Damage to Bear and New Type Glove

[Dick in Seattle]

I just got another old Bear today... a lovely 1964 (I think) Tiger Cat... very nice.   However, I'm curioius about some minor damage it has.   I have posted some pics on my personal web site and would appreciate any comments.    On the side of the riser, just above the strike plate, there are a bunch of small round or oval indentations in the wood.   Obviously, something repetitive caused them, but I haven't been able to imagine what.   I'm wondering if anyone has hit this damage symptom before.

Also, for my birthday, I got one of the new 3 Rivers bow gloves, for shooting off the fist.  I've been using a golf glove.   This seems much better, and there are some pix of it on the page along with the Tiger Cat.

here's a direct link:


http://www.dickwightman.com/bulletinboard/bulletinboard.htm

[ChuckC]

Don't know for sure what caused it, but don't count out just laying the bow on top of something hard on a trip and it bouncing causing some damage like that.   Seen worse from that sort of bouncing.
ChuckC

[Str8Shooter]

I can just see whoever owned that bow sitting with it across there knees waiting for a deer. Not seeing anything they absentmindedly bounce the tip of an arrow on the riser until, oops, they dented up the shelf.

Whatever caused that gave it a little extra character.


Chris

[bowdude]

Maybe the trick gun refinishers use on stocks would work to get them out.  Something like a damp cloth and and a hot iron?  Not sure.  Maybe Bowdoc can tell you if that would work.

Glove looks cool.

[Elmer Keith]

Originally posted by Str8Shooter:
I can just see whoever owned that bow sitting with it across there knees waiting for a deer. Not seeing anything they absentmindedly bounce the tip of an arrow on the riser until, oops, they dented up the shelf.

Whatever caused that gave it a little extra character.


Chris

That was even my opinion. Looks like dents caused by arrow points.

Dick, how does the bow perform? How does it shoot?
What is it's behaviour when releasing the arrow?
Is he comfortable to shoot?

Were these bows made for hunting? I ask because of the white surface of the limbs.

[Dick in Seattle]

Elmer...  the bow is extremely comfortable to shoot... very light, almost like shooting my Hill longbows.   The grip is small diameter at the deep point, which is great for a guy like me with small hands.   It's extremely smooth.   I only shot it for a bit this afternoon, with heavy wood arrows that I'm using because they are what I want to use at a shoot in a week and a half.  They are a bit stiff, but I adjusted to them.  At least with these arrows, which are a good 11 plus oz per pound at what I'm drawing (42#), it certainly isn't a fast bow, but i think if I switched to maybe 1816 alums or ligher weight woods, it would come into its own.   It's a 50# @ 28 bow, so I'm sure it wasn't made for target work, but for field shooting.  I'm sure it would be up to hunting (I don't) but a serious hunter would probably want camo sleeves on the limbs.   Back when I started shooting 3 years ago, I flirted with some old lemonwood long bows, and now I'm trying old recurves.   I'm continually amazed at what a good job these old bows will still do, if you approach them with reasonable expectations.  They aren't screamers, just smooth, honest workers.

[d. ward]

Hey Dick bring the bow to M-L shoot in two weeks....bowdoc

[trapperDave]

back in my pool shooting days I learned a trick for gettin dents out of wood, a single drop of water on the dent will usually swell and pop it back up

[VA Bowbender]

It looks to me like impressions of gravel from being stepped on.  I can envision putting up a treestand in the dark, stepping back and stepping on the bow inadvertently or some other senerio.

[TonyW]

Maybe it was hanging above a dart board.
Looks like it was not done by the owner, but some kid playing in "Pop Pops" basement. Any dents under the strikeplate?

[bayoulongbowman]

Love the bow and the glove..mark

[Dick in Seattle]

thanks, guys... and Bow Doc, I'll have several Bears with me there...

i'm not actually as concerned with repairing these particular dents as I was just curious about them.  They are pretty minoe and the bow is really beautiful as is, and as someone said, it has character.    I collect and restore antique sewing machines, and I always try for a minimum of restoration.  I don't really like it when a machine that shows 100 years of honest work and service is restored to "like new".   It's like it never lived.   My own machines work like jeweled watches, but show the nicks and scratches and fabric wear that great grandma put on them sewing clothes for a family for a lifetime.