I have a bid in on a LH 55#@28" Mamba. The seller advises it was bought new 2-3 years ago, but insists it's a Howatt, not a Martin. Visually, it's a Mamba as currently built by Martin. It's markings and inscription style match as well, but it's marked "DH" not Martin.
Seems to me that Martin bought out Howatt quite a few years ago, so not withstanding it being a Howatt made bow that was discovered and bought new a few years ago, do the current Martin Trad bows still carry the Damon-Howatt markings?
Either way, here's hoping my bid stands. Love those 58" bows!!!
My custom Bushmaster says made by Howatt and its from Martin Archery.Martin bought Howatt but retained the name on the bow.You might be buying from a wheelbow guy who really doesnt know much about trad things.They make nice bows.
gIL
Cool, that's what I figured. My impression is the seller doesn't know a recurve from a compound, let alone a Martin from anything else...
The Martin/Howatt bows I've purchase in the last several years, or so, have all been labeled Martin. Martin did purchase the Howatt plant several years back and continued tagging them with the Howatt name for a few years afterwards, but eventually started labeling them all with Martin. If it's the same one I saw on Eb@y, that bow was manufactored more than 2-3 years ago. That wood combination combined with the DH marking looks more like a 1999 or a 2000 year model( http://www.martinarchery.com/bows2000/mam.html . Martin chanded the wood combo a bit for 2001 and after. He may have purchased a new/old stock bow that had been sitting around a pro shop for a good while. A very nice bow, none the less.
Yep, thats' the one Chris. I figured it had to be more than 3 years old, but not by too much. Should still be good to go for FF string...
I believe it should be fine for low stretch strings. By 2000, I believe all the Martin/Howatt bows were made FF compatible, except the X200