Trad Gang
Main Boards => Trad History/Collecting => Topic started by: Stinger on February 24, 2009, 09:45:00 AM
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After doing lots of looking and learning here, I came across this very nice Herters in the classifieds here. If I read the serial number right (20159175) - that would make it the 175th bow made in January of 1959. The seller, Brian Klebber is a real standup guy. He just didn't do the bow justice in his description in the ad. He says he likes to surprise the buyer. The bow is in outstanding shape. While the leather is cracked just a little, the limbs are in great shape with no marks or scratches and not a stress line anywhere. The tips are as new. Even the original Herters decal is there. I really like the color of the butterscotch limbs on the face and the way you can see the woven glass. This bow was obviously not used much at all. I'm ready to join the 50 year anniversary hunt with this beauty.
(http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp107/lotusf14/Herters040.jpg)
(http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp107/lotusf14/Herters038.jpg)
(http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp107/lotusf14/Herters037.jpg)
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Happy 50th anniversary :thumbsup:
-Simon
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Congrats looks great
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Congrats on a good find!
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good looking bow.
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nice :thumbsup:
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Love the way they trimmed the arrow shelf with a bevel for arrow clearance.
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Kurt - yea, that peaked shelf is pretty unique. I have not put a string on it and shot it yet so I have no idea how it will shoot.
Here is a better picture of the shelf.
(http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp107/lotusf14/Herters032.jpg)
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Nice bow :) Got one similar to it. Serial number 100859261
I think yours is an Olympic Official Mark II and I think mine is a Turkish 17 Hunter...
(http://brian.ckupris.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1677&g2_serialNumber=1)
(http://brian.ckupris.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1679&g2_serialNumber=1)
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Brian,
How do you know the model names? I searched all over for more info on the old Herters bows and just couldn't find it. I know that there was an archery archives site a while back that had lots of good info but it was so infected with bugs that I can't access it anymore.
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Hi Patrick
I have been collecting old Herters catalogues off the auction site for a few years. Don't have them all though...
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When I first got into archery as a teenager in the mid 60's, my family used to buy most of our hunting gear out of the Herters catalogue. I still have many of the Bear razorheads and several dozen of the aluminum and fiberglass arrows that we bought.
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Mines a CV and is very nice to shoot
(http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt264/lbel5/bowpics2-15-09153.jpg)
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Kurt, Very nice! Maybe it is the angle of the picture but the brace height looks pretty low. Do you have any idea as to what the suggested brace height was for these bows? I was going to start with 7 1/2 and work from there.
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Brian should be around shortly
he is who helped me figure mine out.
Brace Height? I think its the pic angle but now your going to make me go home and check.
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Patrick
I'm assuming your bow is 63 1/2" (Herters measurement - not AMO)if so it calls for a 58 1/2" string.
Kurt that is a beauty :)
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Brian, I had figured it was probably 58 so you are probably correct. Any idea what the brace height is supposed to be? Pat
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Patrick
Sorry it only gives a string length?? Just tweak it for good arrow grouping :)
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Brian - Glad to learn that you are interested in the Herter's Catalogs. I'm not a Herter's collector but still have some of their stuff we bought 40 or 50 years ago.
Last fall I picked up the bottom bow in this photograph, a Herters Sitka 66", 32#, K-660867007. The Sitka riser dwarfs the Wing Presentation-I riser shown at the top for size comparison.
Boy, it took a real piece of Rosewood lumber to make this 1-piece Sitka riser.
Do you know what years these Sitka's were produced?
(http://i386.photobucket.com/albums/oo301/WadePhillips/0HERT.jpg)
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Hi Wade
That's a beauty isn't it. That's one of the Sitka target length with the white glass. According to the serial number it's a 1967 I believe.
The info I am going on is some stuff I printed off from Archery Archives awhile back and some old catalogues. The first reference I have of the Sitka (Archery Archives)is 1967 and as far as I can tell it was made continuously until 1978 or so.
I happen to have a shorter version of it serial number K-6201066003. I assume it was made in 1966 in preparation for it's debut in the 1967 catalogue?
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Pat
I think I made a boob on the length of your bow :( It should be a Herters length 62 1/2" not 63 1/2".
sorry
Brian
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I found this blog that talked about brace height for their later bows. Most were very high at around 9 1/2.
http://analogperiphery.blogspot.com/2008/06/vintage-herters-recurve-bow-details.html
Nice Sitka. I distinctly remember my dad had a circa '67 Perfection Mag or a CV-17 that came apart on him while he was at full draw shooting right next to me. It scared the daylights out of me. I still have the nice rosewood riser from that bow that we made into a takedown.
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Pat
The earliest Herters catalogue I have is 1963. In it is a Model Olympian 17 which is similar to yours and 62 1/2" length. It calls for a 58 1/2" string and a brace height of 8 1/4" - 8 1/2" to the back of the riser.
Problem with the stuff I have from the old Archery Archives is it is not very complete with string lengths etc for the earlier years :(
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Brian thanks - that is a great start.
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Hello Brian,
Yes, that is a beautiful chunk of Rosewood.
Thanks so much for the information.
It is great to have others with varying interests in collecting old archery tackle.
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I have a 1961 Turkish Hunter identical to bkupris. I find that a 7.75-8.0" brace height works well. Pretty good shooter actually.
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Thanks Paul. I put a string on it today and braced at 7.75. I don't think it has been strung in a while so I'm going to go slow with it before I pull it all the way back.