I want to highlight what impressive memebers we have here and in The Professional Bowhunters Society.  This also involves how horrible UPS is at shipping valuable items....

This past March, The PBS held its biennial Gathering in Portland, Oregon.  I was able to walk away as the high bidder on two priceless works of bowhunting art.  

The first was a single arrow by Mike Vines.  The arrow was footed with acrylic, self nocked, snaked skinned and tipped with an Eclipse broadhead.  Blake Fischer provided all the contestants with a half dozen broadheads for their hard work.

The second was a hand carved granite slab commenorating the 50th Anniversary of the PBS.  Kenn Paulson (1screagle)  donated it 100% and it amazes me every time I look at it that it is created by hand on a canvas of stone.

Mike Vines is a good friend of mine.  He is the President of the Michigan Longbow Association.  He puts himself 100% into anything he does and I watched the entire process of building this PBS contest arrow, from the idea, to all the experimenting, to the final finished piece.  I knew he would win the Single Arrow Amatuer Division, and I knew whatever the price, I would bring the arrow back for him.

As you can see, USPS had no problem getting the arrow to Portland.  So one would think the sane packaging would suffice to get it back home.  Not!


 

I think Mike fixed the arrow, but he also decided he would make me a new arrow, this one similar, but much more personal for me.  This arrow was fletched with feathers from my son's first turkey, killed shortly after the Gathering.







It is an awesome example of Mike's work (which he does not sell) from the MotorCity Machete shop.

Mike was so inspired by the arrow contest, he started his own on the off PBS years in cooperation with the MLA.  Proceeds go to the PBS Youth Hunt.

Thank you Mike!

These photos, and the ensuing hassle are why I will   never use UPS to ship anything again.

Kenn and I packed the stone art piece ourselves in the same packaging it was safely transported to Portland in.  It was ultra secure, only severe destructive handling could have destroyed my priceless, one of a kind prize:

 


 

   


The frame was demolished and granite damaged.  I cannot describe how solide that frame was.  It is custom built specifically to hold the weight of the granite (and your ashes if desired!) by a master carpenter.  UPS had to try to break it!

Kenn and I discussed how we could repair and even possibly improve the look of the original artwork.  With the help of my buddy Mike Mitten, we were able to transport the damaged and reconstructed art work with careful personal pick up truck  shipping and I finally have my momento in its place of honor!

Kenn's website is  www.stoneartist.com  and he is a sponsor here.  He creates custom works of art that will last forever.

Pictures cannot do his work justices, you really have to see it in person to appreciate it!  Here are a few anyway.

 

 

 


The amazing part is the whole thing started as a plain black piece of granite.  Amazing!

Wow!

Yeah WOW! These are amazing and would make the dingiest cardboard box look like an extravagent home. Awesome work fellas.

QuoteOriginally posted by Shedrock:
Wow!

That sucker is huge. Would have taken two men to "play" catch with it. Thankfully looks great now

QuoteOriginally posted by hardwaymike:
Yeah WOW! These are amazing and would make the dingiest cardboard box look like an extravagent home.

 

I  am going to let my wife in on that one!

QuoteOriginally posted by hardwaymike:
Steve,  Sorry if it sounded like I was taking about your walls. I just meant in general. I would give up my left...well you know what I mean, to have finely decorated walls such as yours. Mike.

Hey Mike, no worries!  I know you did not mean it that way    

I was just   trying to be funny!    

Well I was chuckling the whole time I was typing that,lol! Probly why my posts came out so messed up!

Thank you for the kind words Steve, but the pleasure was all mine.  I'm just glad the disateer with UPS was able to be righted.  

Also, I too thought the carboard box comment was pretty darn funny.  I will have to use that saying one day.

I worked for UPS, and saw first hand how they handle packages,  I would rather trust the Post office with my stuff.

Beautiful pieces of art.

Steve,

Are you sure that is the right link for the website?

QuoteOriginally posted by Gen273:
Steve,

Are you sure that is the right link for the website?

Sorry bout that, I forgot the llc.  I fixed it.

Should be  http://www.stoneartistllc.com/

Thanks for posting Steve. It looks like it will add something good to your man cave. After all the disappointments from UPS and the time since March when you purchased it, I hope it was worth the wait. I do love the new frame, it seems to go with the 50th anniversary very well. Those barn boards are probably at least 50 years or more, probably a lot more.

Here is piece that Kenn did for me. After framing it, Kenn hand delivered it to me. No shipping. I call it "Lasting Smiles" and it features Bart and Paul on Kodiac Island. Mike