Jeremiah Watt

The Mongol Bells
Looking thru magazines, more specifically at close-up images of Eurasian horsemen, you may notice the little bell like ornaments hanging from various places of their trappings. In certain places like Mongolia, it may appear to be their favorite form of decoration, these little items look rather like small bells or maybe berries. From the real versions that I have had a chance to view in Museum collections overseas, and the opportunity to then make notes and take pictures I just thought that they would look real cool on the gear that we make over hear. Besides you just never know when that Mongolian fashion statement will sweep the great basin or the sage brush and lave rock deserts of Idaho. Being a fashion trend setter and not a follower I want to be ahead of the curve.

PHOTO BY: Jeremiah and all 3 of his chins

Let’s commence with the basic layout, which is a 5 point affair that looks much like a Ninja-throwing Star. I have built mine within a 1.25 inch diameter circle, and made it a 5 point pattern. The pattern layout can be what ever you dream up as to length of petals and diameter of center circle etc. I built mine out some thin 22 gauage stainless for this pictorial.

PHOTO BY:Jeremiah showing the 5 pointed Star form of cutout in light Stainless

Once the Bell has been cut in the flat, it is time to place it dapping block so that we can commence creating that lovely cup shape. Now at this point I should tell you that if per chance you are doing some stamp work to the surface or maybe engraving a portion of it, then you would be laying the engraved surface facing down for this part of the forming. In that manner we will have the decorated surface on the outside of the Mongol Bell that we are forming here. Find the appropriate fitting dapping punch with a smooth round ball end and pound the Bell down into the corresponding cavity.

PHOTO BY: Jeremiah, as he begins working the Bell down inot a dapping block

We will have a nicely shaped BELL now with a graceful flaring shape.

PHOTO BY: Jeremiah, he shows you a nicely cupped Mongol-Bell

I want to tell you that you can also draw the Bell into a tighter radius by simply going back to the dapping plate and then using smaller radius dapping punch. This smaller diameter ball end will then draw the Mongol Bell into a tighter diameter within the base of the Bell. I think picture E shows us two distinct diameters that I can use in different places and for different applications as we will see in a few minutes.

PHOTO BY JERMIAH: we can see here the first stage of cupping done on two sizes of Mongol-Bells

This next step is often the most difficult, since we now need to apply the tiny Mongol Bell “TO SOMETHING or ON SOMETHING”. This is where that central hole comes into play. It is through here that we will mount it to the ends of our slobber bar as a cover over our clevis cap, or maybe as a floral motif on the center of a slobber bar itself. In my own shop I have done both and liked the look of each application we have tried. I will show you a small tassle that we built for the bottoms of a pair of fancy stirrups as another application. I think the only true limitation is that of personal imagination

PHOT BY JEREMIAH: Showing the BEll has been reversed and set inot the dapping block, now JW is gently tapping on the bottom of the Bell to close of the top of the petals nice and even leaving no marks..

The hardest part is capturing the Mongol Bell in position , usually it will have the stem of a rivet or in some cases the shank of a rivet that holds it all in place theu that central hole located on the bottom-most surface. Now carefully, and using a pair of small pliers to begin this process…………..I carefully coax the ends of each petal to fold over towards it’s own center. If you by chance have a tool designed for hand setting saddlery spots, then this works perfectly since it will capture all of the outer tips of the Mongol Bell in one blow of a hammer. Place the spot setting tool over the tips of the Bell, support the area that you are about to strike on something solid like a bench plate. Strike it cautiously with a hammer, check every few blows for results. Picture F shows me driving it face down inot a dapping plate, so that you can better understand what has to happen to curl the outer edges of the Bell over towards its own common center.

PHOTO BY JEREMIAH: Giving you a good view of what the Bell looks like now that it has had the top closed over nice and even like.

Here we can see the final result of closeing the Mongol Bell up capturing what ever we have used to bind it in its given place……………but we are not quite done yet. For instance this version shown her is what it looks like if we use it as a cover on our clevis cap on a bridle bit. We like to doll it up a little by taking the center of the pedals down a little more which I think really emphasizes its shape and folded character.

PHOTO BY JEREMIAH: here is where we need to be careful, we gently tap that place where all the petals meet at the top of the Bell, this dents in the top of the Bell which gives it great character as well.

The image shown here, indicates that by placing a fairly small diameter dapping punch on the top of the culmination of petals we can then support the item and once again strike the punch forcing the center of all the petals down and into its self. This is the form that we have seen the most often and also the version we have made the most use of.

PHOTO BY JEREMIAH: shows a partially closed Bell, and a fully closed, and as well we have a Bell which has been givena double bend on the petals and is used as a cup to hold a leather tassle

We can see in the above image that we have an initial closing of the Mongol Bell, as well as the fully folded and dapped center…………….but also we have that little tassle with an eye fastened captured so that it can then be screwed into something.

PHOTO BY JEREMIAH: Just a closer view especially for you
We can see here in a slightly closer view, that the Mongol Bell that we have used for the tassle cover has been given an extra counter or reverse bend to the end of each petal section by using a pair of round jawed pliers. Do this just before you use a pair of needle nose pliers to close up the top of the petals. Take note that the tassle version has also had some stamped designs done on it while it was still in the flat stage. Close it all up tighly around the leather or horse hair tassle and you have a great looking addition for any sage brush buckaroo
Ya’ just never know, Mongol Bells may be a real hit. Made in Sterling and nicely engraved, very dainty in size and shape………….it just may go some place. Just remember that you seen it here first,……………. and heard about it in Ulanbataar.

PHOTO BY JEREMIAH: shows a nice bit on which we used Mongol Bells as the clevis caps on the slobber bar

Good Night and God Bless

PHOTO BY JEREMIAH: a full view of the same bit as above.