Just like you all, I've strung and unstrung my ever increasing supply of bows more times than I can count. Had a strange thing happen last night. I have a lot of long recurves, so my bow stringer is on the long side. I was unstringing a 62" 63# bow, and after the upper bowstring loop was off the tip, the rubber piece on the stringer suddenly slid down the limb at lightning speed. Just like the bow was shot. Because I was pulling up on the bow to put tension on her, when this thing slid, the bow came up at me very fast. The damn limb tip caught me right under my left eye, because my face was over that way while reaching to pull the string loop off the tip.
Man, hurt like hell. Woke up this morning and the eye looks like a ripe eggplant. Another half inch and you would be calling me one eye.
Watch yourselves out there!
Had one end up strung backwards through the quiver, had a hard time unstringing , almost had to cut the string.
Glad to hear you're okay.
That's just one of the reasons why I leave my bows strung. Doesn't hurt a thing with glass laminated bows to leave them strung, hanging on two nails, horizontal, by the string. Also, I tend to shoot my bow more often when stored this way. I just grab it and go. :) :archer2:
Man...Glad everything is ok. Whew, that must have been close. Be safe.
I'm going to get some nails........
YEARS AGO I WAS STRINGING A RECURVE AND FAILED TO NOTICE THE LOOP WAS NOT PROPERLY SET IN THE GROOVE. WHEN I WENT TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE OFF THE STRINGER THAT RASCAL CAME UP AND BLOODIED MY LIP AND GUM. ALMOST LOST TWO TEETH. LOTS OF STORED ENERGY IN THOSE LIMBS!
I try to get my head out of line with the limb when stringing and unstringing. As for leaving bows strung how can you leave 20 bows stung? I shoot most of them during the year and they are all from the 50s and 60s. No way am I going to leave these old classics strung.
My wife's uncle was killed stringing a bow using the step through method.
That in and of itself was sad enough but to make matters worse, his grand kids were right there with him and saw it all happen.
They had found the old bow in the basement and wanted to shoot it but didn't have any arrows so they all loaded up and went to the local archery shop and picked some up.
All the attention was on grandpa as he started stringing the bow. I can't say I know for certain what happened or how but the tip of the bow caught him near his eye breaking a bone and pushing a sliver of it back into his brain. They said he died instantly.
A horrible accident that didn't have to happen.
Please be careful!
God bless,Mudd
...goosebumps....
Very sad story.
Thank you for telling it as maybe you can help to keep this story more unique.
:(
!!Be careful out there!!
John Schultz's brother was blinded in one eye exactly the same way. Have had my rubber stop stringer do the same thing. Don't use it anymore. Make my own stringers sturdy & sure w/leather pouches.
Friend of mine almost lost an eye the other year when his stringer slipped and he took the recurve tip into his eye! Gruesome.
Mudd, that has to be the saddest story I've ever heard... :(
Had an uncle pluck out his eye using the cross leg method years ago............
Just curious, but how in the world can a "step through or cross leg" method put your face in line with a bow tip? I can see the push/pull method and certainly the bow-stringer if you aren't careful---but the step through?
I am just trying to visulaize how something like the "grandpa" incident could happen.
Joe
Yikes! I didn't learn until I moved from the recurve to the commpound in 1975 that the step-through method was fraught with danger. I've learned that since. I had no idea people could be hurt using a stringer correctly! I have many different styles of stringers, many of the custom bows come with them. I like the leather pouches because they are secure WHEN THEY FIT and for me, they provide more leverage. So many of the leather pouches though are too small or too deep and I can't access the string loop to remove it eaisly. The ones with rubber or leather straps that go below the limb tip give great access but effectively shorten the amount of leverage I have and frankly, stringing and unstringing some of my bows is the most difficult thing (exertion-wise and nerves) I do in archery. I leave 2-3 bows that I'm likly to shoot strung. Others, if I'm not shooting them, I store unstrung. Even the Widow folks say they've left bows strung for decades with no harm.
I think the last different stringer I used was sent with a loaner from schafer. It had a leather strap instead of rubber one. It seemed to work pretty well.
No, the leather strap one came with Tim Strickland's "The Stick" recurve.
Using two feet on your stringer may give you a better angle.
You are right, I had one foot on the stringer because I was in a hurry and slipped a boot on one foot. I got lucky compared to these guys.
About twenty years ago I was stringing a 56" 55# Bear Black Panther using the push-pull method, and my upper hand slipped off of the limb, which then gave me a solid whack on the forehead. I bought a stringer shortly after.
Back in the mid 60's I bought a very short high poundage Pearson full recurve. I could not string it so I put it across a chair and sat on the riser, pulled the tips with both hands while my wife put the string on. She didn't get the string in both groves. I noticed it while drawing the bow and instantly the limb twisted and knocked the **** out of my head and the bow strung its self backwards. Believe me I always check the string groves before I ever draw a bow now.
I totally messed up my recurve doing that same thing just prior to my elk hunt this year. Now every time I string any bow I wence...glad you are ok!
I put two feet in the stringer to shorten it. Recommendations are to start witht the bow at or slightly below knee level. I typically have to shorten my bowstringer by tying a knot in it -- boy once I do that the knot is a permanent part of the stringer!
I have had this happen but with no injury. I learned to move the step point slighlty closer to the tip where the string is being placed. This changes the angle and the limbs are now canted and not parallel to the floor. It still occasionally slips, but with no bad ending.
I also moisten the leather pad slightly to create better grip.
You guys are scarring me ! I need to check out the leather pocket stringers.
Dan
glad your ok,steve
I ment to add to my last post that I'm glad your ok, I guess I cannot delete that duplicate posting.
