THE NEW "D-be-wit", my FALCONRY BELL BEWIT
This was a momentous brainstorm, as I have never seen or heard of this type of bell bewit. It came to me as I was "piddling" in my garage the other day.
START OUT WITH A BELL, A BLACK OR EVEN VERY COLORFUL PLASTIC NYLON TY-WRAP (WIRE TIE) APPROXIMATELY 1/8 INCH WIDE AND 8 INCHES LONG, AND AN OLD JESS, OR SET OF WORN OUT JESSES THAT ARE NOT TORN OR WEAK. OIL THEM VERY WELL.
THE PICTURE BELOW SHOWS THE START TO FINISHED PRODUCT
USE A VERY SHARP RAZOR KNIFE WITH A NARROW POINTED BLADE TO CUT THE SLITS AND TRIM THE ENDS OF THE LEATHER LEG "SHIELD" IN A CURVE TO REMOVE THE SHARP CORNERS.
IN THE ABOVE PICTURE YOU CAN SEE THE OLD JESS, THE LEATHER LEG "SHIELD" PIECE CUT FROM IT'S LENGTH, AND THE FINISHED PRODUCT. I WAS ABLE TO CUT TWO LEG SHIELDS FROM ONE JESS FOR PERFECT FITS ON A 1350 gm. FEMALE RED-TAILED HAWK.
THE ABOVE LEFT PICTURE SHOWS THE PIECE CUT OUT THAT WILL BECOME THE BEWIT LEG SHIELD, WHICH SHOULD BE ABOUT 3/8 OF AN INCH LARGER THAN THE DIAMETER OF YOUR BIRD'S LEG WHERE THE BELL WILL ATTACH. THIS IS TO ENSURE THAT BOTH ENDS "OVERLAP" SLIGHTLY ENOUGH TO PROTECT THE BIRD'S LEG FROM THE HEAD OF THE TY-WRAP. THE HEAD OF THE TY-WRAP WILL SIT NICELY OVER THE OVERLAPPED AREA AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SNUG THE TY-WRAP WITHOUT IT SQUEEZING THE TARSUS IF YOUR MEASUREMENTS ARE CAREFUL AND CORRECT. MAKE SURE TO ROUND THE EDGES AND MAKE THE BEWIT SUFFICIENTLY LARGER THAN THE BIRD'S LEG DIAMETER. THE UPPER RIGHT PICTURE SHOWS THE APPROXIMATE SIZE COMPARED TO A STANDARD X-CEL KNIFE, A STANDARD MEWS JESS AND A 10 INCH TY-WRAP.
HERE IS THE FINISHED BEWIT WITHOUT THE BELL THREADED ON TO THE
TY-WRAP. NOTICE HOW THE LEFT END IS LONGER THAN THE HEAD OF THE TY-WRAP. THE
RIGHT END IS ALSO LONGER SO BOTH ENDS OVERLAP AND THE TY-WRAP PULLS TIGHT
AGAINST THE LEATHER SLITS, MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE BIRD TO TEAR IT
LOOSE, WITHOUT SQUEEZING THE BIRD'S TARSUS. THE OVERALL TRUE LENGTH OF THE
KANGAROO LEATHER LEG BEWIT "SHIELD" IS ACTUALLY SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN A
"AA" BATTERY IN THIS PICTURE PERSPECTIVE. YOU CAN SEE HOW THE
"SLITS" IN THE BEWIT LEATHER ARE LESS THAN 1/8 OF AN INCH NARROW AND
ONLY WIDE ENOUGH TO FIT THE WIDTH OF THE TY-WRAP THROUGH WITH SOME ELBOW GREASE.
THE TY-WRAP SHOULD FIT VERY SNUGLY IN THE LEATHER LEG "SHIELD".
BELOW PICTURE SHOWS THE PERSPECTIVE SIZES WITH A SIZE ONE FEMALE RED-TAIL BELL FROM RICARDO VELARDE. YOU CAN SEE HOW NARROW THE SLITS ARE MADE IN THE SHIELD AND THERE IS A REASON FOR THIS, AS EXPLAINED HEREIN. SIX SLITS ARE MADE AS SHOWN AND THE BELL "THREADED" ON TO THE TY-WRAP AS IT IS FED THROUGH THE SLITS IN THE LEG SHIELD.
VIEW FROM THE 'LEG" SIDE OF THE SHIELD...NOTICE HOW
"NARROW" THE SLITS ARE SO AS TO NOT GIVE ANY CHANCE OF THE TY-WRAP TO
TOUCH THE LEG OF THE BIRD. WHEN THE BEWIT IS FOLDED AROUND THE LEG OF THE BIRD,
THE NARROW SLITS WILL TOUCH EACH OTHER AND WILL NOT ALLOW THE PLASTIC TY-WRAP TO
CONTACT THE LEG SCALES.
