About
Ben Long’s journey began in 1971 at the age of sixteen. Entering the sport during what he describes as the ‘wilderness years’ of falconry, he was largely self-taught, relying on historical texts like Edmund Bert’s 1619 classic to compensate for a lack of formal tuition. After joining the British Falconers’ Club in 1973, he honed his skills alongside legends of the field, flying goshawks and falcons during an era when the sport was far less accessible than it is today.
His career as a master maker of falconry ‘furniture’ was born of necessity. In the 1970s, professional equipment was almost impossible to source and existing DIY instructions often recommended unsafe materials. Long’s meticulous trial-and-error approach to working with buckskin and specialist leathers soon set his work apart. By the early 1980s, he transitioned to full-time making, becoming the first to produce professional-grade furniture that moved beyond a ‘home-made’ aesthetic. Notably, he revolutionised Dutch-style blocked hoods, perfecting designs that had remained largely unchanged since the seventeenth century.
In the late 1980s, his business expanded significantly following the launch of the industry’s first colour brochure. Today, Ben Long Falconry employs a team of skilled craftspeople, maintaining a global reputation for excellence. By blending traditional hand-working techniques with modern mechanisation, Long has ensured that the ‘golden age’ of falconry is supported by equipment of the highest functional and aesthetic standard.
