After learning how to make laminated bows and making some longbows, I decided I'd try to make a one piece recurve similar to my favorite takedown Schafer recurve.  I traced, measured, glued, filed, sanded, etc. and repeated the process on four different bows.  I'm no craftsman, but even after having the advantage of not trying to make a living at it, and being able to spend endless time trying to build a bow similar to a Schafer, every time I go back and compare, I am shocked by how much better the workmanship on the Schafer is, even though I've probably spent 10 times as long working on mine, and had the Schafer sitting there to imitate.  And when it comes to shooting ... Good Heavens!  It's like lining a 72 Nova up against a Porsche (not that a 72 Nova isn't a sweet ride).  Dave must mix some crack cocaine and growth hormone into his Smooth On to get that much performance.  I don't know how anybody can build a bow that good and make a living selling it for the price they get.  Point being, I tip my hat to Schafer and the other top custom bowyers for the quality and value they offer. pc

I'm sure that experiance would help a guy appreciate the true talent and knowlege that goes into a top shelf bow.