This one has the nicest riser IMO I have seen on Kodiak TD. Picked it up in a trade with a fellow TGer recently and this one stuck. Thought I'd share some pics. B riser #1 limbs 50@28
(http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f311/vermonster13/bow002.jpg) (http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f311/vermonster13/bow001.jpg)
Very nice. Love those Custom Kodiak T-Ds
Have fun with it.
I've never seen one like that, all one color. Is it aftermarket? It's very nice.
Very nice, indeed. I like its understatedness.
No, that's from Bear. No stabilizer insert either. Has the side mount quiver inserts which I don't mind. I agree very simple elegance to the bow.
Welcome to the Bear t/d family! IMHO, that is the best hunting recurve out there!
Glad you like it.....Good luck...
Very nice..........Love the Kodiak T/Ds
Nice! When you decide to move that one give me a call ;) :biglaugh:
I almost did late last week. Changed the fast-flite string for a dacron and it is a totally different bow. Quiet and smooth. I might order a set of RER limbs to try on it.
OMG! I want it!!!! I have a B Riser that needs fixin', but I don't have limbs at all! Someone busted these ones...if you ever decide to pass it on...I want a shot! please...
Does ANYBODY got a set of #1's in 55lbs to sell????huh?
Sweet!! Congrats!!
Cool looking riser,VA bowbender is correct or let me refraze that...He may have never see one like that.I may be off on the date,but I am pretty certin that V13's was one of the first interductions of the new T/D around 1995 or so. And may have been built for some archery shop....(NOT 3Rivers) Those are a bit scarce VA B..I have only seen 3-4 others like that.Pretty cool riser and scarce to say the least,again not possitive but I think there were only around 150-300 or so of them made....again I will have to double check...Darn cool bow...bowdoc
That bow is from the mid 90's. The year bear went back to the current brown/grey maple riser with fast flight limbs. For a couple of years they offered what they called the "Fred Bear Takedown Hunter" with a laminated hardwood handle. I had one that I sold a few years ago, It has blond maple limb cores and sold for a couple hundred dollars less than the current takedown.
Actually the limbs that came with it are the same Fast Flite limbs on the 3 Rivers version. Stik Chunker who I got it from said this is how it came in the box and he was the original buyer.
Oh yes the limbs are the same as all the newer ones..with black and white tip overlays ?? FF safe..The only difference was Bear changed back to the two tone risers after a short run of your type risers...But yes your limbs are the same as all the new ones.Whenever Bear Archery stopped produceing the green stripe gray colored riser with green limb tip overlays.I believe is around the time your bow came out on the market...bowdoc
(http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e173/Yellowdog3822/P3220358.jpg)
Yes, the limbs that came with the "Fred Bear Takedown Hunter" model are fast flight limbs, but as you can see in your pic of the bow that the maple limb cores are blond. Those blond cored maple limbs for FF only came with the Hunter model. This is pic of a limb that came with the "Fred Bear Takedown" model. The limb cores are dark grey maple. Both bows were listed in the Bear catalog in the mid 90's. After a few years the "Hunter" model was discontinued.
Mike
Here is a pic of the Bear Hunter Take Down from the 1990's....It has bolt on limbs,not the Bear socket and yoke system...It was a bit cheeper as was the magnesium alloy handle BearCat of the same year....they used bolt on limbs to save money...bowdoc (http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii175/bowdocsarchery/bh001.jpg)
There is no serial number visible on the riser when the bow is strung. The limbs do say Fred Bear Takedown on the top limb. It is the latch system and does have blond maple cores in the limbs, the tips and butts are identical to the 3 Rivers Custom Kodiak.
Yes V13 yours is the higher end model.More expensive with latches and sockets.The pic I added is the lesser expensive Bear Hunter take down from the 1996 Bear catalog.It used the bolt on limbs and sold for 399.99...Your bow I believe was around 750.00 new and are 999.00 today....bowdoc
I've seen the several of the Hunters. They're not bad bows, but the latch takedown and riser on this is so much nicer. like I said before, this riser to me is much prettier then the ones they do now. The pics make it look darker than it actually is.
I'am sorry I did have the dates wrong.That bow was interduced in 1997 not 1995 as I mentioned earlier.There may have been a few earlier...It was also gone by 1998 meaning they did only make it one year 1997...it was less expensive model of the two tone riser model.....It sold for 750.00 and the two tone was around 900.00...I personaly like yours much better and only being made that one year makes it even better...Here is a pic of the 1997 catalog with both bows listed,and new for 1997......bowdoc (http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii175/bowdocsarchery/fbtd001.jpg)
Thanks for posting that Bowdoc. Pretty cool. I like it being called a Fred Bear TD too.
I had 2 Bear Hunter TD's and didn't care for either of them personally. The Bear Kodiak TD looks like a quality bow. Most of my Bear experiance comes from vintage bows (Kodiak Mag's, Super and regular Kodiaks and such). The one that has really caught my eye is the supreme TD. I have never had the chance to shoot a Bear TD. How do they compair to, say, the 60's era Kodiaks? I recently picked up a 64 Kodiak and it is indeed a sweet/fast shooting bow.
JL
I like the way this one shoots even better than the 68 Super K I had. Very smooth and quiet with the flemish dacron string. Fairly quick.
