Best Falconry Bells

[TigerHawk]

Well, the title and description pretty much says it all.  I wanted to reach out a bit and see what the opinions are on who makes the highest quality falconry bells, and why.  It's already understood that the highest quality bells are made by hand, but beyond that, who is the 'best' bell maker? I'd really like to hear everyone's opinion on this subject.  I'd really prefer hearing from folks who've been in the game for a while and have used various bells by various folks, rather than people with limited or zero first hand experience on the subject.  If you'd also put in your reasons WHY you believe one particular maker is the best, I'd really appreciate it.

So, who's the best?

Thanks!

[echotadog]

Don't pass go and purchase Counce Bells. Simply the best distance tones and his silver bell / copper bell combo is perfect for flying a hawk around white noise like interstates or busy highways. He's a great guy and can put together a tone set based off your requests. Or just a standard set based on species. A TN Native and shipping to your area would be a few days after post. Larry is a good man and runs a great business.

[TigerHawk]

Thanks Echo for the input!

[MarkT]

+1 for Larry. He makes some nice bells.

[Falcon Boy]

The only folks in the US I know of who still make and sell bells are Counce and Noble. Personally I've always used Noble bells, but that was because I saw him at a NAFA meet and was able to go through and hand pick which bells I wanted. That said, I've never heard a single bad thing about Counce's bells, never once! I don't think you can go wrong either way if you can hear them both (they use different metals)

[nanahawk]

I now always use Nobel bells. That's not to say Counce bells are bad, I have never heard a bad thing about them in fact only good. But I have used a few others and found a sound I liked with Nobel bells. They have great clear sound, and I can hear my hawks even a good distance away. I have had many comments from those in field about how well my bells preformed, and always ask where I got them. Either way I don't think you can go wrong.

I might also add I live and hunt in a more rural area. No interstates around me. Very little noise but the wildlife. So I am not sure how my bells fair around traffic and such.

[Joby]

As has been said, there are two camps here. Counce and Noble. Almost like Coke or Pepsi. You also have some folks who go the cheap Pakistani Bell route (I love the sound, but not the durability). I started out with Counce bells and liked them, but for some reason, I had a hard time hearing them when there was a lot of wind or other ambient noises. My sponsor said that this was the reason he personally used the Noble bells, because they were easier to hear. Don't know if that is the case for everybody, but I've found that I also can hear the Noble bells more clearly and from a farther distance. Falcon Boy even got me hooked on flying with only one bell a number of years ago, so it's even more important for me to have a strong sounding bell and Dave Noble's have fit the bill for me. Once again, it will largely come down to personal opinion.

[TigerHawk]

Thank you so very much for all of your input! The information about personal usage is invaluable! Thanks everyone so much!