I bought a 1969 SK on EBay. The bow was advertised as having minor stress lines on the belly. Pictures were provided and the bow looked nice. When the bow arrived it had a crack down the middle of the riser as though the phenolic was delaminating. The crack went from top to bottom of the riser where you would place your palm. There were no pictures of that defect. I opened a case with EBay and heard back from the seller. He told me that crack was nothing to worry about. I told him I did not want the bow and he agreed to take it back. The bow is on its way. Aside from really taking away from the appearance of the bow, is this normal for that vintage SK? Could that flaw cause a breakdown of the riser? He told me I got a good price on that bow. I paid $331.00. Doesn't seem like such a hot deal to me. If the riser did not have that issue I would have gladly kept the bow.

Without photos we are at a loss to say whether is was/is a problem or not. The micarta risers typically had cracks in the finish due to the type of material and moisture. Mostly is is not a big deal at all. That said, how can we say without a decent photo of that spot? Since you sent it back, it's pretty much a done deal anyway. I will say at that price, I expect one in good shape, with minor finish checking. That's a premium price for a vintage SK...even a late 60's.

I think it was more than a check. If you ran your finger nail over it you could feel some depth to it. I wish it would have worked out. That's one of the nicest looking bows I've ever seen. Customs included. Yep, you're right George. For that money I should have a nice looking bow.

Good move Tom on your part, if the crack wasn't a big deal then why didn't he tell you and show you pics of it? Best not to mess with it and return it, save your cash for another one in better shape.

I would have done the same thing too for that price. I have had 68 and 69s with vertical cracks in the grip area on the palm side. Soot them up with Loctite 420 and they never were a problem.

Catsailor- I can not speak for issues relating to Bear bows cracking, but I do have a lot of experience with cracks in general and rest at ease, you made a smart decision. The crack in the riser occurred possible reasons to numerous to discuss, but once a crack has developed, it either has to be physically removed- as in removing the base material containing the defect that caused the crack or make the bow a wall decoration. Once a crack develops, it will continue to propogate until ultimately failure occurs- the speed in which it happens is not predictable. Some cracks grow slowly, some fail catastrophically. You made a wise decision both for your safety and your pocket book

Working on a '69 with a crack right now... above the sight window where the two halves of phenolic are bonded, and up the glass on the limb a ways. That crack was not there before we opened up the sight window.... was definatly internal, although the crack in the limb glass was plain. Have seen this before. Blow all the dust out and keep wicking it full of Locktite 'till it won't take any more. Then finish over it. No trouble with others like it and some that were worse. Have 109 bucks in this one so far and it will be a knockout when it's done.

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