No probemo V13...I really do love to dig in the catalogs to find certin bows sometimes..It's like treasure hunting...Trust me thats a rare model you got no matter what the price....Oh boy JL without wanting to get myself sued here....those hunters suck to say the least and do not even come close to the real bear take downs..I do have several T/D's I love....Of cousre you know we must go head to head on them 1964's at somepoint,you and I....I love those 1964 Kodiaks...But without getting into a 50 page post as to why I like Bear T'D's I will say this...By far without a dout the best inovataion ever in any take down....Never has been and never will be improved on the best of the best for me.Now I will start the 50 pages on the mags first...any length and weight for two reasons...bow quivers and fishing reel,stabilizers not a problem for 3,4 and 5 reasons,3 different grips for 6,7,and 8...No drilling needed....Oh you don't have the proper spined arrows....adjust the button for stiffer or softer spine....Should we go on....just kidding guy's...Ya gotta love em huh????? bowdoc
I think it was the best takedown ever made. Sure fits me to a tee 8^).
Cool looking riser! Congrats on that deal :thumbsup:
Quoteposted by vermonster13:
There is no serial number visible on the riser when the bow is strung.
???
I can almost read it from the picture you posted. In gold ink on the left side ...
I would be interested in the actual serial number and if there is a difference between the two styles in the lettering. Since long I try to figure out the exact date when mine was made. It is a two tone riser, as seen in the pic posted by bowdoc. My serial reads "TDH-265".
Have to forgive me Falk. I had surgery on Tuesday and the Meds are rough on my brain at times. lol
The serial # is TDHN-153(maybe TDNN, very hard to make the gold ink out against the riser)
:D oh, no problem David! I think I know how you might feel - as I am just now recovering from 4 days in a row with pretty high fever :help: no drugs needed to melt a brain - arrrgh :(
When I read my TDH-serial as 'take down handle' then I think TDHN fits better. No idea what the 'N' stands for, but the different riser types are obviously labled differently. Thats something I'll write down in my notes - thanks!
Does yours also have the flush gold medallion low above the grip?
Hope you will be better soon!
Falk
Can someone explain to me or maybe show me some pics how this t/d system works? I've seen the bows before, but honestly never paid any attention to them. Is it a durable system? I was just looking at the repair kit in 3 river's catalog with the little springs and stuff, and was curious about the system. Thanks...Mike
Yes it has the Gold Medallion.
Very nice Dave. Do you still have the TD I shot in Nov?
Really a good lookin' bow, Dave.
Congrats Dave
The late Paul Schaefer told me the Bear TD system was the best made. He also said he would duplicate the latches but manufacturing them was cost prohibative. At the time he made limbs to fit the Bear TD in addition to his own line of bows.
Bigsow you are correct,Paul made limbs and couple risers.He did think that was the best T/D system ever..I sold two risers several years ago Paul built....He removed latches from Bear t/d's and rebuilt the riser to his own disigned with checkering in the grip....I also know at one point Bear Archery contacted Paul and he had to stop advertiseing selling Bear limbs...bowdoc
Mooseman.. The 3 Rivers repair kits are normally sold to guys who own 30 year old bows and took something apart they shouldn't have.. Only thing I have ever seen fail is some of the later hooks.. Early ones were die cast, and pretty bullet proof if not abused. I think some of the late "Victor" models were plastic
Mooseman...the limb is actually held under the butt end of the yoke and latch system, and the lower end is positioned by a pin in the yoke. It is very solid and comes apart very quickly by opening the latch and pulling the limb out.
Love the riser vermonster! Nice looking bow.
Congrats!
Now I need to find an A riser. Let one go to a friend earlier this year and am now kicking myself over it. The Bear Custom Kodiak TD had my favorite recurve grip. Just fits me so well.
Thanks Earl and George, I'll definitely be sure to actually look at the next one I see...Mike
Hi Mike I would be happy to load a couple pics of the Freds T/D system...Here are two of my T/D's that are used daily...A-mag 48# 56" and a B-mag 48# 62"...I will get them taken down this morning and show pics of the sockets yokes and latches (http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii175/bowdocsarchery/td1001.jpg)
Had to get the heater going in my shop,and grabed one more riser for pics..Mike the riser at the bottom of the pic has the yoke and latch as well as the latch hook removed.The latch was only there to keep the limbs from flying off the risers if the string broke..The limbs are wedged under the lip of the casting in the riser itself...The latch it's yoke and hook had nothing to do with holding the bow together unless the string breaks...I actually used the bottom one to shoot a 3D last spring,with no latches or yokes....bowdoc (http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii175/bowdocsarchery/td2001.jpg)
Thanks bowdoc. That is a very interesting system. I like the fact that you don't need any tools to take your bow down. Are the newer bows as durable as the older ones? Thanks again...Mike
Yes I believe they are...Bear Archery never changed anything but the type of wood used in the risers.The sockets yokes and latchs are still the same....same repair kit from #R's will work on any year bear t/d...And of course the limbs were changed to FF safe...bowdoc
The finish on the latches of the newer bows is different than what's on the older bows. The metal doesn't seem the same either.
Yes the new ones came in that baked on crackle epoxy or a powder coating type finish.And for a short time (1995-1996 maybe)I believe they were haveing the sockets and latches parkerized...again do to cost that did not last long...The 1970's were fab.from steel with a hot gun bluing finish.And then they were casted in one peace later on...But all the latches yokes and latch hooks will interchange.....bowdoc
That is a nice looking handle vermonster. I have always thought like you the T/D has the best fit grip for me. I have a "97" model and the grip fits me better than the older green handle. I have an old super K (1972) and recently acquired a "B" mag. handle. The grips are almost the same, a little narrower than the newer bow.
I have had no problems using the limbs from 3 rivers on any of the risers. I have 3 sets all tolled. I did read where the alingment pin may need to be removed to get limbs to seat. Wish we could get metal handle made from 7075 alum. and modernized a little.
Nice looking bow Dave. When are the RER limbs going to be enroute :knothead:
Good luck with the Turkeys!