I only buy bows I call 'orphans'. Bows with somebody elses name on them. For one, I can't get myself to spend the big bucks to have one custom built, when so many good bows are looking for good homes. And it really rips me up to sell any of the bows that I have. Will they be dusted? Will they be strung properly? Will they be ignored on a rack in a dark room? Will they share shooting time with a . . A COMPOUND????  I don't want to sound like a bow snob, but wood bows have feelings too! Right??

So fess up, how many orphans do you have?

No orphans here, but not one of the 6 longbows that I currently owm were bought new by me.  I did buy one new once but traded it for a used one.  I would not be afraid of adopting an orphan, but the right match hasn't presented itself.  

BOB

None, but like Bob I sure wouldn't steer away from one just because someone else's name was on it.

God bless,Mudd

My Orion was an orphan, but a little acetone and a q-tip took care of that. Now it's all mine!    

Always been afraid to ruin the finish with chemicals to remove names. Maybe I'll have to try that. Any incantations to say during the ceremony?

I have often wondered though, why they got rid of them. Like what's the story behind it? I don't know, remove the name and lose the story or history?

Perhaps a new rule for me, remove a name when only giving the bow it's own name. Perhaps that's the right way to go about it.

I have 2 orphans.Now down to one.The silvertip has my name on it now.  :D  A name on a bow won't stop me from buying it.  

No Orphans in my collection but I do have a few that were from previous owners.

There were a few time where I nearly bought a bow with some one elses name on it but money was tight at the time.  :(

Got a couple selfbow orphans.They are frail in my mind and if I try hunting them too hard they might become injured so I keep em in a comfy spot.Got a heavy weight orphan too, but that one tends to hurt me when I play too much with it.I  remember the day I adopted it and brought it home like it was yesterday.

I dont have names on any of my bows, besides their names, but I feel as tho I have some orphans.  I was dying to get a shakespeare recurve, something weird pulled me to get one?  IDK I am weird, no desire to get a bear, pearson, etc, a stinking shakespeare, lol.  Finally found one, the old guy that had it had a string for a compound on it, have you ever seen a 12 inch brace height before . . . that is what I call scary!!!!  I brought it home, dusted it off, gave it a good flemish string, just like new  

Orphans need love too, a little steel wool an that guy is a memory... I look at it I am the one adopted here. I am useless without my bows!  

Yup, I got an orphan.  She is a looker too! (that almost sounds wrong)  A 53#@28" Robertson.  I am leaving the name on her, kinda' like was mentioned earlier, its her history.  A man just don't need to erase history.

I've got two.  I am just too tight to spend the price of a brand new custom bow and both the ones I have shoot great.

Most of my bows I got used, I only have one with a fella's name on it, It's a Black Widow that I  bought really cheap at the shoot at Whittingham N.J. a few years ago. One of my go to bows ......... I love make'n a home for an orphan ,anytime!!!  

God bless all of you! You are providing a greatly needed service. All bows deserve a home. When I pass on from this earth, I hope there will be someone out there who will take my children, I mean bows, in to their home and care for them as if they were their own.

I dig all my orphan bows. Don't care about some other name either. Kinda like hitting a home run with, well, maybe that's taboo...  :rolleyes:  ...

... mike ...

I have no orphan bows, but I do have some bows made for me that don't have my name written on them. Does that make them illegitimate bows? Clint

I have none and had shied away from them, but this thread has changed my mind. I like that - all bows need a home. I don't know if I would remove the name or not. Good points on both sides.