Trad Gang
Main Boards => Trad History/Collecting => Topic started by: Bert Frelink on February 13, 2009, 11:33:00 AM
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OK you guys I have been watching the **auction site for a while now and with all the bs going on am scared to even consider bidding on anything.
Am still looking for a '52 Static Recurve in shooting condition, will pay a fair price for a decent one.
Can any of you guys help me out.
Thanks a lot.
Regards, Bert. :pray:
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Bert are you looking for a 1952 Static Kodiak?
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Yes Wade,
'52 is the year I was born and would like to own one just for sentimental reasons I guess.
I build bows for a living(ha) but always thought it would be nice to have one, I really like the looks of them.
Bert.
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let me check I think I have both a 52 griz znd kodiak. I am sure about the griz have to check my kodiak.
Dean
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Check the classifieds on here Bert.
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the kodiak I have I think its a 53 might be a late 52. it has the running bear,pat applied for decals the recurves have a bidirectional glass or paper/cloth on the back of the recurves a cream color but the glass is a very light orange not the burnt almost red color. serial # is k-4-11166b
The grizzly I think is a 52 it has the running bear,pat applied for decals the recurves have a bidirectional glass or paper/cloth on the back of the recurves a cream color and the glass is blonde. Serial # is 19018b
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I thought 1950 was the last year for biderectional glass?
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I think tonto is talking about the layer on the back of the static tip area-about 4-5".
That was either cloth or wood. I have bows with both on them, and one bow without any extra layer at all. The differences between the '51 and '52 Grizzly have always been a bit fuzzy to me.
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its just the overlay on the back of the recurves not the glass on the entire bow that isnt unidirectional. I am not sure it is glass almost looks like paper???
I dont know what is different on a 51 or 52 grizzly for sure??
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You mean the tips?
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It goes from the tips down through the bends of the statics.
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This one is Maple, and linen is on another bow.
(http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q291/bjornweb/DSCN2043.jpg)
I'll see about more pics later.
Tonto-you got any pics?
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Bjorn - In regards to your statement...
"The differences between the '51 and '52 Grizzly have always been a bit fuzzy to me."
The limb lamination differences are the same for the Kodiak and Grizzly in 1951 and 1952
1951 Alum Lam, Blond Glass Back & Belly
1952 No Alum Lam, Blond Glass Back & Belly
Bear's blond glass varied a lot, from almost translucent with very little color, to cream to blond, and sometimes blond with streaks of cream. The blond glass was Bear's first production unidirectional glass and was not always consistent in color.
From 1950-53, the tip over lay treatment varied within the same year and/or from year to year, thus this cosmetic feature is not a reliable method of dating static Kodiaks.
The color and transparency of the background of the water transfer Kodiak decals also varied during the 1950-1953 Static Kodiak era and is not a reliable method of dating these bows.
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Thanks Wade! And you don't even collect Grizzlies!
That's nice and clean-I like it!
Now that I look at them again, you're right those early Kodiaks have the same glass and o'lays as the corresponding Grizzlies.
Thanks for providing that clarity.
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Dean, PM sent.
Thanks, Bert
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My 52 grizzly the glass looks dam near clear some times I think I can see the wood lams under it. Besides the strike plate the bow is super nice.
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Dean - Yes, some 1952 Grizzly and Kodiak bows are nearly clear glass... while others are a very solid blond or cream color. This year shows the evolution of Bear's glass coloring process.
Many of the static Grizzly leather strike plates and Kodiak 1-piece leather combination strike plate/rests are damaged, missing, or were replaced with a non original product.
Anyone know who might offer exact replacements of original strike plates for the Bear Statics???
I would buy 10 or more of them if they were true to the originals in size, shape and color.
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Hey wade and guys i have one I have some pics I am going to load them On PB then on to here....
Cody
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Hello Guys, here is the one i have any help with a date.... Cody
(http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu197/TradBowKid/Beargirz097.jpg)
(http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu197/TradBowKid/Beargirz098.jpg)
(http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu197/TradBowKid/Beargirz099.jpg)
(http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu197/TradBowKid/Beargirz100.jpg)
(http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu197/TradBowKid/Beargirz101.jpg)
(http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu197/TradBowKid/Beargirz102.jpg)
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Cody - Nice 1952 Grizzly with glass that looks to be pretty much the solid blond color
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Bjorn - Glad that you like my simple, corresponding Kodiak comparison method for dating the 1951 and 1952 Grizzly. This is consistent with the Bear Catalogs and advertisements from the era and corresponds to several dozen bows I have examined and documented. Keep in mind the overlay treatment can very within the same year.
Remember, exceptions can be found for almost any “rule” that is established for dating Bear Bows. The best rules have the fewest exceptions. Nothing would surprise me as far as the occasional “Odd Duck”, actually I expect them to keep turning up.
I am certainly not a Grizzly collector, but have a dozen or so static Grizzlies including one or more from each of the years 1949 to 1954. I have saved these static Grizzlies for photographs in a book, for two primary reasons…
1. To show that the Kodiak and Grizzly have the same glass and metal limb laminations for specific years during Bear's static era.
2. To show the evolution of Bear's top of the line hunting bows.
As I am sure you know, Bob Meaker took over as Bear's Head Bowyer, when Nels Grumley retired from Bear in 1948. A few years ago, I was very fortunate to acquire Bob Meaker's bows. Among these bows are some of Meaker's personal bows as well as several experimental static era Grizzly-Kodiaks.
Meaker's bows play an important part of understanding the evolution of Bear's top of the line hunting bows from the Grumley era, to the transition from hand made to mass produced bows, to the static Grizzly, to the static Kodiak, to Bear's initial working recurves.
Although the static Grizzly is often overlooked by many of today's shooter-hunter-collectors, and has been the subject of much misguided folk lore, it had an integral role in Bear's later success. The first half dozen years of the static Grizzly are more than deserving of an entire chapter in any comprehensive study of Fred Bear's Bows.
Bjorn – When I have time to dig a little deeper in the static Grizzly, I hope it will be OK to call on your expertise as one of the few today with experience as a static Grizzly collector.
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Thanks Wade :thumbsup:
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Now that y'all have me totally confused,i'll post some pictures for help. I have 3 static tip Grizzlys. One has aluminum lams, the other 2 don't.
First the aluminum (on the far right of the second picture).
(http://i509.photobucket.com/albums/s331/selfbow19953/GRIZZLY2-1.jpg)
(http://i509.photobucket.com/albums/s331/selfbow19953/GRIZZLY1-1.jpg)
Does the bidirectional glass and the orange color mean that it's a 1950?
The other 2 are the center and left bows in picture 2. Both have patent applied for. Are they 1953's (orange glass)?
(http://i509.photobucket.com/albums/s331/selfbow19953/GRIZZLY4-1.jpg)
The one to the right has smaller nocks.
(http://i509.photobucket.com/albums/s331/selfbow19953/GRIZZLY3-1.jpg)
It is a 52# (sn 25521), the other is a 57# (sn 25121). Does draw weight indicate nick size?
(http://i509.photobucket.com/albums/s331/selfbow19953/GRIZZLY6-1.jpg)
What does the maple on the back of the static tip indicate (all 3 have it)?
Thanks for any help you can give me.
Phil
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the two bows with the unidir orange glass do they have both right and left hand shelfs? I have one with the orange uni glass, double shelf and the fine tips like you show. Mine has the standing bear decal not the running bear. I say its a 1953. Mine is a heavy weight 57# with the fine tips.
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Tonto,
No, they're single shelf (running bear decal). I guess the tip size depends on who made them I have 2 double shelfs, but they're '57s, I think.
Thanks.
Phil