I have a bow that I can't identify. Its a 62" recurve with relatively narrow limbs. Glass on the back is rusty brown, green on the belly. No markings other than "48#" hand lettered in the sight window. One piece of leather acts as arrow rest and side plate.

It looks similar to some old Peasons, but none seem to match exactly. Does anyone recognize it?

and another photo

and the tips

Tip 2

Best guess in looking at the overlays on the limb tips say early Howatt to me.

Ditto on Howatt.

Gordon?

Can you post a pic of the hand lettering of the draw weight?

My guess is a Ben Pearson.

Get Larry Hatfield to look at it. Looks like a Howatt to me as well with that belly tip overlay.

The tips on it (belly overlay as pointed out by George) look very, very close to those on my late 50's, early 60's Howatt Eldorado Diablo...that era of bow would have had printing where the hand lettering was.

That's why I'd like to see a close-up of the lettering itself.

Could it be a "one off" bow made by one of the Howatt bowyers or a prototype or experimental model?

Small error...my Diablo's date of manufacture was actually mid 50's...

This looks a bit newer but not much...green glass looks like that used on Howatts. Here's a pic of a Hi Speed about that era..

It sure is a looker with those multiple lams on the belly side of the riser!!

Here's a photo of the "48#" that's written in the sight window. Its handlettered on top of the varnish, but the bow doesn't look like it was ever refinished,

and here's a photo of the pattern in the green fiberglass on the belly.

How many laminations are there on the back of the limbs? It looks like two on the back and one on the belly...I can't really tell but picture one looks like the lams coming of the fades at the back are quite thick.

Send a PM to Larry Hatfield and he will either tell you it is a Howatt or it is not a Howatt. That would be a good way to confirm or not. It's woven glass and the color screams early 60's DH.

Thanks everyone! I will send a note to Larry Hatfield. The bow's limbs have only two wood laminations sandwiched between the glass layers.

ttt

is the edge of the shelf beveled at about 45 degrees? i notice that there is padouk wood used in the lam stack. damon used that wood a lot in the fifties.

ttt

From looking at picture #1 the shelf does look bevelled at a 45 degree angle like my late 50's/early 60's Howatt Hunter.

Here's a pic..

thank you Larry, it does indeed have a beveled shelf - here's a photo:

i would guess it is a howatt bow. in the early and mid fifties, after getting access to better bow glass, damon made all sorts of recurves. i have a 66" old bow that has exactly the same look as your shelf/sight window transition. it was called a howatt "rocket". your bow looks like an iteration of that model. could be a one of. most back then had the weight stamped in the sight window. the writing on your bow and mine look the same also.

Thank you Larry. I purchased it, along with a 57' Bear Kodiak, from someone who was selling "Grandpa's old bows". I made the purchase becaused of the Kodiak, but given what I have learned about this bow, it appears to be the real prize!

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