Friend of mine using the push pull method to unstring his bow, had his hand slip off the top limb. tip of the limb whacked him in the corner of his right eye and almost nocked him out. This was in the dark,he was in a hurry. be careful guys. Its just not worth it.
I was unstringing a recurve with the lower limb on my right foot, pulling with my right hand and pushing the upper limb with my left hand. Left hand slipped off and the upper limb hit me up side of the head and knocked me out colder than a wedge. Very lucky to say the least. Bought a stringer....still very careful.
Jerry
As far as I am concerned whoever invented the push and pull didn't care much for his life. When stringing with a stringer Bud has it right. Step to the side you are putting the string on. also always, Always keep your hand over the limb of the bow. If the back tip has a side that is not in the grooves unstring, resed and restring with the stringer. Never ever try to put the string into the groove. I learned the hardway that you can lose a finger or break the bow. I was lucky . I still have my finger. The bow broke. God Bless you all and be safe. Stringing is the most dangerous to you and the bow . thing that archers do in my opinion. Steve
I need to pick up some stingers. I use the step through method and had the string not lined up all the way one time and pow, one second I was working on my form and a few seconds later I was cleaning up blood.
Careful everyone.
As previously mentionedby RkyMtnJoe; I also can't understand how the "step through method" is dangerous to anything aside from the bow, provided your head is turned away and you utilize proper form. Although I keep a stringer handy now and use it 90% of the time, I have used the step-through method for over 30 years, and NEVER had an issue. I still do use this on occassion. It was taught in archery classes across the US (including mine in High school, early 80's), and by some big Archery companies. Now with the "push / pull" method, now THAT method, I can see being dangerous. But the step through method, done with good form, under strict control of the torso / back / arm muscles, is safe to both bow and shooter. And after reading the aforementioned issues with stringers, I'm considering thowing mine out and going back to what has always worked for me...the step through method.
QuoteOriginally posted by ishoot4thrills:
Glad to hear you're okay.
That's just one of the reasons why I leave my bows strung. Doesn't hurt a thing with glass laminated bows to leave them strung, hanging on two nails, horizontal, by the string. Also, I tend to shoot my bow more often when stored this way. I just grab it and go. :) :archer2:
Actually there was a bit of unofficial "research" done on this by a large retail chain that sold archery equipment. Some bows were unquestionably left strung for over a year and maintained weight (albeit some string stretch on certain Dacron strings) but generally NO harm was found in leaving them in that condition.
This MAY not be true with long-bows especially if un-laminated.
However in so far as re-curves are concerned (even take downs) I would concur that it may actually prevent limb twist especially if the stringing were done in the field and attention were not paid to the twisting of the string. I personally would leave a bow that had a straightened limb left strung as it may help maintain the straightness of the laminate.
There MAY be some information on this back in the 1990's from PSE which did a great deal of testing. It was found by one individual at PSE that backing off a bit on the limbs was the best method of storage but when tested w/ FastFlight, fully tightened bows showed NO signs of problems for over 3 years. {NOTE: this was in the days of a much more simple design.]
Thank God it was just a tap on the side of the head Dave. I mean that really.........thank God!!
I got a double lesson real fast. I was stringing up a new to me bow with the string that came with it when the rubber piece on my string slipped. The limb tip came forward and caused my week old glasses to shoot across the room. I still have a dent in the bridge of my nose. The old string that came with the bow had lost every twist in the end that hit me. I now get a new string for every used bow and I always use my double pocket web stringer.
I am happy to hear you were not more seriously injured and I hope you get better soon.
I had the same kind of think happen with a stringer with the rubber part the sets on the limbs. Didn't get hurt, but it was close. The rubber thing put streaks on my limb. That was the first time using that type of stringer. It went back to the store, and I have been using the pocket type since then with no problems. I have a BW stringer and another similar one. A webster is in my future when I order more stuff.
For whatever reason, my biggest problems stringing has happened with very narrow limbed and narrow tipped recurves. I prefer the soft leather cupped stringers, with the connection to those cups at least 3-4" below the tip. If they're closer it's much harder to slide the string in the groves. I.M.O.
David,
Wow! Glad that you're okay. Good post as to how quick unfortunate things can happen.
I've got to think the death was a result of the push-pull method instead of the step-thru.I was stringing my Kodiak recurve with a stringer that had a rubber cup on one end.The cup came apart and the bow flew across the room,no harm no foul.I now use a stringer with a leather cup and inspect it before use.
All these comments show that any method is only as safe as the operator. Put your block head in the way of any of them an it can get hit.
Also, NEVER use the push pull for a recurve.
Keep your head out of the line of fire and it will never get hit. I've been using the push pull for long bows and the step through for recurves for 45 years and never got hit after that first time when I was a teenager and used the push pull for a recurve.
Like echoed before here...
LEAVE THEM STRUNG!!!
Jim in Maine, my head isn't THAT blockish. Ha, just kidding, it is.
It was a stupid move, hope everybody thinks twice now.Worse than taking my eye out...I might have damaged my bow!
Shoot well gentlemen!
i used to unstring my bow like fred bear did, until after a night of bowfishing i tried to do it and my hand slipped. the limb came flying back and popped me in the bridge of the nose. broke my nose and gave me a monster gash. plus i bled like a stuck hog.
good to hear your ok. and yeah, be careful
Don't mean to steal your thread but I went to two eye specialists today. Last night I was using the push method with my instep that I had done for 30 years and wham. The nock hit my eyebrow, lid, and then smashed the lower part of my nose. Very ugly this morning but the Docs say I will have full vision back. Glad you are OK. I feel really stupid this morning.
I was just able to start reading again a few minutes ago and couldn't believe this thread, had to comment, strange. At least you were using a stringer, I should have known better.
Phil