My only complaint with the connexion hinge that I tried on a borrowed Mohawk Sparrowhawk is that when it is unstrung, if you turn it belly up it falls apart. Having said that, I'm still seriously considering ordering a Sparrowhawk 2-piece in a 68".

I have a Big Jim 64" Buffalo sleeved 2-piece that comes apart just as easily, but only when I want it to. I have to say I like that a bit better.

Thanks for all the input fellas
No doubt  there are preferred takedown systems out there.
Metal and glass/carbon sleeves are great,but not as a retrofit.
GreatNorthern's jackknife hinge system works awesome, I have it on my bushbow and love it. Folds up,doesn't come apart,nice and compact.

But on the Ghost the recurve tips clash when folded,causes it not to  fold up so nice and compact.

As Ron pointed out,with the Robertson connexion hinge,when unstrung, it falls apart in two separate pieces, that then can nestle nicely together in a tight little package.


My plans are to do a lot more long distance hunting trips in the years coming and takedowns just make more sense. Wrapped your bow up in your clothes, tuck away in your duffel bag and your good to go.


I thought about going the custom machine route but honestly ,the Robertson hinge has a great track record for durability, so why try to build a better mousetrap.

I've been in touch with a few bowers who use the connexion system on their products to see if they had any extra stock but they seem to be in the boat,manufacture stopped producing for now. Hopefully a new supplier will be found in the near future.
In the meanwhile, I guess I'll just have to hurry up and wait...

Mo

I'd probably buy a take-down, instead.  The only way I'd try turning a one-piece into a take-down would be if I had a bow that I wouldn't mind destroying unintentionally.

If you get desperate, I just listed one for sale. Of course, you would also have to take the bow that is attached to it!    

Very nice bow Dave. And priced right too.

If it was a straight grip we might be talking.
All the best with your sale.

Sent you a PM, momo-t.

Thier not hard to do and they work great . At Denton hills a few years ago someone was selling them for $35 he said he was the orginal maker. I bought 2, wished I had bought more .He was on the blanket swap. Maybe someone knows him??

This might be one of those instances where if you find something you like you should buy several, because they might not be available next time you want one.  Is that a corollary to Murphy's law?

Mike PM answered.
Greg I think your right!

Mo

Maybe I'm a bad craftsman, but here's what happened to my MOAB.

The leftover material in the riser, after cutting the half-moon for the hinge, did not have the strength in the belly to handle the compression.

The screw holes were aligned with the grain of the bocote, which created a weak zone.  Bocote is a soft wood anyway.

I tried to recess the hinge, which took away valuable laminations in the back to handle the stress.

It turns out that the bow's grip had been built up with fiberglass, the thickness of which I did not see until after I had cut the bow in two.  So there wasn't enough wood to handle the stress.

It just was not meant to happen and I lost an expensive beautiful bow.  Bows and hacksaws are a bad combination, at least for me.

You can chalk it up to my bad craftsmanship, but I thought I had followed the instructions to the letter.  Others obviously have done fine with theirs, but be prepared.

And, after all that, I have since purchased other 2 pc bows made during construction by the bowyer, only to realize that I don't use the take down very much anyway.  I just keep it strung and use a tube for transport.

Bows have a LOT of stress at full draw!!  My hat off to any successful bowyers or hinge installers!

Doug that's gotta be a hard way to learn a lesson. ouch!
I'm sure your installation was spot on but by the photo I see a few points on why the project failed.
Insufficient material looks like the major culprit.
Also one solid piece handles do not have the strength of a laminated riser.
This is a fine example why you should  check and double check all aspects before attempting such an endeavor.
'Cutting your bow in half should never be taken lightly'.

With that said, I managed to secure a hinge and hopefully will have a 2 piece [functional] ghost in the very near future.
Now to figure out which one do I do ???

Mo

I think the overall shape and mass of the riser makes a difference in the success of the operation.  Also, some riser woods are denser and less likely to split under stress.  Both of the HH blanks I fitted with the hinge were cocobolo risers, for whatever that is worth.  My hands are not very big and I don't like huge risers but with the straight grip I was able to shape it down to the size I like.

Mo, if you have any questions that I could help with, don't hesitate to e-mail me or call.