These solid brass, handmade figure-8 bell pins are used to fasten shank-style bells onto a leather strap.
These pins are easier to install and are more historically accurate than machine-made bell pins available from other sources. Click "See more images" to see how to fasten a bell onto a leather strap with a bell pin. Here is a video that shows how to install bell pins with a few tips and tricks to make the process easier -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmQ4Q6ytv5c The good stuff starts about 1 minute and 30 seconds into the video.
Please note that our handmade bell pins may require an extra day or two to ship, since we make them as needed. The size and shape of each pin will vary slightly due to its handmade nature.
Small pins: I usually use these pins for tiny bells with short "U" shanks or drilled-hole shanks -- almost all bells 1 1/8" and smaller need a small bell pin. Some bells in the 1 1/4" to 1 3/8" size range will also require a small pin. These pins are made of lightweight wire.
If you put the shank of the bell through your leather strap and see at least 1/16 inch (2 mm) of the hole through the shank of the bell, a small bell pin will probably work.
If you put the shank of the bell through the strap and the leather covers almost all or all of the hole in the bell's shank, a small pin will most likely not work. You may need to use a thinner strap with these bells.
Medium pins: I use these pins with medium to medium-large bells -- bells 1 1/4" across up to about 2" across. Medium pins are made of our standard bell-pin wire. A strap less than 1 1/8" wide will look best if you use use medium or small bell pins, so the bell pins are mostly or entirely hidden underneath the strap.
If you put the shank of the bell through your leather strap and can see at least 1/8 inch (3-4 mm) of the hole in the bell's shank, a medium bell pin will likely work well.
Large pins: I use these pins for medium to large bells -- bells 1 3/4" across and larger. These pins are made from the same wire as our medium pins, but the overall "figure 8" shape is longer and wider to better support larger, heavier bells. Large bell pins will look best on straps that are about 1 1/8" wide or wider.
If you put the shank of the bell through your leather strap and can see 1/8 to 1/4 inch (3-7 mm) of the hole in the bell's shank, a single large bell pin will fit.
If you put the shank of the bell through your leather strap and can see 3/8 to 1/2 inch (9-12 mm) of the hole in the bell's shank, you may want to use two large bell pins to hold the bell snug against the leather. Install the pins as shown in the video above, only use two pins per bell rather than one.
Some bells have super-large shanks so 1/2 inch (12 mm) or more of the hole through the bell's shank shows above the strap. If you have bells like this, check this method for installing bells with super-large shanks -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9rKEcJaUdA
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