I just picked up a green stripe B handle take down (serial number B-3767) with two sets of green tip overlay limbs in #50 and #65. The riser is that marbled maple, just beautiful. I know it was made in Gainesville but can any one tell me the year? Thanks for the help.
(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc4/highlife6/80ca252f-72f7-4edd-9ee9-fd43763cb249_zps297bf325.jpg) (http://s219.photobucket.com/user/highlife6/media/80ca252f-72f7-4edd-9ee9-fd43763cb249_zps297bf325.jpg.html)
was that the one on fleabay? I like the wood swirls.
Early 80's I'm thinking.
No, not from the big site.
I plan on removing the stabilizer plug and I see that Bowdocs restoration 101 thread is gone. Anyone remember what he used to dye the epoxy to fill the hole? I plan on adding to the shelf radius a bit as well. This is the first time I have shot a Bear takedown and this is a sweet shooter that compares to some of my custom bows.
I agree, the wood grain is beautiful, more so than the new ones.
From the serial num an early 1982
From an online conversation I had with with Don Ward 3 years ago about restoring and matching colors:
Don - I checked out West Marine online and found this kit from Evercoat listed for 39.99. Is this a good choice, or are there better deals?
Easily touch up your gelcoat with this convenient kit
Everything you need to make minor gelcoat repairs. Includes one ounce. premium gelcoat paste, six coloring agents, special release paper, hardener, mixing sticks, a blending chart, and instructions. Cures glass-hard in one hour. Permanently repairs nicks, gouges, and scratches in gelcoat.
Formulation: Polyester gelcoat paste and inert coloring agents
Includes brown, black, white, red, yellow, blue coloring agents, one ounce gelcoat paste, catalyst, mixing sticks
Drying: One hour
(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z117/katswal/gelcoat_zpsa6abc6a1.jpg) (http://s190.photobucket.com/user/katswal/media/gelcoat_zpsa6abc6a1.jpg.html)
Don Ward's reply:
hell yeah Ton you nailed it down fast thats it evercoat.I use the colors and or sometimes the no resin but I also will mix the colors with smooth-on epoxy either will work but I kind of like the S-O a little better.You could also go to an art store and get those colors in a dry powder form which works well too.....but they cost around 12.00-15.00 per color little spendie unless you got a lot of holes to fill you da man this week bro thank you for posting the kit info you rock dude bd
Thanks for the information guys.
Also, I am looking for a set of Grayling white or green tip take down limbs in 60 lbs if any one has a set please PM me. Thanks.
I couldn't resist, I lowered and added a radius to the shelf. What do ya think.
Also, what size bolt is the stabilizer insert? Thanks.
(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc4/highlife6/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps52f1973e.jpg) (http://s219.photobucket.com/user/highlife6/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps52f1973e.jpg.html)
I like the shelf work, pm sent
What is the point in adding more radius to the shelf? How could it possibly make a feathered arrow shoot any better? If you are just looking for less contact with a full shelf couldn't you just place a small piece of a wood or paper match under the rest or use a shorter piece of carpet on the shelf? It does look nice though.
A radius shelf promotes a cleaner release, simple as that. Why do you think they used feathered rests placed above the flat shelf? This bow had one of those funky plastic arrow holders on it when I picked it up. Both of those devices raised the arrow shaft up off the riser almost 3/8". On Fred's personal bows the shelves were lowered to shoot off his knuckle and had a more extreme radius.
If the shelf is flat and all you put under your rug is a match stick to raise the arrow that is not enough fletching clearance for me.
The other reason is simply cosmetic, I think it enhances the overall appearance.
Interesting comments.I often wondered why Bear Archery (grayling years) tested shot then produced thousands of bows with non radius shelves thinking there was no real advantage in arrow travel. Also same for early Redwing Hunter. I have a current B riser (Gainesville) with pretty much a flat 2.5" shelf using Rose Oak limbs and she shoots like a dart.
That sure is a nice green stripe riser I have a green stripe s/n B3331 I always thought was 82 so they are pretty close.
Regards.
I have a very similar green stripe bow I bought new in '82 s/n B-4240 that I still shoot regularly, though I still use a plastic arrow rest mounted above the shelf... Has worked for thirty years, why change.
I've been having much better arrow flight on my green-stripe since I put on a feather rest (interestingly there are some listings on the extremely big auctiony sites for a couple of Bear originals presently).
Lifts off at the ends though --- should have curled and formed the leather around a dowel first --- the shelf isn't as flat as it seems.
I have#3010. Not sure if it's 81 or 82 I also have #6333 which I do not know the year on.
Like what you did to the shelf, nice work. I have a green striper, B-6892 and have no idea what year this bow was made but would like to know? IJ
Highlife- I too have a green stripe from the 80's, had it since last year. Interestingly it is serial #3558 and according to the gentleman I got it from he was the second owner and bought it off an older gentleman who had several takedowns that lived in Florida. According to him, the original owner bought it in 1984 straight from the Bear factory pro shop. Mine has a radiused shelf like you did and it is supposed to have come from the factory that way. Replaced the original limbs with Black Creek limbs before they went out of business. Been hunting with it since last year along with some razorheads. Still haven't taken anything with it but she sure shoots good. If you do a search on the Bear B takedown risers you will see that there is some difficulty pinpointing an exact manufacture date. Good luck with it.
