I Just want to give Kudos to GW Flanagan for making a great bow and having awesome customer service. I bought my first recurve 2 years ago from him and couldnt be happier. I opted for a bow made by a custom bowyer instead of something cheap and mass made. It might be a little bit more money but well worth every dime. I also picked up a new long bow today 62" 41 pound at 28"

Talk about free non sponsor advertising. You've posted 3 posts in 2 years, all 3 were advertising for GW Flanagan.

3 posts over two years and he's accused of shilling for free advertising not hardly. GW probably dont even know this site exists, he's over 73 yrs old and makes bows out of his shop.

Now, if he had put his phone number on here and gave his location of Marietta Okla, maybe. Or if he said people using his bows had won the IBO several times, or for the past 4 yrs won the Texas State longbow, maybe.

But just saying he got a good custom bow and naming the maker,,,no

I'd say that too if he posted on the leatherwall even once in a while, but he doesn't.

Heck GW mite not even have a computer, lol

No worse than BW fan club

Word of mouth is the best way to buy something. If you hear of something that is really awesome. It usually is.

No I dont post to often as most of the information I need can be found in previous post and found with a search engine. No need to double post. I also prefer to get one on one help with the likes of people like bob and do business face to face. Bob works in a great shop and helped me out last weekend. And why wouldnt I want to give him props. He does not ask for it I do it because I recieved outstanding service and a outstanding product.

I bought one of GW's longbows (45@28) about 3 weeks ago. Absolutely love it. He is obviously great at building bows, but knows zip about email and the internet. The only thing that surprises me is how seldom you see his name or bows mentioned on this site.

Now, if only I can learn to shoot it with some level of consistency!!! Returning to bare bow after shooting with wheels for 35 years is proving to be more difficult than I thought. I really suck at this.

fp

I'd like to see a picture of this bow. Anybody have one?

Come to the Stratford Okla longbow shoot this weekend, you will see about 50 of them

Ask some Texans. All shooters in the top 5 of the texas state long bow championship were shooting GW long bows.

Thanks toehead, Nice looking bow.

I would like to have one of his longbows but never see one for sale. At age 73, It's possible the local area archers utilize most of his building time.

Here are my two. A longbow and a recurve. The pics aren't the best, but I took them rather quickly to respond to this thread.

Screwup. Pic #2 Longbow

Now for the text that I intended to add. I can't add too much to what Graysquirrel said, but I do have a few comments. I've known G.W. for at least 10 years. He does have a computer, but doesn't know how to use it. He bought it for his wife. He didn't know what PayPal was either, until I told him. Or how to process a credit card. As Bob said, he works out of his small shop, about the size of the average garage. He builds bows as a hobby to supplement his small pension, and to help pay the medical bills for his wife who's health is not that good.

In addition, he built a bow for the Governor of the Chickasaw Indian Nation of Oklahoma, that was presented to the Governor in a formal ceremony. He has built other bows for notables that I can't remember. I asked him why he didn't advertise, and grow his business. His reply was I don't want to. I said why don't you use PayPal, or set up a way to process credit cards. You could build your business. His reply was I don't want to. I asked him why he didn't want to get bigger. His reply was well John, I don't know how much longer I can build bows. My hands bother me a lot, and I'm getting pretty old. I just want to build a few to help pay the bills.

He stays pretty close to home, due to his wife's health, and only attends local shoots in Oklahoma and Texas. I've owned about a dozen of his bows. Why? because I like his work. As you can see from the pics, he does beautiful work. I keep an eye out, and when he builds a new one that catches my eye, I have to buy it, and usually sell the old one. I've had zero trouble selling his used bows. I've posted several threads about him, with pics about his bows here on the wall over time. Other folks have here too. I have a long post history, but tell me why that matters.

G.W. has NEVER asked me, or anyone else that I know of, to post up about his bows on public forums. He told me that he appreciated my threads, but he really couldn't build more than a few at a time, so to try to help him out by advertising on a public forum would be futile. He is the NICEST most HUMBLE man that I have ever met. Folks that post up about his bows are either his close friends, or folks that have one of his bows and like to talk about them. A few have heard of him, and wonder how to get hold of him. Occasionally, you will see one show up in the classifieds.

As to TRAUMA, well he is a grown man, and needs no one to defend him. He works in an ER, so I figure he knows how to treat people.

Now as to GLF, buddy you stepped on a major nerve with me. So with gritted teeth, I will say this. What TRAUMA does is his business unless you are a moderator, or choose to report him for rules violations. As far as TRAUMAS post record, a man has to start somewhere. Show me somewhere in the rules that a man has to have a minimum number of posts in order to talk about a bow that he found that he likes. What a nice way to welcome a new guy to the forums. As you can see, I'm taking up for a good man, G.W. As for TRAUMA, he probably will be quiet, as he is a gentleman, and I am not. That's all I have to say. Had to get it off my chest. I'll stop now before I violate the rules.

Here's a few of the recent purchase:

Another pic

I think there have been one or two for sale on the big auction site over the past several months. I am glad to know more about them.

Awesome looking bow. I bet it's a smooth shooter too. G.W. sounds like an outstanding fellow and bowyer.

Met G.W. at Ft. Worth this year for the Texas State Longbow Championship. Didn't get to shoot with him but was very impressed. Does anyone know if he will be in Stratford this weekend? If not, I'll have to stop by his house on the way home.

He will be at Stratford, unless his wife is sick.

Trauma great post.l have one of gw, s longbbows , no pics at present but it has the most outrageous bacote you have ever seen just a beautifull bow.it shoots alot better than me. Lots of people dont know of the guy but he deserves all the praise given him.

Beautiful bow John.

Well said John! Nothing wrong with letting LW readers know about outstanding products & service. GW sounds like a terrific guy.

G.W. is a wonderful man. I can't relate personal issues here, but I will say that he has taken very good care of me over the years when he didn't have to. That kind of man is hard to come by these days. That's why I got so mad when he was in my opinion, attacked. Or perhaps I'm overly sensitive. Folks that know me, know that I take care of my friends.

And that black & white longbow will be in the rack until I'm gone, and my son gets it. It was a custom made bow to my order. G.W. wasn't feeling well at the time, but he built it for me, start to finish in four days. That bow was the only one he built for several months. That's how much we care about each other. It wasn't cheap either.

And thanks for the compliments on the bow and me.

Those are great looking bows! I can't say I have ever seen one in person. Anyone have a lefty around 45# to sell?

John that black and white bow is awesome and one of a kind. GW is a special mand with a special talent. You can tell how much care he puts into every bow and he will bend over backwards to make a customer happy. It blows my my mind that you can still do business with someone with a handshake and he will stick to his word and the trust he gives other people is over the top. It is just as nice to have a positive customer service post versus the scamming issues going on with auction sites and classifieds.

Anybody that has anything bad to say about GW,their word will not hold water with me.Fine man with as much integrity as anybody I have ever known

Travis, if you make it to Stratford tomorrow look me up. I will be hanging around the pavilion. Most of the guys there know me and can point me out. I will bring that bow if you would like to shoot it. John

GW and some of his beautiful bows from the Stratford shoot this weekend.

Will GW be at McAlester for the shoot on 8/2?

He is planning on it

Never seen one of his bows, but it sure looks like the old boy can make a pretty bow for sure! I bet they are good shooting bows also. Jim :)

I looked at his bows at last years AAP shoot near McAlester. Love to have one. If you come to shoot, no Whataburger but Westernsizzlin has crab on buffet friday. Looking forward to venders. McAlester has no archery equipment.

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