Saw a recent post from a fella that just came back to the LW after a 10 year lay off. Got me thinking about guys that used to post often. I know Jawge, Fuzzy and a few others have been around for several years. I think I came online about '97 or'98, but mostly lurk anymore. Always enjoyed posts from Ferret about selfbows and KFoster about his weird experiences in the Rockies and his belief in squatch as well as several other old timers. Anyone else miss hearing/reading from the way back guys?

I got here about 1999. Yep, lots have stopped posting. I used to talk to OL Adcock a lot. Miss that.

Most got run off from all the bickering and newbies that wanted to invoke their brand of trad on the rest of us. I think this place aught to be here to help everyone learn and grow in the sport.

There is plenty of BS in the world that we don't need it in our hobby and recreation. What we do when bowhunting is and should be a personal choice as long as it is legal no other opinion counts.

I am more of a enjoy the sport and what works for you kinda guy.

Bill

I have a feeling Larry Hatfield may have been here forever...he still posts when something interests him...he is a fountain of knowledge and experience

DDave

Some of us just lurk, check out posts. Sometimes we forget to sign in, heh, sign of the times. Shoulders go, backs go, knees go, shoot some, visit more, leave the big hedge log splitting to the young 'uns.

Started with Web-TV on dial up way back when, didn't think it could get better than that. A real bow making and shooting internet.

Been a regular at Mo-JAM since the first one. Time sure flies by.

This topic was covered very recently.

Yep, I miss a bunch of those guys from back then. I still read through old threads sometimes via the search and it's more entertaining and educational than what we have going on here now... at least from a bowyerin perspective.

Think I only found the way a couple years ago though I am reaching Ol boy status at 62 I wonder whats next.LOL

Time really does fly by ever look up in the sky and watch the clouds moving its pretty fast at times seeing things.

I came on I'm sure the first year online. Can't remember the date but I was using dial up and an apple computer with the big floppy disk.

Dial up back then too for me! LOL...Yeah, lots of really good info used to be passed along. I didn't realize this topic had been on here recently. Shows you how much I know!

Only been here a little while but read a TBM article from 2002 or 2003 about the LW and what they hoped for it in the future. I'd say it's met all the goals and more! Found it funny that they highlighted that 1 guy in particular visited over 30 times a day.

I'm not convinced the regulars left from bickering-alot of them could argue with the best (wood wars).I think the whole online forum thing runs it course and for some even trad runs its course.Last time I talked to Mickey Lotz he had about gotten out of archery altogether and was on motorcycle forums.Even Van/TX posts more on FB about motorcycles than archery stuff.Passions change.

There are still some around, but I agree that life just gets in the way for most. The selfbow making guys have moved more to PA it seems, and the ILF crowd is on AT more...and most of us were kicked off 'elsewhere' years ago... LOL. 4nolz- there ain't nuthin' wrong with lovin' bikes... :^) but MoJam has definitely seen some change over the years...

Was lurking on here since about 99,but didnt start posting till after 2000.Met a couple of my best buddies on here,but unfortunately,one of them who has been on LW since 98 was banned in the last couple days,with no explanation or reason givin.We have a pretty good idea though and Yes,I do know my Friend very well, better than some think i do.

Yes times and interests change as we age..

I've been around since '08 here..

( Jim in Oregon) before I had to change my handle to Dire Wolf..

I still correspond with many of the old timers..here and elsewhere.. We have lost a few also..Jim

Yep dial up for me too. Lots of guys have quit hunting

My first post was January 2010. Guess that makes me middle age on here. Steve

My first post in the present archives was 10/28/1999 under a different handle.

I was here before then, but the server & archives for those earlier dates do not exist anymore.

Rick

I was here by '97. I find it less important to post these days. I've found that even if I proved some point I didn't get a prize or win any money or any friends. It's nice to be respected or esteemed, but like physical things, you can't take that with you either. Pretty much all the things I used to get excited about just never did really matter.

Over the years lots of folks have moved on and others have joined. I know some of the "old-timers" that left here and other forums did slow down on hunting. Others left because of frustration dealing with "know-it'alls" or those that have just enough experience to have ill-formed opinions and have no problem setting anyone else straight. Thankfully there are some folks with more patience in dealing with folks like that and they have stayed or continue to visit from time to time.

"My first post in the present archives was 10/28/1999 under a different handle. I was here before then, but the server & archives for those earlier dates do not exist anymore. Rick"

Rick, My first post in the present archives was 10/28/1999 under a different handle. I was here before then, but the server & archives for those earlier dates do not exist anymore.

Rick, could be that your old posts are engraved on stone tablets somewhere. Maybe G.Stout did it or knows who did!

I owe everything I know about stickbows to the folks on the LW. Yeah there is some bickering going on occasionally, but you just have to have tough skin and ignore it and find another thread to read. Been here since 99 or 2000, don't remember which. Learned a lot, laughed a lot, cried a little, have been privledged to pray for many, Met and dealt with some A#1 folks. I intend to stay. I love this site/family.

I believe I started here in'97. Folks come and go.

I used to love BoBo and Gene's mom who always kept me laughing.

I used to do a buildalong or 2 a year or so. Now I'm getting older so I do not make as many bows as I used to. Selfbows are still my hobby.

Jawge

My first post was in 2004 and I am currently almost 24 yrs old lol. I was 13 years old when I found the Leatherwall and I have been bowhunting since then. I now have 3 sons of my own and 2 of them just got their first bows. TBOZ

Well my last post got screwed up! Not sure what happened--maybe working on my own stone tablet!

steveinoregon a long time before Sixby. Not sure when I came on and was on so many hunting sites not sure which ones.

But I do know I have been through a bunch of computers since I came on.

God bless, steve

Been here since 2004 used to go by Danbow.

My older posts as Jim in Oregon go back way before 2008..The archives don't have them..

I'm consistently stubborn about a few things..:)...see the WHY thread currently up..:)..Jim

I been here since 2007, dang I am old

I started on here under JEB and then went to my real name. Don't post on here much anymore just lerk and send out a few PM's.

Been on here since the original Leatherwall, on dialup. Sometime in the 90s, I guess.haven't heard fom Van, Cewpaws, Pokenhope, Bobo, Limbwalker, and a lot of other guys for awhile, but there are always fresh faces and ideas to share.

You can do a "search" on handles and see how long a person has been posting, at least under the current name. I've been "foxbo" since the beginning, which I believe takes me back to 2000.

I remember lots of guys who use to post. Dal Lowery, Beartracker, and a few others have passed on. I see their posts on some of the older threads when I do a "search" and I miss them.

It's still a cool site, but it was cooler back in the days when some of the old time greats use to post. Anyone remember "Bigstraightjim? :)

Big straight Bill. Bill McNeal from VA. He was a real Elton John fan and loved people from other countries.

Foxbo, that doesn't quite work as well as you think. At some point back the LW became the LW-II and most everything prior was lost. I know I've been here since summer '97, yet my posts stop at 1999.

Dan is right. There was a changeover and old information was lost.

Bee here before the archives

If I remember right there was a time that L kept a count on posts. If its the same I believe I came here in 97 or so. I know Bill McNeal was here and Jim in Oregon (Dire Wolf) and a few others. I had like 3500 posts and then we had to change names and lost our numbers/ I also had to restart several times and get a different number. God bless, Steve

When I arrived here, Tim Baker was still posting along with some of the other authors of the Traditional Bowyer's Bible series.

There was lots of discussion about bow woods other than Osage and yew. It was a different wall.

I was here in 97' too. At that time, I could only really log on from work (when not deployed) and didn't post much. In those days, my handle was "Ishi." That got changed to "Fisher Cat" when the site changed to LW-II. Now someone else has my old moniker. I miss the posts from the contributors to the Traditional Bowyer's bible too. Remember "Rusty Craine and his 20 minute, pecan self bows? He's on another site now and has gone hard-core ILF. Everything changes, but I still like it here. - John

LOL!!!!!!

Rusty Craine.

I could speak Rusty.LOL

Well, I am glad you guys stuck with it. I joined early, but could find no interest in "keyboard archery". Like a lot of things in my life, I found out that I had misjudged -and later changed my opinion. I'm glad I did. There are still a lot of newbies and know-it-all keyboard archers. But, that's ok....there is still a lot to learn from guys who post on this forum. I'm glad to be part of it.

And Dances with squirrels...

When I found the LW, there was a very contentious argument about early archery, the first and best archers, horsebows, etc. Can't remember the names, but lots of page long posts, and oh yeah, OSB was a star back then, or at least infamous here. Very interesting, informative and kinda funny also.

