Skip to content

Bower

Bower snare drum tensioning system
Bower used a unique tensioning system with right hand/left-hand threaded claws and a turnbuckle

Camco

Camco 852 hoop claws
DW still uses a very similar design

Carlton

Carlton bass drum hoop claws
Carlton bass drum hoop claws, 1960s
Carlton bass drum hoop claws
Thick chrome over steel construction, made in UK

Duplex

Duplex 30s single tension rods & claws
Duplex single tension bass drum claws and rods, 1930s
Duplex 30s single tension rods & claws
A unique reverse single tension system with male threaded claws and tapped thumb rods. 10-24 threads.

Fibes

Fibes hoop claw
Corder and Darwin used the same design after Fibes was sold

Frank Wolf

Frank Wolf bass drum hoop claws
Frank Wolf bass drum hoop claws, 1930s-40s
Frank Wolf bass drum hoop claws
These claws are sized for 12-24 tension rods. Wolf also used 10-24 rods on some of their drums.

Gretsch

Gretsch Broadkaster bass drum hoop claws
Gretsch Broadkaster bass drum hoop claws, 1940s-early 50s. Leedy and some other smaller US brands used similar split stamped claw designs from around 1900-1940. Gretsch was seemingly the last US brand to abandon it.

Kent

Gretsch rim clips
Gretsch rim clips
Gretsch rim clips
1930s-60s. Also found on Rogers and other brands.
Slingerland and Gretsch hoop claws, swing era
This photo shows Conn-era Ludwig & Ludwig (or Leedy, on left), and Gretsch Broadkaster (on right) hoop claws.
Slingerland and Gretsch hoop claws, swing era
1930s-50s. Note the higher relief on the Conn part.
Gretsch 5462 hoop claws
Similar designs with minor changes used since the early 1950s

John Grey

John Grey 40s Autocrat bass drum hoop claws
John Grey Autocrat hoop claws, 1940s
John Grey 40s Autocrat bass drum hoop claws
similar to many concurrent styles but wider profile
John Grey 40s Autocrat bass drum hoop claws
threaded and unthreaded claws were the same length
Kent hoop claws, late 1940s-50s
Very similar to 40s-50s Gretsch Broadkaster claws but more shallowly stamped
Kent rim clips
Kent rim clips, 1950s-60s
Kent threaded rim clips
Many of Kent's drums were single flanged and single tension.

L & S

L&S bass drum hoop claws
L&S bass drum hoop claws
L&S bass drum hoop claws
1930s, they fit 12-24 tension rods.

Ludwig

Ludwig & Ludwig rim clips
Ludwig & Ludwig rim clips, 1910s-50s. Basically indistinguishable from Slingerland. Early ones were slightly thinner.
Ludwig & Ludwig Conn era hoop claws
The wings do not curve inward like 40s/50s Slingerland claws
Ludwig classic hoop claws, originally a WFL design
The shorter collar on the center claw is for key rods, likely from a snare
Ludwig bass drum resonant edge protector clips
Ludwig bass drum edge protector clips, 1970s-90s. For using a bass drum resonant hoop with no head.

Nokes & Nicolai

Nokes & Nicolai hoop claws
Nokes & Nicolai hoop claws, 1910s-20s.
Nokes & Nicolai hoop claws
These are from a single tension snare drum, the larger is threaded.

Premier

Premier 60s bass drum hoop claw
Premier 60s bass drum hoop claw
Premier 60s bass drum hoop claw
Art nouveau or bird claw style
Premier Olympic hoop claws
1950s-60s
Premier Olympic hoop claw
Olympic or Premier bass drum hoop claw, 1960s-70s.
Premier Olympic hoop claw
Similar to Gretsch but without striations. Later used on Premier branded drums in the 1980s.
Premier hoop claws
Premier Olympic hoop claws
Premier hoop claws
1970s
Premier bass drum hoop claws 1970s
Premier bass drum hoop claws
Premier bass drum hoop claws 1970s
1970s
Premier 80s bass drum hoop claws
Premier hoop claws
Premier 80s bass drum hoop claws
Probably late 1980s-early 2000s. Used on APK and XPK kits.

Rettberg & Lange

Rettberg & Lange RANDL hoop claws
Rettberg & Lange hoop claws, probably circa 1900s-10s
Rettberg & Lange RANDL hoop claws
Rettberg & Lange was apparently mostly a banjo maker. These were used on snares with a "RANDL" label.

