I just bought one of Barry Davidson's aluminum giant hoods. It arrived yesterday and I couldn't believe how incredibly light, yet sturdy it is.
Barry's design incorporates many of the features from the late Tom Frantz's boxes, who (as many of you know) made some very nice metal giant hoods. Barry's boxes are crafted with a very light, yet durable aluminum material.
They aren't cheap, but the durability will be well worth the money in the long run, not to mention easing the strain on my back putting it in and taking it out of the back of my car.
Here's a link to the web site in case anyone is interested:
I was looking at those Jon. I've got two of Tom Frantz's hoods, but they're a bit wider than I'd like. These look that they're closer to the Coulsen box dimensions. Good to know that you liked it. Another positive is that he ships them. Tom NEVER shipped his boxes, except once. I talked him into it and it ended up arriving with some slight damage. He swore that he'd never ship his boxes again, which meant that you had to pick them up at his place near Philadelphia or have it sent via the falconry friends network. -Joby
Just got my double giant hood in from Barry Davidson and I just LOOOOVE it. Great products and service. As Jon said they aint cheap, but they'll last a LOOOONG time!! Plus, they're really light and durable. -Joby
I bought an aluminum hood, glove, and am in the process of buying a hood from Davidson's. The giant hood is high quality and the glove was too, but also cheaper than any others that I could find online. I'm looking forward to see how the hood turns out.
Barry's giant hood is the best I've seen on the market. Light weight, durable, and very functional. I spent $300 on it a few years ago and it was worth every penny.