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I have mentioned hand-hammered bells a number of times in this site, but surprisingly I have never really explained what the term means.
All Bells are Spun
A first point to make is that all bells are spun on a large lathe as part of their production process.
Where hand-hammering comes in is that the flare can be made two ways. The modern method is to spin the end of the flare (approximately the part that would be cut for a screw bell horn) up from a round disc of metal. The traditional method involves making the entire bell and bell tail from a large sheet of metal which is roughly formed (the “hammering”) and brazed together with a visible seam, after which it is spun to final shape.
Every dimension matters. What you theoretically gain by the hand hammering process is a bell with more consistent metal thickness and some very subtle elements from the hammering process that I think tend to impact the sound positively.
What Does it Look Like?
Visibly what you would see as a purchaser is illustrated in the two photos. Depending on the finish of the horn it may be very subtle visually to the eye, but there will either be a single straight seam to the edge of the bell (usually aligned so that the seam is on the “inside” of the wrap of the horn, thus less visible and less likely to break when bending the bell tail) OR it will involve a triangular piece of metal with two seams. This type I have seen referred to as a gusseted bell, seen for example on many Alexander horns.
The first photo shows a horn with a straight seam that has split at the edge of the bell, where the patch has been soldered on, and this second horn shows a gusseted bell on an Alexander descant horn. There are two visible, curved seams on a gusseted bell.
In contrast, if it is a spun bell you may see (especially on a fixed bell horn) a seam that is a circle around the bell tail in the general area of the bell brace.
Worth the Cost?
Personally, I like the hand-hammered bells and think them worth the extra cost, but it really is a personal choice, you may feel the better sound is actually with a spun bell. There are many variables that are being balanced by the maker as they refine their product into the best form they can produce.
If you are interested to see even more details on the process, see this recent article in the Stephens Horns website, and for another view on even more on the variables this article in the Medlin Horns website is an important read.
UPDATE: Credit to a Twitter comment for the link to this wonderful video of the process of making a gusseted bell:
