Hey all, I just received this late '50's Howatt Mamba Hunter. It was listed as unknown, but there was just enough of the "Hunter" part of the label for me to ID it. It has tan woven glass on the back and green glass on the belly. I braced it and shot it and it's great! It is great to have resources like the 'wall to help discover hidden gems like this. Here's a photo.

Nice bow...post more pics please...I have two really old DH bows...they're shooters!

My other photo. I'll add more as I take them

I've not seen an older DH recurve I didn't like..Some more than others..:) Clean that old gal up and make sure the string is in good shape and take her out and shhoy her!..Larry Hatfield might be able to help on the age even without the nomenclature..Woven fiberglas predates 1960 for the Damon Howatts..Jim

Here's another of the label

Another of the riser stamp. Serial number not visible, no bowyer stamp

Here's the opposite side of the riser. The sticker says "The Bowmens Archery Supply New Philadelphia Ohio". The name "Chet Staley" looks to have been spelled with sticker letters which must have fallen off over time. Does any of this ring a bell with any of you guys local to that area?

The older Damon Howatts did stamp the draw weight but the ones I've seen had it on the sight window side..

The old label that looks like Hunter also doesn't look like the DH logos I've encountered either.. They put them on lower limb, inner side..Larry Hatfield might be able to help ID the old bow..Jim

could you get a picture of one of the limbs so i can see the recurve? you may have a bow built by damon himself. if the leather grip feels seamless in the back because it's skived so well, it was skived and glued on by ted donalson, damons neighbor.

looks like a pretty high brace for that bow. should be around 7" or slightly less.

Thanks, Larry. I just pulled a string off another Howatt Hunter I had and it braced at 7-3/4. I'll drop it down as you suggested. The grip is just as you said practically undetectable at the seam. I'll send more photos of the tips and the grip. Thank you for all the helpful information.

Upper tip

Lower tip

i think it is a bow from the mid fifties. back then the decals were of different colors, red, green, orange, etc.. the tips are typical of what damon was doing at that time, converting from longbow static tips bent to 90 degrees to recurve tips. that bow was glued on a steel form damon had made for him. i had it until 2011. ted skived leather grips with an obsidian knife he and damon found in a dry lakebed in eastern oregon in the fourties.

Isn't ist great to have this wealth of knowledge that we have available to us!

Bernie

Another photo, full length. A fine bow, light in the hand and the grip is just perfect for me. Love the way it shoots. I'll have to clean it up a bit, but I'm going to hunt it the late season here. Much thanks for all the info!

please make sure the edges and wood, especially on the tips, are protected from excessive moisture! that bow would have had borden construction glue in the recurve section and urac for the rest of the bow. moisture and extreme lack of humidy are both enemies of those adhesives.

Will do, Larry. Thanks for the advice. The riser has been refinished and looks a bit rough, but the limbs & tips look tight. I'll double check them just in case.

So nice that bow not only found a good home but that it will be cared for in such a way that its shooting life will be extended...amazing what a simple exchange of accurate information can accomplish...thanks for taking us along for the ride

DDave

Excellent thread! I love learning the history. Can't wait to see that old beauty with lots of soul all tuned up and shooting again!

Great looking old lefty.

Thanks for the pics.

Also thanks for the info Larry.

Have a look at this picture of my '56 Diablo Eldorado and compare it to Ambleman's bow...easy to see the evolution!

I cleaned it up a bit now it looks almost as good as it shoots!

Post a pic! Love to see it!

Check out the thread "please help identify this mystery bow" I think there brother bows and his is stamped 51

Another try to post an "after" photo

Other side of riser.

Nice!!!

Looks great!

This is a full-page add from National Bowhunter, August 1958.

that is frankie jewett, don's first wife. the picture was taken one day when we were all playing archery golf. the "les's arche r mart in the utah ads was les hunt, a great guy and archer that we made private label bows for.

Larry, wasn't that the Wasatch Hunter bow? I see those pop up locally from time to time...

sure was! we stopped making them when damon sold the company to bob paisley in 1961. they were a good bow.

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