Being relatively new to traditional archery I was wondering what used to be bow that everyone lusted after? I know that way back your options were pretty much limited to Bear, Wing, Browning, Martin and a few others.....but I think that there was an in between time when most companies starting making compounds and when names like Morrison, ACS, Habu, Blacktail, Centaur and Shrew did not exist yet. What was the "bow to have" 15-20 years ago? Were Bob Lee and Black Widow the biggest competitors back then, or were there others?
Thanks,
Jon
Bighorn, when G. Fred had it, Robertson Stykbow, Howard Hill, Heritage (Rocky Miller) were some that immediately come to mind.
21st Century
I have loved and always wanted another bowcraft.
Seems like since the early 60's it's been Black Widow. Others have had their spurts, but BW is still one of the best
In the early 80's when I got into trad, there were Assinheimer (sp), Chastain. Rocky Mountain Recurve and Bighorns. that I recall.
I believe in the early 80's if G Fred sold bighorn underwear we would have bought them. In 84 I felt I was 'the man' with my Bighorn TD.....Shick
My first custom bow was a Robertson "plain stick" longbow, let's say late '80s. Before that I always longed for Grayling era Bears, which I could never afford when they were on top; had to settle, in the early '60s, for a Pearson, also a good recurve, which was $40 rather than $70 for a Bear. My how times, and prices, have changed. And frankly, no matter how expensive custom bows are today, having built a lot of bows myself, I can't understand how the small operators can make a profit at it. Passion over profit is what runs true traditionalism. Dave
The poor folk back then, like me, lusted for the best production bow around, Damon Howatt bows. Still have 3 of 'em & shoot 'em from time to time. Still smooth & pretty quick even with dacron strings.
When I got into it in the early '90s Earl Hoyts "Sky" bows were very popular, and for a good reason!
Eric
when I was young, hunters wanted Bear bows, target shooters wanted the Hoyy pro medalest. Jack howerd bows got hot as did Harry Drakes bows. Then came widows, Robertson etc. etc. etc.....
well I have been only trad for a few years and since I started I always wanted a sheepeater and a morrison, now I have sheepeater on the way, so my next bow will be the morrison
I remember contacting rocky mountain recurve in the early eighties and about passing out when he told me the wait was a year and a half to two years! Real nice guy, told me he could put me into elk even after I told him I couldn't wait that long. I remember after continually seeing Barry Wensel with something called a silvertip I just had to get one. I think with a few options he was charging the ungodly sum of 400.00 or so I remember thinking I had to be crazy spending that much for a bow. Times change Greg
I think most people that had a Bear Kodiak were looked at as being well set - bow wise. :)
When I began to realize that bowhunting was serious business (early to mid 60's), it seemed to me that the Bear Kodiak was the bow to have...and then came the Super Kodiak.
All others were just bows, but the Kodiak was THE BOW.
We should pattern this because I think it Depended on were you lived.
Around here Black widows was the big dog but you always had factory bows like Bear,Browning,Hoyt,and Persons floating around at some shops(Very few) and at garage sales.
This will be fun to watch, Thanks Jon :) :thumbsup:
Tracy
I always wanted one of the Black Widow metal riser bows that looked similar to the present day TF model. I saw one two years ago at Jackson Ohio event, tried to buy it, but the guy would not sell. I thought that was the bow to end all bows!
Herter's Perfection Sitka with a brazilian rosewood handle.
Semper Fi,
Bow hunters were well satisfied w/ this:
http://www.archeryhistory.com/recurves/pics/bearkod62.jpg
Archery target shooters were well satisfied w/ this:
http://www.archeryhistory.com/recurves/pics/hoyt60.jpg
I wanted these:
http://www.archeryhistory.com/longbows/pics/artyoung.jpg
http://www.archeryhistory.com/longbows/pics/howardhill.jpg
And the single All-Time Best magazine advertisement of any bow manufacturer in the history of archery was this one from Bear Archery:
PARENTAL WARNING
(This Nude Bow Advertisement contains artistic material which may not be suitable for anyone under the age of 18)
http://www.archeryhistory.com/ads/pics/beararcheryad1.jpg
That pretty much sums it up. By the way, what is a Black Widow...is that a bow??
