Trad Gang
Main Boards => Trad History/Collecting => Topic started by: JEFF B on October 31, 2012, 09:01:00 PM
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any body collect Ben pearson signature take-downs
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A Ben Pearson is definatly on my list of vintage bows to acquire. Being from Arkansas kinda makes it a must. Back in the late '60s early '70s all the archers in my area of southeast Arkansas shot Ben Pearson equipment. I learned from my Dad on Pearson archery tackle. For them it was easy to jump in the car and drive to the factory in Pine Bluff and get their equipment. I still have Dad's old Ben Pearson lemon-wood flatbow. Sadly it's just a wall-hanger now.
Ross
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way cool i don't know how to put pics on here as i am still getting used to this new computer
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Jeff...
Take a look at this method. It's easier than using Photobucket:
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=129;t=000004
Mike
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I have one them, still in the case, it's one of the coolest take down systems available. Did it develop problems? I'm surprised it's not used anymore.
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I have several Pearsons including a Signature. What was it you were trying to find out Jeff?
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Sal,
I had several of them. I think one of the problems was the interlocking fingers simply took up a lot of space. While it was surely strong enough, the shelf just ended up pretty far above your grip. And, if you shot off an elevated rest, it was even higher. Also, since mine were all obtained as a collector at a later date, I found that the "ears" on the screwdriver(coin?) slot in the pin were often deformed. I don't know for sure, but it seemed that pin was aluminum and bent easily. Maybe neither of these had any effect on the market accepting these Pearson T/Ds, they sure seemed very evident to me when I found one.
As with the Mercury Hunter and Maurader, and the fibreglass t/d bows wound around a wood core, Pearson found some interesting ways to differentiate from the others. They surely weren't bad bows, by any means! And old Ben was a character and maybe the best wing-shot ever. However, I feel in the area of styling, his bows were always just a step off the mark that was being set by Bear-and Black Widow-and Wing. At risk of setting off a bunch of criticism here, I see Pearson as a bit like Chrysler. I was one who liked many of Chrysler's designs. But, they were always a weak third in sales, even going back to the 60s. GM and Ford designs won their markets, and Bear styling certainly dominated theirs.
For my money, Pearson bows from the 40s were a lot more elegant than those from the 60s. And a pristine Pearson Bushmaster T/D is an especially nice find for the collector.
Pearsons are a great area for a collector to concentrate, if he sticks with the higher end of the line. Some of the Pearson Golden Sovereigns are nice bows too.
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As Tom said, I believe the size of the interlock was excessive and especially on the Signature took up a lot of room.The Mauraders fit well with the size of the Mercury series. The Mercury Hunters and TD Maurders are exceptional shooters and I love shooting mine. I always keep antisieze on all my pins and do not over tighten them.The old Safari and Javelinas of the late 50's were also very good shooters.
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ks bowman well it has a couple of surface cracks above the metal part in the top limb on both sides but they run length wise not across the limb and was just asking if this would affect the shooting or is it going to be a wall hanger
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if the glass cracks are length wise and aren't visible IN the maple lams where it meets the sight window, I consider bows to be shootable. I've had a couple of bows where the crack carried through the maple lam and filled it from the end with loc-tite 420. They held together so far as I know. If refinishing, I'd put 420 in any crack, but I don't think it's really a problem if it's just longitudinal surface cracking in the glass.
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Again I agree with Tom. I have alot of old bows with length wise stress cracks and they don't hurt a thing. If I can feel them with my finger nail I Locktite 420 them with a 20 or 22 ga. needle and a syringe. Just a tiny bit at a time and it wicks right in to the crack. Too much and it is hard to clean up. The only problem I know of with the knuckle connections is on bows that have been exposed to severe heat and then a glue adhesion problem between the metal and the wood. This is rare, but has happened. I'd say it is a shooter Jeff.Enjoy it!
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ta bud :thumbsup: