Branding Irons

[BjornBee]

The only place I could find was in the Dadant catalog for propane branding irons. I have tried this company called Everhot Manufacturing for two weeks and nobody ever picks up the phone.

Does anyone have a reliable source with phone number for propane branding irons? Thank you.

[Michael Bush]

http://www.brandnew.net/branding_irons/gallery.shtml

I've never done business with them but tracked it down looking for branding irons.

[Michael Bush]

Here's another outfit with branding irons: http://www.homestead.com/beekeepers/Catalog.html

[txbeeguy]

Haven't checked my recent Walter T. Kelley catalogue but they used to carry hive branding irons.

[Moon]

Something else you might consider doing is finding a local machine/weld shop and asking them to build you one. Almost any shop with a cnc mill would be able to do this for you for a relatively cheap price, time and material. All you would need to do would be to rig up a narrow weed burner at the end of the plate they fab for you and viola

[broodhead]

I use a branding iron that was made the old fashioned way, raw steel and welding. Unless you are doing a huge quantity if boxes it will serve you just as well to have you iron made and build a small fire for heating. I picked mine up a while back off EBAY, there are several suppliers there of custom irons. Get creative and use a unique symbol, you will be very happy with the results and is is extremely cost effective. BrandNew industries out of California also has some unique irons that are electric.

[bluegrass]

I also use a campfire style branding Iron. It cost me 30.00 to have made and I heat it with a weedburner so it is fast and effective.

[BoilerJim]

I have a woodworking flier from ROCKLER. They are also on on the web at http://www.rockler.com/

They have branding irons.

Jim

Not sure about propane irons though.

[fish_stix]

Look in the bee magazines. I have 2 of the Brandnew propane branders; one of them is at least 30 years old and still working fine. Get the one that hooks up to a large propane tank (BBQ tank) not the small campstove/lantern bottles. :D

[Michael Bush]

Here is what I got. I love it:
http://novatoolco.net/brandingiron-heavyduty.html

[Mtn. Bee]

Everhot went out of business but Brand New has a Everhot division and you can find it on there website. http://www.brandnew.net/branding_irons/gallery.shtml
I know because I have a older built Everhot propane brand and contacted Brand New about a replacement head because mine has the info of the old retired Beek that I bought out.
The old Everhot brands are really heavy duty cast branding irons and make some of the other ones on the market look like cheap China built tools!
I highly recommend the Everhot Branding Irons and you can even get the the replacement heads with interchangeable letters/numbers!

[odfrank]

My Everhot is going on 35 years old now. I have a set head with my ID # and one that takes all letters. Us it every year.

[geebob]

Here is what I got. I love it:
http://novatoolco.net/brandingiron-heavyduty.html

Updated link... http://www.novatoolco.com/Brandingiron-BeeHive.htm

[beegee]

Why brand your hives? if someone steals them, they'll be stuck so far back in the woods that you'll never find them anyway. And if you do, they'll be wrapped up in AFB or something else.