Rogers

Rogers 50s bass drum hoop claws
Rogers 50s bass drum hoop claws, 1950s
Rogers 50s single tension snare drum hoop claws
Rogers hoop claws from a snare drum with wooden hoops, 1950s
Rogers Cleveland era hoop claws
Late bread and butter, early beavertail era
Rogers bass drum edge protector clips
Rogers bass drum edge protector clips, 1970s-80s. For using a resonant bass drum hoop with no head.

Roxy

Tromsa bass drum hoop claws
Roxy bass drum hoop claws, 1960s-70s
Tromsa bass drum hoop claws
Also used on Tromsa and perhaps Trowa drums.

Slingerland

Slingerland pre-Radio King hoop claws
late 1920s-30s
Slingerland single flanged rim clips
Slingerland single flanged rim clips, 1920s-60s. These are indistinguishable from Leedy/Ludwig & Ludwig/Leedy & Ludwig claws of the same era.
Slingerland Radio King hoop claws, late 1930s-50s
Wings curve inward. There are both open and closed-back versions.
Slingerland belly style single flanged rim clips
Slingerland single flanged rim clips, 1940s-50s. Rob Cook refers to these as "belly" style. They are prone to warping and cracking.
Slingerland Rolling Bomber hoop claws
Slingerland Rolling Bomber hoop claws, WWII era. Used on snares, toms and bass drums.
Slingerland Rolling Bomber hoop claws
These are probably a Walberg & Auge design from as early as 1903, and they can be found on other brands in that era. Half moon-shaped nuts are used with these claws to produce single tension systems.
Slingerland Sound King era hoop claws
Mid-1950s thru 1969

Star/Hoshino Gakki/Tama

Star 60s Sonor copy hoop claws
Star/Hoshino Gakki hoop claws, 1960s
These are copies of the Sonor teardrop era style. They are indistinguishable from the top but thinner construction. They work on Sonor bass drums, as they fit 6mm rods.
Tama SuperStar/ImperialStar hoop claws
MIJ, late 1970s-80s
Tama Granstar hoop claws
Tama Granstar hoop claws, 1980s. Heavy die cast construction, made in Japan
Tama RockStar bass drum hoop claw 80s
Tama RockStar bass drum hoop claw
Tama RockStar bass drum hoop claw 80s
1980s-90s
Tama bass drum edge protector clips
Tama bass drum edge protector clips, 1980s. For using a resonant hoop with no head.

Trixon

Trixon bass drum hoop claws 1960s
Trixon bass drum hoop claws, 1960s-70s
Trixon bass drum hoop claws 1960s
Some Japanese makers produced near-exact copies of this design, the only difference being the weight/thickness.

Walberg & Auge

Walberg & Auge hoop claws
One of few W&A parts that only appears on their own branded drums

WFL

WFL rim clips
WFL rim clips, late 30s-40s
WFL rim clips
Very similar to Slingerland, Ludwig & Ludwig, etc. but thinner construction with a slight taper in the middle
WFL bass drum hoop claws
WFL bass drum hoop claws, late 1930s
WFL bass drum hoop claws
Slightly heavier than concurrent Conn/Ludwig claws, with two distinctive humps at the end as shown
WFL hoop claw, circa 1940s
WFL was rare in using key rods on bass drums, hence the short collar
WFL Victorious hoop claws
WFL Victorious hoop claws, late WWII era. Used on toms as well as bass drums.
WFL Victorious hoop claws
The Victorious wood lug drums had two claw styles, these are the latter.
WFL hoop claws, probably from snare drums
The insert on the right claw is not threaded, just a different version of this style
WFL 40s hoop claws
WFL hoop claws, 1940s. The original version of this long-lived style featured a "WFL" stamp on top
WFL 40s hoop claws
These full-length version indicate that they were for use with handle rods on a bass drum. Shorter versions were used with key rods on both bass and snare drums.

Yamaha

Yamaha bass drum hoop claws 1980s
Yamaha bass drum hoop claws
Yamaha bass drum hoop claws 1980s
1980s
Yamaha Recording Custom bass drum hoop claws
Yamaha Recording Custom bass drum hoop claws
Yamaha Recording Custom bass drum hoop claws
1980s

Zickos

Zickos rim clips
Zickos rim clips, 1970s-00s
Zickos rim clips tension rods barrel lug inserts
These were used on bass drums, snares and toms alike with their 1/4-20 tension rods

Zim-Gar

Zim-Gar timbale hoop claw rim clip
Zim-Gar timbale rim clip
Zim-Gar timbale hoop claw rim clip
1960s. This one is nickel plated, a rarity for Japanese parts.