Daddy Bear
Daddy Bear,How did I miss THAT Bear Ad?? :thumbsup: :clapper:
In the 80's when/where I started. A Jim Brackenbury, Groves, and Kramer were the bows to have in the San Diego area.......
I think I may have dated that chick, Daddy Bear!
Back when I started, it was the Bear Kodiak then Super Kodiak. Still a pretty darn good choice...
As a young archer in the early 70's I positively lusted after one of the radical Pearson recurves. So did most of my buddies. I could never afford one so settled for a Shakespeare Sierra for which I paid the princely sum of $28.00!
I still have a 58" Wing Red Wing Hunter made in the 70's, that I bought used for $50.00 in the 80's. A great bow that is relegated to basement shooting & bowfishing. Every bit as beautiful and shootable as my primary bow, a 58" Lee TD Hunter of current manufacture. I sure wouldn't feel shortchanged if the Wing Hunter was the only bow I owned...
When I started in the early 50's all we had were Pearson hickory or lemon wood longbows then Bear fiberglass recurves came on the market and I cut lawns,caddied, odd jobs etc to get enough money $28(I think to buy a new Bear then it snowballed as each year newer models came out. To own a Kodiak was the ultimate high that I never reached in my teen years.
Growing up in the 50's the number one bow was the bear line.
But to make you think back in time for us older people I would have to say that for me it was when the Herter's book of hunting sale items would come. The book was kept in the bathroom with the Sears book so you could dream on what was new that year. I did get my first target bow from Herters, alsoa doz of there tan fiberglass arrows . I also got my first shotgun from Sears, still got it and now after 50 years it still works great, but has been pasted down to my grandson. In the 1970's in VA, I saw the first of the BW bows and did they shoot very well over most other brand of bows. Now today I think the best bows dollar for dollar are the checkmate line of bows....
Bill
Drake "Hunter Flite", Black Widow. Still have and use them.
With all the K-mags for sale from the late 60's and 70's I would say they were popular.Kip
I may have mmmmmissed the point of the question here. Back in the day (60's) there were the regular bows, Bear, Pearson, Hoyt and a few others all in the $40-$75 range, but the bow people lusted after was the Black Widows @ the unbelievable price of $125!!!
Dan Quillian had some great bows (recurves and longbows) in the late 80's early 90's
Got my first Trad deer with a borrowed Custom Kodiak TD and that was the one I always wanted then.
Depends on the time and the area. Around these parts, back in the 60's and early 70's, a Pounds was THE bow to have. They weren't cheap, but they were the benchmark--excellent bows. I believe Mr. Pounds would have been a common name in archery circles had he not passed way too soon. Higher end Bear and Herter's were pretty popular, plus lots of Pearson's, Shakespeare, Colt, Browning, etc.
Chad
In the 60s I dreamed of a Super Kodiak, when I fianally got it, I shot a 230 pound buck on a quick trot at 30 yards. However, compared to my Schulz longbows it seemed to clumsy. I have stopped dreaming about the perfect bow, and at this point I would like to thank someone called"sumbitch" for out bidding me, on screwbay, on a Bob Watson I don't know what got into me, dreaming about a different bow; my next bow is going to be a Hill blank, period.
got several rabbits back in the late 60s with my old red bear fiberglass,,my brother and i,tracking in the snow,,,good times missed but never forgotten,,,jeff
Mike Fedora has been building bows for over 40 years as his only job. I'd have to think his name in in the hat.
Steve
tHE BOW EVERYONE WANTED WAS ALWAYS, the next bow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
Whatever it was, I'm pretty sure I never had one! :knothead:
Jim Brakenberry!! mid to late 80's.. I called Jim on the phone on a thursday and ordered his Drifter ( still have it). I recieved my bow the next Tuesday days before Jim got my check!!! good ole days