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Main Boards => Trad History/Collecting => Topic started by: Lordswarrior on October 28, 2015, 09:02:00 AM

Title: bears with stamped handles?
Post by: Lordswarrior on October 28, 2015, 09:02:00 AM
i think i've seen a post on this same topic but can't remember where- i've recently picked up a polar and a kodiak that have a star stamped on / under the serial #.  was that done at the factory? were these bows that were returned and refinished or repaired? they are both in very good to excellent shape .
Title: Re: bears with stamped handles?
Post by: damascusdave on November 03, 2015, 11:16:00 AM
There seems to be quite a lot of speculation about what those extra stamps indicate but I am not sure that anyone has a definitive answer...sometimes a bit of mystery in the old bow realm is not such a bad thing...let us know though if either of these bows blows up at full draw so we can be more cautious about what we buy eh

DDave
Title: Re: bears with stamped handles?
Post by: Bjorn on November 04, 2015, 12:00:00 PM
The Bear salesman carried a stamping too in his kit. The stars are typically discounted bows and year end clearance.
The '2's you see on some bows are cosmetic blemishes or defects; I have bows with as many as three '2's. But the blemish or defect is not easy to determine, as it is cosmetic. The'2's were applied in the factory. Anybody have a bow with a star and '2's?
Title: Re: bears with stamped handles?
Post by: Dan Cressman on November 07, 2015, 08:44:00 AM
None with a 2 but I have an outstanding 62 Kodiak mag with a star. No repair, no damage, nothing. I am in the camp that it was stamped by a salesman and not returned for warranty work.
Title: Re: bears with stamped handles?
Post by: Babbling Bob on December 25, 2015, 11:56:00 AM
Have a '62 Kodiak with a star and there appears to be nothing wrong with it. One of the best I have seen or owned in regard to the grain of the Brzillian rosewood.
Title: Re: bears with stamped handles?
Post by: trubltrubl on December 25, 2015, 03:33:00 PM
what about the B stamp
Title: Re: bears with stamped handles?
Post by: warpedarrow on December 26, 2015, 10:50:00 PM
I can't even remember seeing a picture of a B stamp on a old bow.  Is this on a fairly new bow?
Title: Re: bears with stamped handles?
Post by: papabear08 on December 27, 2015, 04:20:00 AM
My son has a B on a 1970 type 1 T/D riser previously owned by a well known collector. You'd never know anything was amiss with it.
Title: Re: bears with stamped handles?
Post by: trubltrubl on December 28, 2015, 01:58:00 AM
B stamp on 1970 B riser..beautiful bow....not sure what it means..in very nice condition..I now have a few finish cracks that developed from hunidity change  but was just wondering what the B meant
Title: Re: bears with stamped handles?
Post by: jim g on December 28, 2015, 04:19:00 PM
I think I was told many years ago it was a blemished bow or a second by an employee of Bear Archery, I used to hang around the proshop and museum quite a bit, in fact Fred would sometimes work the proshop on Sunday mornings and would take us up and play any movie we wanted to see.
Neat experience.
Title: Re: bears with stamped handles?
Post by: trubltrubl on January 06, 2016, 02:34:00 AM
thanks..didn't see a blemish on it..but has developed a few cracks in the varnish from humidity change I think....as long as the thin cracks don't let in moisture I  will leave it...love the bow,,,can't miss with it and smooth...