I'm curious. Just curious. Which custom bow manufacturer is regarded as making the most expensive traditional bow? Not the fastest. Not the prettiest. Not the smoothest, but the most expensive. And what makes this bow so costly relative to all the other custom bow manufacturers?
Black Widow and O.L. Adcock are the two that come to the front of my mind. I suspect that the main reason for the price is that people are willing to pay that price for a bow;)
Check out the price of a Habu Carbon/IKAHN. $1750, priciest I've seen...Mike
My Fedora was considerably more than my ACSs were.
Zipper Elk Riser bow maybe. Possibly Border.
There's also a guy in Germany that does some expensive work, his name escapes me though.
It will be my first time making a bow but I'll charge you more any else :biglaugh:
In a free market such as ours, ALL prices are what people are willing to pay for an item, regardless of the product or who makes it.
Saw a real looker on freebay about 2 weeks back.Opening bid 4,000.00 No kidding,can't even remember the guy's name sorry...only one I ever saw top that was the rare Fred Bear gold latch signature take down 3,000-5,000 but thats collecter value.Not manufactured any more.At any rate one speeeendie recurve,bowdoc
One of Howard Hill's movie bows sold for almost $9000 not to long ago. But for new bows the Habus are rather pricey.
Rob his name is Rudi Weick.
and Rob, I'll bet the Mammoth bow will be up there, you ready yet??
It depends how many options ya want on your bow???? Exotic woods , core woods , artistic designs in riser make-up, antler , moose tips, carbon , there are a bunch that can get pricicy...then there are some production bows that are expensive in my opinon , for what ya get!!
Throw money at a bowyer and see how much he will accept!
Seriously, My Dad,Ed Scott of Owl Bows will build you a Sinew-backed Sheephorn bow for somewhere between $2200 and $3000-It'll take a couple of years and he might even gross $10 or $12 per hour spent on it.
the guy from Germany is called Mr. Stegmeyer or it can be Rudi Weick,too, but his base prices are high but still ok. If you want to beef up your bow, we speak of serious $$$,especially with the low dollar to Euro rate we currently have.
Any of the high end bows are getting up there. The more options the priceier. My Blacktail was over $1200 with a year wait,my Shawnee was over $1400. In my opinion, you get what ya pay for. Yes there are cheaper custom bows, but not up to my standards.
Danny
ACS, Widow, Habu, The Bear Kodiak Supreme in the 3 Rivers Catalog is 1299.00. Yall just think of them like this: a CAR ,well you'll have to put fuel in it, oil in it, antifreeze in it. It will probably let you down before you get it paid for. You have to buy it new shoes. OH my Gosh lets don't use that one! A WOMAN : You'll have to feed her , cloth her, buy make up to change her appearance, by her a new car , &#*&*%#*%# OH crap wait a minute, that's not a good one either. A poor old bow from an ARTIST, made just like you want it, you don't have to feed it,you can buy it one robe and one string bikini, maybe just maybe a facelift after 10 yrs. of hard hunting. As long as you take care of it , it will never let you down and you'll have a friend for life. I can't say that about that last one!
A bowyer in Canada Yumi bows builds a true horn bow for $3000 and that was many years ago for that price.I think it takes 3 years from start to finish for a horn bow.
Sqirrel Bait, you hit the nail on the head. And you can safely hold on to more than one at the same time. I don't have the $'s for the exra fancy ones I've seen but it doesn't keep me from admiring them. And that goes for the bows to.
And the difference between a BW and Habu is?
Basically the difference is the same as the comparison between any other forward limb mounted bows.
That is to say, as much as bow designs differ from bowyer to bowyer, they're still 90% similar to one another.
You can buy Tom Lucas' Shoshone/Sheepeater replica for 5 grand, or thereabouts
http://www.tomlucas.us/index.php?site_id=48&id_sub=9302&page_id=7244&productgallery_id=1
Most expensive bows I've ever seen sold were ones where the bowyer never got a dime.
How can that be you ask?
Well he isn't with us any more but (dang it, the name just went right out of my head and I can't remember it) anyway, the guy from Illinois who made the Choctaw with the (Ah ha! just came back to me Jerry Pierce) Pierce points never sold a bow but his bows donated to various state bowhunting orgs for auction or raffles sold for thousands. I saw one of the last get auctioned off at the UBM banquet one year and I think it went well over $4,000.
His Pierce points are now being copied but to me, they've never been equaled as a total bow design package.
I've helped Jack Harrison make bows, just the slug work, over the last few years before he sold to Fisk and I'll tell you this, most of you wouldn't work for the money they make per hour. That said, just the Dall Sheep horn on my last bow was $150 for the horn and that didn't include the hours to cut (has to be cut w/drill) and flatten it for use. It also has rattlesnake skins and is priceless to me.
A while back I received a new bow from a bowyer. I strung it up and gave it a draw to see how it felt. It exploded in my face bloodying my forhead some. Could have put an eye out. That would have been a very expensive bow.
