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Main Boards => Trad History/Collecting => Topic started by: Al33 on February 01, 2013, 06:27:00 PM

Title: Very old bow in wooden box
Post by: Al33 on February 01, 2013, 06:27:00 PM

I recently acquired this old kids (?) bow and all I know of it is that it was purchased from a vendor at the Scott's Antique market in Atlanta a few years back. By the size of the old quiver and arrows I suspect it is a kids bow. There are no markings on the box or bow. The face side is flat while the belly is round and it has a linen grip with no rest. It feels remarkably stout given its size and thin dimensions. I suspect the box is made of red cedar and it was obviously made for the bow as the limb tips fit into slots at each end.

I am hopeful someone(s) here might have a clue to its origins.    
 (http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b324/al33/oldboxbow-3.jpg)  

 (http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b324/al33/oldboxbow-4.jpg)

  (http:// [IMG]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b324/al33/oldboxbow-1.jpg )[/IMG]

  (http:// [IMG]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b324/al33/oldboxbow-5.jpg )[/IMG]

  (http:// [IMG]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b324/al33/oldboxbow-8.jpg )[/IMG]

  (http:// [IMG]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b324/al33/oldboxbow-6.jpg )[/IMG]

  (http:// [IMG]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b324/al33/oldboxbow-8.jpg )[/IMG]

Title: Re: Very old bow in wooden box
Post by: SKITCH on February 01, 2013, 06:52:00 PM

Here ya go...for the rest of those pics.


 (http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b324/al33/oldboxbow-1.jpg)

 (http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b324/al33/oldboxbow-5.jpg)

 (http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b324/al33/oldboxbow-8.jpg)

 (http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b324/al33/oldboxbow-6.jpg)

 (http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b324/al33/oldboxbow-8.jpg)

Neat find.  Would be interesting to know the story behind the package.

Title: Re: Very old bow in wooden box
Post by: Al33 on February 01, 2013, 10:30:00 PM

Thank you SKITCH!!!!   :)   I have no idea why the others would not load, I did the same process for all of them, at least i thought I did.   :dunno:

Title: Re: Very old bow in wooden box
Post by: Goshawkin on February 19, 2013, 04:41:00 PM

I have no clue. That is a really cool find though!

Title: Re: Very old bow in wooden box
Post by: Jaz5833 on February 19, 2013, 06:04:00 PM

It is VERY cool. I will also be interested to see any info that arises.

Title: Re: Very old bow in wooden box
Post by: Al33 on September 10, 2014, 10:34:00 PM

Well, I finally found out that this is an L.E. Stemmler kids bow and likely was made around 1915-20 because his later bows had markings and stamps on them. I have found others that look like it with my research efforts but none that look as good as this one and none with the wooden box and leather quiver. As best I can tell it is made of lemon wood. Some of his later bows came with bone laminated limb tips. I have also learned that Stemmler was the first in the U.S. to sell mass produced bows.

Title: Re: Very old bow in wooden box
Post by: warpedarrow on September 11, 2014, 04:54:00 PM

I was going to guess homemade and lemon wood.
Glad to see that you found out the origin.  I am
surprised that there was no draw weight marking on it.

Title: Re: Very old bow in wooden box
Post by: William F. Adams on September 11, 2014, 05:25:00 PM

Just in case you haven't found it yet, Stemmler's book, _The Essentials of Archery: How to use and Make Bows and Arrows_ is freely available on-line:  http://www.archerylibrary.com/books/stemmler/essentials-of-archery/

Title: Re: Very old bow in wooden box
Post by: Al33 on September 12, 2014, 09:32:00 PM

Thank you William, I will check it out.