A FRONT VIEW OF THE BELL SIDE OF THE BEWIT LEG SHIELD. NOTICE IN THE RIGHT HAND PICTURE, WHEN THE BEWIT IS CURVED AROUND THE LEG THAT THE "SLITS" ARE SO NARROW THAT THEY "CLOSE UP" WHEN THE BEWIT IS PLACED ON THE BIRD PREVENTING THE TOUCHING OF THE TY-WRAP AGAINST THE LEG TARSUS. NOTICE ALSO ON THE RIGHT HOW THE LEG IS COMPLETELY PROTECTED FROM THE HEAD OF THE TY-WRAP AS IT IS SEATED "BEHIND" THE LEATHER LEG SHIELD. IF BOTH TRIMMED ENDS OF THE LEG SHIELD ARE LONG ENOUGH (ABOUT 3/8 INCH) THEY WILL OVERLAP AND THE HEAD OF THE TY-WRAP CAN BE PULLED AND TIGHTENED VERY SNUGLY AGAINST THE LEATHER SHIELD WHILE THE LEG LEATHER SHIELD STILL REMAINS LOOSE OR FREE ENOUGH TO MOVE AROUND ON THE BIRDS LEG WITHOUT BINDING UP OR NOT BEING SO LARGE IN CIRCUMFERENCE SO AS TO CATCH ON ANYTHING SUCH AS STICKS, ETC...IF THE LENGTH OF THE LEATHER SHIELD WAS PROPERLY CALCULATED.
NOTICE IN THE UPPER RIGHT PICTURE HOW THE SLIT EDGES TOUCH EACH OTHER WHEN THE BEWIT IS WRAPPED AROUND THE BIRD'S LEG, KEEPING THE TY-WRAP FROM TOUCHING THE BIRDS LEG. *CAUTION* - MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE TO TRIM THE TY-WRAP TAG END ABSOLUTELY FLUSH WITH THE HEAD OF THE TY-WRAP, AS IT WILL CUT YOU AND YOUR BIRD!
I HAVE MOUNTED THE D-BE-WIT ABOVE THE ANKLET. THE BELLS MOVE FREELY AND ARE VERY LOUD WITH THIS ARRANGEMENT. THEY SHOULD NOT TOUCH THE PERCH OR THE GROUND OR GET BEAT UP AND STEPPED ON AS THEY WOULD IF THEY WERE TIED TO THE ANKLET GROMMET. I HAD BAD LUCK WITH THE BELLS TIED TO THE ANKLET GROMMET. I WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW THEY WORK OUT IN THE LONG RUN...HERE, I HAVE POSTED DETAILED PICTURES OF THE BEWIT MOUNTED ON THE BIRD, AND THE OVERLAPPING LEATHER END DESIGN AND ARRANGEMENT...
NOTICE HOW THE BEWIT/LEATHER SHIELD ENDS OVERLAP. THE TY-WRAP IS VERY SNUG AND HOLDS THE END OF THE BEWIT LEATHER VERY TIGHT TOGETHER. FOR THOSE CONCERNED WITH TY-WRAP USAGE, MY BIRD TEARS THEM OFF OF HER ANKLET WITHOUT A PROBLEM. THESE ARE THE SMALLEST TY-WRAPS AVAILABLE THAT I USED IN THIS PICTURE. IF THE LEATHER SHIELD SOMEHOW TEARS OFF, THE BELL AND TY-WRAP CAN EASILY BE BROKEN OFF BY THE BIRD OR CUT OFF BY MYSELF. OF COURSE, THOSE WITH CONCERNS OF ME LOSING THE HAWK AND THE BEWIT CAUSING INJURY, BE FOREWARNED...I WILL NOT GIVE UP ON RECOVERING MY BIRD!
THE FINISHED PRODUCT WHICH I CALL THE "D-BE-WIT"...WORKS GREAT, AS I HAVE TESTED IT ON MY HAWK NOW FOR THE PAST DAY, AND IT FITS PERFECT, THE BELLS SOUND OFF GREAT, NO BELL MUFFLING, NO STEPPING ON THE BELLS AND BEATING THEM AROUND, AND I HOPE I GET ALL SORTS OF EXPERIENCED FALCONERS TO LET ME KNOW IF I AM ABSOLUTELY NUTS FOR WANTING TO PUT THIS TYPE OF JEWELRY ON MY BIRD, OR IF THIS TYPE OF BEWIT DESIGN HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY USED, AND THE EFFECTS, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE FEEDBACK IS WELCOME. DON'T WORRY, YOU WON'T HURT MY FEELINGS...
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