Who makes the most expensive bow? I do! If you need to ask the price of one of my boo-backed osage Plain Jane longbows ... you can't afford it. Because I make so few, they are worth more. And no guarantee, of course.
Its gotta be Zipper cause I wouldnt sell mine for a million.
i bought a bow from a local custom builder a couple of years ago and it was not but $450 but i had that much again in gas tring to get it fixed. so is a widow or others that expensive?
Morrisons with veneers are the most expensive I have looked at so far.
The difference between the Habu and the BW is that the Habu is faster, quieter, prettier, and built by a bowyer and not a CNC.
If the sheepeater bow is an authentic replica; and it costs over 5000 dollars; I have to wonder how much the indians paid for one? I know there just had to be indians as incompetent as I am- and their had to be indians that made bows for them.
things that make me keep me curious....
:rolleyes:
20 Ponies and your daughter Brian. A simple exchange of property.
Dave Bulla,
The gentleman you're thinking of was Jerry Pierce.
Greetings BD! Surely you'd agree that "prettier" is in the eye of the beholder? Or perhaps you're just fishing to catch an unsuspecting BW enthusiast such as myself! Cheers, blessings, and good hunting to you! BK
I agree with Dave Bulla. Jerry Pierce didn't intend for them to be expensive...in fact, he didnt sell bows but gave them away.
But his craftsmanship is so on its own level, and the spirit behind his bows makes them today the most expensive bows out there.
On the other hand, I build bows that cost 10,000 dollars. Would you like one?
Ray? I think you must use the same bow-form as me! Mine are $10,000 too! :D
Ray and Rob did you two get my new price list in the mail as yet? You will wanta be setting down for sure.......bowdoc
Seems there are a lot of $10,000 bows out there.My first one cost about that, sure not worth it though. Unless you count the satifaction of getting your first deer with it ,then its priceless!!!! Bob
Three weeks ago, I sold my Bear Signature (one of 13 Left Hand ones made) for $5K not including shipping! I didn't even have it up for sale...new owner found me and asked what it would take to buy it. Doc
Soooo..., The next question in line might be, WHY are bows, in general, so expensive? After all, they are mostly just wood and glass.
One of the obvious answers has been pointed out in this thread, the craftsmanship of the bowyer. It's hard to place an hourly rate on art work isn't it? Aside from that, there are other things that nobody has mentioned. Here are some things that I contend with as a bowyer and I think all bowyers have to contend with similar things.
I am in the process of finishing a new shop at a cost of around 100 K not including machinery but I'll bet I've spent at least 15 K for tools over the years. Materials are an ongoing expense and their cost keeps rising.
I'm also in the process of getting commercial insurance for the shop and for finished product liability. Our type of finished products require different insurance than what a cabinet maker needs and costs about 3 to 4 times as much. I'll be spending around 2K PER YEAR on it and have found that that is consider cheap for this kind of insurance.
Recently,I got a patent on my "Bow Bolt" after three years in the process. I've spent over $6K for that, not to mention the R&D and the manufacturing costs. I sell those little things for $79 each and a lot of people think they are expensive (I must really love this Trad archery stuff.)
Advertising will be next. Those full page ads that Black Widow, Horne, Robertson, and others have in the magazines aren't cheap. Probably in the neighborhood of 3K each.
The point is that you've got to be able to make a whole lot of bows at a low price or a few at a high price in order to make any money in this business. Most bow companies are one or two man operations so "a lot of bows" is not possible.
I think most of us build bows because we love to and that is why so many bowyers make such great bows, not the money.
It has been said, "if you want to make a small fortune in the bow making business, you need to start with a big one."
Craig
hey I can make you a a fully custom osage bow stained entirely with my own blood for the minimal price of only $12,000
Perhaps I'm way, way out of the loop, but are we saying that a Fred Bear Limited Edition Signature Bow in new condition is currently selling for +/- $5,000???
O.k. then, if anyone with a FBLESB is looking for a ultra quick - no, a speed-of-light quick - $5K, shoot me a pm.
Labs thats about right 4,000.00 6,000.00 left or right hand...LH are a bit harder to come by...bowdoc
Craig Warren, very well said.There are many hidden costs etc etc. Just look at all the bowyers that go out of business and not because they build crappy bows. It is a tuff racket for sure.
Labs, You maybe thinking of the Bear signature series bows of a few years ago. The original signature was Fred's last project. These came in a walnut case, gold latches, with a ivory coin...some say from the ivory of his elephant. These bows sold for thousand back in the seventies. I'm sure bowdoc can fill in a lot of history on the bow.
You seem shocked even though you were the one originally asking! You can see the same differences in shotguns, fly rods, etc. They all work but some hand crafted items are favored by collectors or just an average guy who really wants something special to shoot, hunt or fish with...Doc
Shocked is an understatement.
I've got a Morrison Shawnee with Bob's new Dakota limbs you couldn't buy from ME with the GNP of most 3rd world countries....so I'd say the most expensive bow out there is the one you're in love with.
