What do you look for the most when you consider buying a new custom bow? Price, beauty, most popular, tradition etc. Your comments please!
How it fits my hand. Fit and finish. Gorgeous wood.
How it feels in the hand, and how it performs. Everthing else is icing on the cake. Not to mention, I have yet to see an ugly traditional bow. I'm very "Frugal" except when it comes my hunting equipment.
2x Clay's.
Love at first sight.
And the feel in the hand.
Fit, Function, Form....in that order.
As I get deeper and deeper into the trad game, I'm realizing what suits me the best. I can shoot a lot of bows, but there have only been one or two that felt awesome.
I like a grip that fits my hand, a light bow, a quiet, quick bow, and lastly one that looks cool.
QuoteOriginally posted by TxAg:
Fit, Function, Form....in that order.
As I get deeper and deeper into the trad game, I'm realizing what suits me the best. I can shoot a lot of bows, but there have only been one or two that felt awesome.
I like a grip that fits my hand, a light bow, a quiet, quick bow, and lastly one that looks cool.
Could not agree more with those statments...
I have a lengthy check list of my expectations.
'The grip is number one.'
After satisfying my expectations - then I like the bow to reach out and choose me.
The best plans on paper are still yet, a weak evaluation in comparison to the actual 1st hand shooting experience.
I will ask a bowyer if he will modify his grip to fit my small hands. Norm Johnson of Blacktail Bows said he would and this is the reason why I went with him and now have two of his recurves.
It needs to have Howard Hill written on the upper limb. :bigsmyl: ......stabow
It needs to be made by a Bowyer who cares to make the very best he can.
Beauty catches my eye. Fit and function opens my wallet, all three will open my wallet a little wider.
I consider a number of things I'd like and don't like. I'm partial to bowyers like Wes Wallace and Ed Holcombe but I also love 50's Kodiaks and D shaped longbows....all made from various woods.
I won't spend my money on metal risers, phenolics, longbow styled limbs bolted onto recurve handles or things that I believe, after thinking about it, are gimmicky variations on proven designs.
How that bow feels in my hand is number one then its craftmanship and finish. I wont buy a bow from a bowyer that Ive only seen pictures of his work. I want to handle a few of his bows first. I've picked up a number of new bows at shoots like Denton Hill that passed the 5 ft test but once you get it in your hand the final finish is spotty or it has visible sanding marks, or the overlays are not blended smooth, or you run your fingers down the sides and edges of the limbs and feel rough spots, or the bow quiver bushings look sloppy or cocked in the riser. All the little things that show a bowyer either really cares about his product or he's just filling orders. For the 600 to 1000 dollars I'm going to shell out I expect a bow to be really close to perfect for at least the first week I own it.
What do I look for? Lately, I just look for Black Widow's phone number and give them a call.