York Crescant recurve

[b.glass]

My cousin has this old bow and I am making a string for it. I've had a chance to take a really good look at it and I've noticed some very fine cracks running from the outer edges toward the center on the belly of the bow. Would this be an accident waiting to happen if it were shot? There are some other places that look more like scratches but these other fine cracks have me concerned.

[Killdeer]

I had one of those once. Does it look like the fine stress that you see in Bear bows? Just in the finish?

Killdeer

[b.glass]

It may be just in the finish. I don't know too much about older glass bows. They are about a quarter of an inch long. They kind of remind me of the way a wood bow might fret only they don't go very far toward the center. I couldn't find a date on this bow. Do you have an idea how old it might be?

[Killdeer]

Nope. You should take this query to the trad history/ collecting forum, and add pics. I want pics, and I am not even a guy.

I am thinking they were in their heyday in the sixties and seventies. Not too old.  

I have a lot of bows from that era that show lateral crazing like that in the working sections of the limb. I just shoot 'em.

Killdeer

[b.glass]

I will get that done tomorrow for tonight, I work!

Thanks Killdeer.