About a year ago I set out to collect a bunch of late 50's Bears to hunt with over the next few decades.  I sold my customs and figured this would be a less expensive way of satisfying the "new bow" itch (man was I wrong!!)

The problem now becomes choosing the first bow off the rack to hunt with for the next season or two... that's where y'all come in.

The bows in this poll are all ready to hunt.  Many of the others need a little work - fresh coat of finish, handle wrap or a complete refinish; there's a lien on two others and my conscience prevents me from taking 'em out in the elements.

So, which is hitting the woods this September?

Hmmm... forgot polls don't display the choices until you vote.

The choices are:
1. 1957 Kodiak Special - 64" 51#.  Lovingly refinished by Bjorn

2.  1959 Grizzly - 62" 53#.  Refurbished by Bjorn    

NOTE: The TOP bow in the pic is the Grizz
 

3.  1959 Kodiak - 64" 52#.  I replaced the strike plate and rest, but everything else is original and flawless.
 

4.  1959 Kodiak Special - 64" 53#.  Rich just told me the finish is being sprayed, so I'm counting this bow  

Good luck with your decission Jeremy.

It's not my decision anymore!  :D   I'm a Libra... we hate making choices LOL!

whichever one your hand reaches for as your headed out the door  

that 59 Kodiak is beautiful! It's a good thing you weren't at Denton this year Jeremy, The late 50's Bears were ALL OVER the trade blankets. I think one guy had 6 or 7 '57 - '59 Kodiaks alone. You defnately would have gone home broke.

Quote You defnately would have gone home broke.

That wouldn't have been hard to do, since I would have arrived that way too!   :rolleyes:  It looks like I missed a heck of a gathering though!

I had to vote for the 59 Kodiak. Even though it's not the best shooter, it's still probably the most sought after Bear bow...and I believe it was THE bow Fred preferred until that TD came along.

Next year will be the 59th anniversary, so any Bear bow from 1959 will be the right thing to do.

(I've got a 59 Kodiak that will be on the hunt next year.)

Lon,
I had thought about the 50th anniversary concept for this year as well.  That decision would be easy - I sold off all my '58s except for the Grizzly - but the finish on my Grizz needs some work before I'd subject it to inclement weather, it needs a new wrap and rest and I haven't had any time to work on bows in 6 months now.
Interesting you mentioned the TD... I have a Bear TD Supreme that I need to cut into before I hunt with  

Go for the Griz---That straight handle just shoots better  

Quote

This one!  Not sure if this is #3 or #4.

I love the color and look of the wood grain on that bow.

MikeD,

That bow is #3, and you are right on about its good looks.    

Shooting a '59 model THIS year would also be appropriate since many were made in the final months of '58.  

Jeremy,  I say start with the earliest then work your to more modern days.  I've used some of my early statics but I've got more bows than deer  :D   Doc

Interesting, people are mainly voting for the 3 bows I posted pics of.  To give the '59 KSpecial a chance, here's a pic of all the '59s.  The KSpecial is the second in from the right.  That was right after I took off the handle wrap and just a day or two before shipping it to Rich.



The Kodiak (bow on the far right, pic taken before I replaced the plate and rst) has the nicest looking rosewood riser that I've ever seen!  The other thing I really like about that one is it tells a story about the original owner.  He was married - polished spot in the leather right where my wedding ring falls; he was used to a much lower grip - you can tell by how stained the leather is he heeled the bow more than is typical with a medium grip; his hands were nearly exactly the same size as mine judging from how my fingers line up with the finger stains on the wrap; no index finger stain - he must have used it to keep the arrow on the shelf; and his pinky was mainly just floating off the grip - again, very little staining there and it makes sense with the amount of heel.  The bow was probably only shot for a few years and either rarely hunted with or he was hunting in mostly open country.

The Grizz tells a different story: she's been around the block a time or two and been in many hands.  She's been looked after well, but the facelift doesn't hide that she's seen her share of fields and woods.

The '59 KSpecial looks to have been hunted with for a season or two and then forgotten about and stored somewhere hot.  The finish was nearly perfect when I opened the package, but it was very brittle and started crazing and flaking as soon as I started shooting it.  The only bows I've seen get that bad had their finish baked in an attic or barn for years.

Hard to tell much about the '57 KS other than someone dropped it on a rock at some point and dinged a limb edge.

All four of these bows are 'shooters'.  I can pick up any of the '59s and be knocking a tennis ball around the yard with blunts.  Some of the quickest to point bows I've handled.  The '57 KS is a sweetheart too.  I fell in love with the LDB when I had the chance to hunt with it and I like the manners of this one even better.  It's the only old Bear I've had in the woods with me so far - my deer hunt quickly turned into a stump shoot b/c it was too much fun to watch the arrows hit right where I was looking in the field.

Another for #3.  Too much character to leave sitting around the house!

Well Jeremy, As you probly figured I voted for the '57 K Special.....

You can take your own personal "Little Delta Bow" and make "history"  

Good Luck My Friend!!!!!

Right now there's a tie between the 59 Kodiak and the 59 Grizzly...obviously great choices.  

#3 just jumped out to me.  Like an attractive lady just waiting to be taken care of.

Jeremy, I voted for the ole Grizzly. That bow just say's "I've been rode hard and put away wet! Try me!!"
Besides I'm partial to Bear Grizzly's it was the first bow I bought with money earned from my paper route.

QuoteOriginally posted by Molson:
Another for #3.  Too much character to leave sitting around the house!

Ditto for me.