22 kt.gold plated hardware,east indian rosewood riser,and the limbs are clear fiberglass over yew wood cores,with a nice walnut display case,beautiful bow.I would like to add they shoot just like any other bow...but man are they ever sweet lookers,bowdoc
Labs, I can see by your avatar you also enjoy upland game. Have you ever seen a fine over & under or side by side shotgun...or perhaps a fine handmade bamboo rod? Just because someone decides to purchase such an item doesn't mean you or I need to buy the same to enjoy the sport. It is a personal thing that can add enjoyment to whatever your passion is. Enjoy what works for you but don't be shocked what others decide is best for them. Most of the items are made by very skilled craftsmen & craftswomen. They deserve to be paid what their skills can offer. You're the buyer so you decide what is best for you!
I would Not have posted on this topic if I thought it wasn't for the enjoyment of very special bows. JMHO...Doc
I'm sorry, if I'm reading labs' post wrong, but it seems to me what he is saying is that if anyone out there has one, and would be willing to sell it for 5 grand, he will jump all over it.
That means he thinks its worth more than that.
Im not trying to put words in his mouth, he can speak for himself...but that is what it appears he is saying to me...not that he thinks its crazy that someone would pay that much for one.
Bingo RH! I figured that most got it and that my post needed no further clarification. But thank you.
:thumbsup:
I just happen to have a used and somewhat, might be classified, inexpensive "Dan Quillian" Archery Traditions 50# Longbow that is a keeper. Put the highest priced bow you can find up against it with a shooter. And then and only then can we begin to start comparing cost vs. performance. I have pertier bows, but comparing $ to $, I haven't found a better one. Of course I'm hooked and still searching.
No Takers?
Labs I was on the phone all night looking with no luck,I don't think I missed anything.I been looking for two different models A & B early wood risers for a couple customers not quite as spendy.Figured,I was gonna keep an ear open for the sig bow anyhow.......did you say left or right hand or did I drink to darn much last night ??????? bowdoc
I went to college at Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan (which must have had considerably lower entrance requirements in the early '80s :jumper: ). On the outskirts of town was an old time archery shop that I used to enjoy hanging out in. It was called the Chippewa Archery Shop and was owned by the late Floyd Eccleston, also known for owning "The world's largest broadhead collection". If I remember correctly, Fred Bear had given Floyd one of his limited edition signature bows and it was on display in Floyd's shop. With the notable exception of Ron LaClair's Shop, I haven't visited an archery shop that could hold a candle to Floyd's since then. It was just an extra special place that helped light the fire for my appreciation of traditional bowhunting gear back in the heyday of compound bows when you couldn't find a traditional bow for sale to save your life.
And Bowdoc, right handed in new condition.
Wooooow,small world.I know a little about Floyd..of course in my line of work,you better.I've seen many pics of Floyd's broadhead collection,I beleave now owned by Wade PXXXXXXs,not to mention any names..The old Chippewa Shop must just be a mer shadow of what it once was...I've seen about 90% of Floyd's bow collection liquedated over the last 10-15 years...sad but true,right hand new condition it is.will keep maybe both ears open......should I look for Floyds old sig bow for ya???bowdoc
Labs, This getting old sometimes gets in the way. I seemed to have miss read your post by 180 degrees. Sorry for that :notworthy: Doc
Tippit,
According to my wife, I am the King of misunderstanding things. I must be, because according to her she is never wrong.
I figured you were just having a "Labs4me moment". It's a non-issue. Besides, us older guys need to stick together. :campfire:
you guys have THEM too???? I thought it was just ME!!!!
My brother Ray has that dreaded CRS ( CAN'T REMEMBER S*** ) syndrome.
Hey Labs4me, that looks like my dog in your avitar. How old is he? Did he come from central Maine by any chance? Mine is five now and a fantastic member of the family. I've had a little trouble getting him to understand that he wouldn't fit in my tree stand with me, but other than that he's a great hunting companion.
Craig
The highest priced bow is the one that you leave in the rack and never use !
Craig,
Too Funny- I can definitely relate. When I walk out the door wall with bow in hand to the deer woods behind our home, Huck, my yellow, will sit at the door wall and cry like a baby until I'm out of sight.
We bred Huck from a male black Lab that we raised from a pup. His name was HR Franklin's Dakota and we acquired him at 49 days of age from Franklin Kennels in Beverly Hills, MI. God gave me Dakota to teach me the meaning of patience. After that lesson turned much of my brown hair gray, God gave me Dakota's Tombstone Huckleberry (Huck) because he knew that another high-strung, hard-charging, stubborn as the devil Labrador would be more than my middle-age heart could endure.
Sounds like you might be owned by your Lab too. Ain't it great?
(http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj306/northernmichigan/kotasgeese.jpg)
Ya'all may want to read Terry's post on the class.add's this morning..seems someone is wanting to buy lots of different bow???????? bowdoc