I remember when I first found the bowsite. Had to be in the prodigy days. What...95 or so? I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when pat got this going. I was on here pre-archive days. First guy I traded a post with was Stout and a fella from England. I couldn't believe I was chatting with a guy from England in the chat rooms!

Got to know some folks personally off of this site. Met a bunch of them at the PBS gathering in Seattle in 98. Rik Anderson, Jerry Gowins, Alan Ransom, Hawkeye. Pat and Brian had a breakfast for bowsiters there. Bunch of bowyers I admired. Wonderful times.

Fell away from the LW for a bit. Don't know why. Maybe because most of my friends drifted off. Dean Torges used to post on here a lot. Rusty Craine. Rik, Jerry, and a host of others. My enthusiasm for Trad wanned as my target panic issues grew. lots of little things.

Still a good place with lots of knowledge. Folks are still making some beautiful stuff, and there are some younger people that know a lot more than I ever knew.

I lurk a little and post a little less. Avoid the pissing contests on whether its instinctive or not. Still a good place to visit. Hope its here for another 20 yrs.

Yep, I remember Pablo, and learned a lot when Torges, Baker, Fetrow, Mims, Murray, Trashwood, and others discussed the pros and cons of various woods, designs, tillering methods, etc. I listened intently to Bob Morrison's contributions too since I make glass bows as well.

Back then, regular bow builds ruled the day. I couldn't have found this place, or began my bowmaking journey at a better time. I was as excited as a kid on Christmas morning each day to run in here to see what awaited me and was seldom disappointed. I was like a sponge.... learn and apply, taking notes, copying and printing entire threads for future reference... it was great!

I'm very grateful to all those who have, and continue to, selflessly share their knowledge here and elsewhere.

Back in the anonymity days my alto ego handle was Smiley. Those were fun times.

No idea when I came here, seizures robbed me of certain years of my life. I find it interesting when a new bee corrects folks on here who have bow strings older than they. Been a valuable learning experience.

99 for me came on as steve48. I realy miss some of the old guys to .RyanO was a great inspiration to me.Tim Oshey another, but there are a bunch of fun people here now and im here for the long haul.

Wow, lots of names/handles popped up that I had forgotten about! Van in Texas, Pablo, lots of others. I know a lot of fellas have jumped ship and post from time to time on FB. Glad to see there are still some guys from back in the e90's lurking around. I'm beginning to show my age...Does anyone know what has become of KFoster?

Frankly I have no idea as to how long I've been on the LW As I had to reregister at least three or perhaps four or more times due to buying a new computer a couple of clashes and at least one viral attack. But I do know it has been a few years at least.

I really miss Ojibwa

Been here since '05.

Been on here since 98 I believe. Things change as time goes on and sometimes not for the better. The last 5 to 8 years maybe more there has been more arguing, fighting, and name calling then in the past.

I blame a lot of the bickering on self gratification and all about me that they do not get at home. It's archery people and it's about having fun.

Been around sine six months after the start. Good people have come and gone. Some like Rusty have went some place else. I hang out there most of the time also. Miss the people with good common sense advice. Dont care too much for some of the "experts" the frequent this place. You never see them at the shoots or meets. But then it is hard to back up what you say when you cant

Hey Woody! :)

I think the Leatherwall started in 97 but it may have been late 96. Pat started the Bowsite in 96.

There was another Woody back then from MA. Some of the more memorable that I haven't seen in a while include JK - John Kelly and DWS - Dances with Squirrels. There are lots more that come to mind from time to time.

Joe Mattingly, Wingnut, 8th Dwarf, AkinPa, Reg Darling...

Hi Fuzzy! Man all these old handles are coming back! Thanks for all the reminders!

Jan. 18, 2005. Earliest post I could find. Dial up. Missing years showed the years I didn't have a working home computer. I think that might have been the year (+/-) I met Phil Magistro and George Stout at either a squirrel shoot or a golf shoot.

I have been on here since the beginning....some periods of inactivity then from military deployments to now with just not enough time...Dean Torges, FearlessInColorado, JoeMattingly, Wensels, Ferret, 8thDwarf, Snuffer, Rusty and all the yellow wood war discussions.