ECoast Archer,I have mine 45.. Still wrapped in the original box with the shipping date Aug 1982,bought it from the original dealer. It has the rubber Weather rest,the first years of the Green Stripe had the radiused shelf like Fred loved.
Cacciatore
Thanks for the info, was only relating what I was told. The grip and low rest make it an awesome shooter. By the way is yours a righty as I know you are a lefty :D
Apologies if I am flogging this one but I have Magnum/Grizzly/Hunter/ all early Grayling Bows with flat shelves plus early Gainsville Greenstripe Kodiak B. If Radialised shelfs were so much of a advantage why were they not in use in the early and later production considering the testing Fred did and was noted for being a thorough Bow tester. So many years with flat shelfs.
I must be be missing something here.
Vince,I am sorry but it is of a lefty!
Thanks everyone for the insight and info. Sounds like some confusion about dating some of these early green stripers. I am still going with 1982 as a birth date for mine ... serial number B-3767. I just got an old Waltham WWII compass that I plan to install in the current medallions place on the riser. I have never liked the raised medallions on the newer bows. They look cheap and are just plastic push in replicas rather than a flush mounted coin. This compass is going to look awesome. I will post some pics once done.
Stormer and others ... food for thought, why do they put a radius shelf on current Bear bows and other custom bows today? My bow came with the plastic arrow holder glued above the shelf and that caused the arrow to be approx 1" above my bow hand. No thanks.
One datapoint. Back when the flat shelves were made Bear was selling feather rests.
I agree William, not only did Bear install feathered rests but this one came with the raised plastic arrow holder/rest installed from the factory.
And, like I stated earlier, Fred himself didn't shoot off a flat rest so I find it confusing that his production bows were made that way.
Bottom line, I just don't like the way my arrow releases from a flat shelf and I don't like the clunky appearance. So, I take matters into my own hands and have modified most of my vintage Bear bows as I like to shoot and hunt with all of them.
Personal preference I guess. :rolleyes:
I add my opinion regarding flat arrow shelves. Back in the '60's and '70's many people shooting bows back then (before compounds came along) used raised arrow rest and installed sights on their recurves. back then, I don't recall seeing as many people shooting from the shelf, as they do today. I think the flat shelf was a 'holdover' from those days and not many people really cared about a radiused shelf. I bought a Bear Green Stripe in '84: unfortunately we didn't get along. Today I shoot one of the new Bubinga models and couldn't be happier.
Thats a good point Jeff W ... flat shelf with the intent of shooting off an elevated rest. That makes most sense to me as to why they built them like they did.
Its interesting to note that Fred stuck with his old tried and true method (radius shelf and shot off his knuckle) but was all about developing new high tech changes year after year. Maybe that is why his company is still alive and thriving today when most other archery companies (other than Easton and Black Widow) no longer exist from the 1950's and on.
As for the rest/shelf. Fred was old school, where the arrow rest on the knuckle, because longbows were first made without a rest, then a tab was added and eventually some started to cut into the bow a small shelf.
Being old school, it was much easier to continue to shoot that way, why change? But the public liked the elevated rest, because they didn't like having the finger cut by rough quills on the feather. Many did not bother to grind the feather smooth on the shaft. The early Bear bows 1954-56 came out with slightly elevated rests. People like it for shooting. It became popular, but not necessarily better. Longbow shoots still shoot with the lower rest. It is like pointing your finger at the target, more natural than with an elevated rest.
Shooting like Fred did was like point your finger at the spot you wanted to hit. I like it better and shot that way for years.
Sent a PM on the limbs.
I had to share a pic of this old bow that I have in my collection. I dont know the maker but its an older one for sure. If anyone has some insight to the origins of this bow, please share them here. Thanks.
Anyway, the back of the bow is laminated with an open weave fiber glass and the belly is micarta but whats interesting, is the beautiful dished grip and radius-ed shelf work, all original. The grip on this bow fits like a glove, perfect hand placement every time you grab the bow. Its a recurve and has the most comfortable hour glassed grip and the smoothest release of any bow I own, vintage or modern! The shelf on this bow looks great and just plain works!
So lets put it this way, the radius shelf has been around for a long, long time.
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Highlife
That looks like a St Charles Thunderbird?
Want to sell her?
No, not for sale, I love this bow, launches an arrow rather nicely? I will have to get with St Charles son to verify. Thanks for the lead.
Just wanted to share the progress on the mods to my Bear takedown. I got a hold of this Waltham compass on the big site and have removed the plastic medallion and recessed a hole into the riser to accommodate the compass. For those who are not familiar with this compass, this is what was handed out to all pilots during WW1 and WW2 to help navigate there way out behind enemy lines in case they went down. It was worn on their wrists like a watch.
(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc4/highlife6/waltham_zps45fcbb9e.jpg) (http://s219.photobucket.com/user/highlife6/media/waltham_zps45fcbb9e.jpg.html)
That picture looks odd for some reason ... oh well. Any suggestions on what to use to glue the compass down with? Considering vibration from each shot ... what would be best?
very cool,love the mods. I just shot my greenstriper today.
not sure about the glue....hot melt? i'm not a fan of it but might give some "impact resistance/dampening"
Hot melt.
highlife, nice job on the radius riser. Stormer, I agree. Fred always shot with a re-styled radius, but sold his bows with a higher, flatter rest. He must have had a reason.