bells. I think there are two reasons for this -- Flat-top bells usually have a somewhat softer sound than many people prefer. Also the abstract shape is not as instantly appealing as a naturalistic acorn shape.
Despite these observations, I have restored several sets of these flat-top globe bells and have found these bells polish up beautifully and look handsome on a strap. The flat top design causes these bells to not be as structurally strong as the more common globe bells without the flattened top. That makes these bells more likely to be damaged when we remove the rivets and prep the bells for reuse. Two of the original 30 bells were damaged, which is why the new strap has 28 bells, not the full set of 30.
The original fancy strap had thin leather or oil cloth bindings sewn onto the long edges similar to this restored strap.... This style is difficult to do well and the thin, fragile leather or oil cloth does not last long.
The owners agreed to substitute a more durable single layer strap with zig-zag edges cut with a pinking cutter. This pinked-edge style was also popular in the same era. Otherwise this new strap is similar to the original.
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.
