based on your feelings only. NOT on price or style who do you think are the top best three traditional bowyers in the USA. in no certain order.this is just for fun just wondering what your thoughts were.thanks ED

I'll play

Fred Bear - My 1964 Grizzly shoots a s well as any other bow I have paid triple for

Steve Turay - Retro Classic, everything and more when it comes to a Hill bow that performs awesome

Ed Scott - An Artist !!! but don't let that fool you his bows rock

I don't know if anyone is qualified to answer this question. There are hundreds of good bowyers in the states, and I doubt anyone has shot a bow from each of them. From my limited experience I can volunteer that the best shooting that I have done is with Black Widow and Hummingbird recurves. Then there are the Morrison, Striker, Beeler, Pearson, Shrew, and Black Creek bows that shot well also. However, there are so many bows that I have not yet shot, I believe that I'll take a while longer to decide.

Zipper, Black Widow, Bob Lee

Everybody likes something different, I can think of about 10 bowyers right off the top of my head. Real tough to pick 3.........

Wow, it is impossible to narrow it down unless you have handled a whole lot of bows. Since I am a very biased Hill fan, my first 2 picks are HHA, and Northern Mist.  When shooting a more primitive bow, I like Lynn Harrelson's Kolomi, a laminated wood bow with no glass at all.

Also, Big Jim is high on my list, I don't yet own any of his bows but have shot them. In addition, he is a great guy and is very helpful.

3 ain't fair.  There's too many and they're all a little different.  My personal no. 1 though for best fit/finish I've encountered combined with performance is Jim Neaves/ Centaur.  His bows are magic.  But of course he's also tied for me with Leon Stewart.  Leon's the man.  

There are so many other truly outstanding artists out there.  Some we probably have never heard of, I guarantee you.

See my sig for a list of excellent choices.

Yea, 3 is tough..But right now I would have to say for me I would put Big Jim, Jerry Brumm-Great Northern and Ron King- Fox Archery. With Abe Penner and Jim Reynolds right there too. My real list of Bowyers I like is closer to 15 or 20. Lots of talent out there. Like I think nineworlds9 said in another post, this is the golden age of Trad Bows. Something for everyone.

Yes to many good bowyers!!!!

Norm Johnson  -  Blacktail bows

Lot's of others...

Hats off to the pioneers of archery. The guys still around since the 50's and 60's. Bear, Blackwidow,and Hoyt. Many of there old bows are great by todays standards.

I have to say... I'm not even close to being qualified to answer this one.

I have yet to speak with a bowyer that I didn't end up putting in a special place in my heart.

Having said that I want to say not every bow I've owned or shot "did it" for me but that isn't really a statement about the bows but of what my personal preferences are and each of these bows would have done the job.

God bless,Mudd

My votes go to Black Widow, Big Jim, and Kirk Lavender. Although to be fair in my opinion Steve from Eaglewing should be in the top three as well. So for me it would be a top 4

In the end it boils down to personal preference. Too many top bowyers to list and I have owned most all of them. People find the bowyer that just builds the bow that does it for them, all are different.

No way to just chose 3. I would say there are 8-10 that I would put right up there together. I think it comes down to what style of bow you like and then personal preference on things like the grip you like and other bow features.

Depends on what you mean by top bowyer. Some spectacular bows are built by guys that do not produce a lot of bows and yet I believe that to be classified as a top bowyer that those that produce few bows would not qualify because their product is not available on a quantity that touches many archers.

I would have to include my bows, Fred Johnsons and many others that do not produce bows in quantity as not meeting that criterion.

I also would exclude those that produce bows in manufacturing quantity because they are not really individual bowyers.

I would exclude those that are limited in what they produce to one or two models even though they might produce one or two models that are really super fine bows. In this category I reluctantly have to exclude some super great bowyers because they key on one particular or two particular types of bow such as Hill Style or D and R longbows ect.

Man its just really hard to pick three because every one of those three would be tied times over .

Abe Penner, Kirk Lavender, Bill Dunn immediately come to mind, But then there is SilverTip, Norm Johnson, and Wallace that are at least equals in my mind, As is RER, Tracy at St Joe Bows , Stalker, and a host of others.

James I appreciate that immensely but have to disqualify myself unless someone wants a real custom one of a kind bow. Then  I believe I can get in the ring with anyone if I pray a lot.

God bless you all, Steve

I thought differently a year ago and I'll surely have another order in mind a year from now...but.

Brandon Stahl - Rose Oak
Dave Windauer - Schafer
Norm Johnson - Blacktail

Honorable Mention:
Bigfoot's Kirk & Chris at Habu.

Based on my experience, different bowyers excel with different types of bows.

Regular size recurve:  Rick Welch Dakota, Bob Lee, Morrison
Short recurve:  Robertson, Schafer
Regular size longbow: Toelke
Short longbow:  don't know, don't shoot one

NewWood, Timberhawk, Bob Lee.

Just an opinion.....

Blacktail, Wes Wallace, Schafer bows.