Thanks everyone for your help!
Where/How To Get a Basenji Hunting Bell?
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Oh gosh, I love this thread. Years ago I researched these bells, because it just seemed that a Basenji parent should have a Basenji hunting bell. But, alas, the prices were SO exorbitant. I could have dealt with $200, maybe even a bit more, but $600 and beyond? Not so much. I would still dearly love to own a bell. I did buy a very "dear" vintage slim book about Basenjis, which I bought in lieu of the bell. I do not recall anything in it about putting the bell around the stomach. But, who knows? Correct me if I am wrong, but I think Basenjis exist in a very wide swath of The Congo, so maybe different peoples/tribes have different customs.
I would LOVE to have an authentic bell. -
If you look around on the internet you will find a lot of authentic pictures of Basenjis wearing bells in Africa, e.g. this page . It's interesting to see how much we have changed this breed in appearance, since we breed for "pretty", not working ability.
"In order to get along with a Basenji, you have to be at least half as smart as the dog!"
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@izzy-bella said in Where/How To Get a Basenji Hunting Bell?:
Oh gosh, I love this thread. Years ago I researched these bells, because it just seemed that a Basenji parent should have a Basenji hunting bell. But, alas, the prices were SO exorbitant. I could have dealt with $200, maybe even a bit more, but $600 and beyond? Not so much. I would still dearly love to own a bell. I did buy a very "dear" vintage slim book about Basenjis, which I bought in lieu of the bell. I do not recall anything in it about putting the bell around the stomach. But, who knows? Correct me if I am wrong, but I think Basenjis exist in a very wide swath of The Congo, so maybe different peoples/tribes have different customs.
I would LOVE to have an authentic bell.Glad you like it. I love this site so much and how much it's members support one another. My thought was to lighten the mood a bit with some fun.
A little later I'll post a few pics of the only one that I've ever gotten to hold. I still may try and make one myself. The one for $300 is still a bit steep. Maybe not if the site is legitimate. Still investigating that.
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@eeeefarm said in Where/How To Get a Basenji Hunting Bell?:
“If you look around on the internet you will find a lot of authentic pictures of Basenjis wearing bells in Africa, e.g. this page . “
Thank you for the link. The article was very interesting and I enjoyed the photos. I was really intrigued that the “clangers” on the basenji hunting bells were made from monkey bones! Thanks for sharing. -
I saw that site and went through most of it a while back. Great site with really fun history and culture. Not giving up one of my monkey bones to hang round my pups neck.
I’m thinking of using a hardwood or some kind of eucalyptus, which seems traditional. Also thinking of using a few pieces of antler as well. I can’t find any great smallish nuts that the site mentions. But, I did find a really dried out aged to almost black hollowed out coconut on the trail by my house. Pretty big. Also found a nut thing that’s the perfect size. Need to figure out how to hollow it out. Still putting the pieces together in my mind.
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@jengosmonkey
No doubt in my mind that you will construct a “basenji hunting bell” for Logan!
I can’t wait to see it! Will you be taking orders? 
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Ditto, on Kembe's comments on the hand-made hunting bell. Too cool!
Izzy-Bella does appreciate her ever-changing fashionable collars, but I'm not sure how much--or little--she would like a bell around her neck, or anywhere else. -
Here is Naomi, my little African girl. She was one generation removed.
She had what the breeders here called an African tail. It didn’t have a tight curl at all. She was a beautiful, dainty little girl, under 16 pounds.I can see her wearing a bell, but I don’t think she would have liked it at all!
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@eeeefarm said in Where/How To Get a Basenji Hunting Bell?:
Basenjis wearing bells in Africa, e.g. this page
Thank you for sharing that! I especially enjoyed the video at the bottom of the page.
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@brindlebasenji
Naomi is GORGEOUS! Une petite jeune fille
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Naomi is a beauty, to be sure. She is definitely dainty at 16 pounds. Those big old bells would wear her down! Maybe some little Christmas bells???? Ha Ha.
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@brindlebasenji I agree, Naomi is really a beautiful Basenji. Love it that she has a throne. She deserves it.
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I think I have enough parts to start Logan' Bell. I've got the goiter (I had to look that term up) sized coconut, the nut thing, which I'll most likely use, some hemp cord that I'm going to braid, then braid again into more braids. I'll slice one of Logan's spent antlers into some strips to use at clangers or whatever they call them. Here's what I have...
I may also use a soldering iron to burn his name on the front side of the bell using an African font. Something like this maybe...
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That is so cool! I can’t wait to see the final product! Again.......when will you be taking orders? Lol
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@jengosmonkey very cool!
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@kembe said in Where/How To Get a Basenji Hunting Bell?:
...Again.......when will you be taking orders? Lol
I don’t know
I gotta figure out how to make it first. I think the nut thing is actually a Western Buckeye. I cut the bottom out of one and it has this really dense foam like structure that’s tough to remove. Oh, and there was a bug living in it. He wasn’t too happy to see me. Not sure the outer shell will prove to be very durable or resonate very well. It would just be decorative. The coconut is just giant even though it’s small for a coconut. Might have to flip to Plan 9 and carve one from wood. I’m thinking of using oak since there’s a lot of that on the trail. I need to google woods that resonate sound. -
I can’t wait to see your bell!
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don't waste your $$$. no bell, just keep your basenji in sight...
morse.stafford@gmail.com -
So I've not given up on this. I went back to rainshinefoundation.org.au and researched it a bit. It looks legitimate to me, and I'm really skeptical. This isn't an endorsement. They claim they are funneling the majority of donations back to the people they are providing assistance to. I could get behind this. Is a Basenji Hunting Bell worth $300 USD? In my best Texas accent, "Hell Yeah!" If they really are sinking the percentage of money they receive back into direct support as they claim on their website... it's hard NOT to get behind that. I'm still trying to verify that. Feel free to chime in.
Coconut is too big. Western Buckeye is too thin. If the above is legit... I don't want to compete. I don't want to make something that mimics those from Africa. If it's legit... I'd rather support the cause and spend the $300 USD.
So mine have to look different. They have to resonate sound. Which wood? CNC engraving? Laser engraving? Slots? Collar? Clasp? How do I support Basenjis? Tooling is going to cost a bit.
I think I have have the bell figured out. I may also have the clappers figured out too, but I need to test all of this. The part that concerns me is the collar. Weaving, macramé, braiding, sewing...
Anyway... these are thoughts in motion...