Place has changed since then...still good but not same.

keep em sharp,

ron herman

Harry - Probably both. :)

i started with the first sites that came on line, including this one. i really have never had a favorite, although there are some i really never use. thanks to all the guys who were brave enough to do the archery sites. takes a lot of guts to front the money.

2006 for me. This is still my favorite site. Thanks everyone for the years of reading and learning. Great people!!!

Started very close to the beginning, too. Remember meeting all those guys at the 1998 PBS Banquet in Seattle too. Good to see you here, Jim Moore.

1997... then PC crashed, lost my log in info, so i just visited and read posts. I rejoined awhile back, 2x. Someone took my old handle in my absence. I'm going to write down my log in info someday. :). I do miss reading OSB posts!

I remember one of the first things I searched for when I got internet(remember webcrawler) was archery stuff. Probably the bowsite was one of the first sites I found. Probably how I first learned about forums. Dial up with e-mail for $9.99 if I remember right. Still can't figure how they made it a money maker. Well, I know how, just can't figure why we would let it happen. Can't fight or fault capitalism but it is a shame when capitalist prey on the populous. It could have been such a help at no cost. It is our fault. Legislature could have stopped it right off but they were clueless as we were and the ones that were not were in somebody"s pocket. They say it we pay it.

I need to go shoot a few arrows. Come on CD, wake up. This first shooter needs his fix.

I been here a long time and used to be longbow but for some reason I am now longbow1 designating the first longbow on the LW. Least that is what an administrator told me years ago. keepem sharp

longbow1 - you get to pick your name, the system doesn't choose it.

I am gonna assume I was that fellah you speak of, I really am so glad to be back on and sure did miss bumping "Shoulders" on here with guys like fuzzy and jawge and the likes... Im glad to see old names are still around, In my confusing late teens both traditional archery and the leatherwall really kept me on a righteous path, particularly after loosing my mother when I was 16. Getting arrows downrange really helped keep my mind and spirit occupied. At the verge of 30, although still young, I found my self at a spiritual crossroads in my life, a good life, with a nice home, nice truck, interesting career and all of the American dream stuff going for me, But spiritually I've been lost and confused, like being a teen all over again. I decided to pick up a traditional bow again, and practice every single possible day. Its been 3 months now, I've done lots of soul searching at full draw, and I can't help but think, that traditional archery has literally saved my life not once, but now twice. It's Damn good to be home!

-Clear Skies Dennis "Deno" Stiles

Lot's of great information exchanged on this site! Very greatful to those who take the time to post and respond to others. As a Martin/Howatt fan, I espically appreciate the knowledge and history that Larry Hatfield shares with us...Thanks Larry!!!

Been here since '01. I sometimes wonder who has left vs changed their handle.

what does leather wall mean?

[[[ stringman - "what does leather wall mean? ]]]

In the old days there were places established for communication. These places would have a "leather wall", a board/planks, or even a flattened portion of a tree trunk, etc, etc.

Travelers/Mountain Men/Indians would leave messages for each other at/on such places as they passed them.

Rick

hey Rick thanks way cool very interesting.

TJ CRAIG ring a bell? He annoyed a lot of people, but I always figured he was just blowin smoke. He made me laugh. Girly bows

And just because a person is a long time visitor on here doesn't mean they know it all??

Good old Papa Bull used to keep this place interesting. Back then three under shooters and metal riser, carbon arrow shooters, aimers were not on as good terms here as they are now. He finally started up the tradtalk site but now its been sold too and I heard he is famous for his custom straight razors now and not much involved in archery.

Back in the olden days there were people on here like jawbone, Jeff Dodd, Shafts from Rogue River and Cujo from chekmate. I seem to remember a group tried to start a traditional organization on this site but Comptons was starting about then hat same time and the other organization fell apart. Do any of you remember the name of the other organization?

ATHA - Association of Traditional Hunting Archers

I was on here probably from the beginning it seemed, and posted sporadically. I didn't know much then, and probably still don't 8-))

Is there a way to tell from registration and/or profile what the join date was? Sometimes I still get confused trying to maneuver through the somewhat unusual registration processes on this site.

I think I first lurked here in 2001. I made my first post around 2002. This is still the best place for advice, as long as you don't pay attention to me.

Joe

About '03 for me. Never did post much, just search out subjects. It's all been covered many times. Apparently the real trouble-makers, pot-stirrers have been expelled, at least I don't see it as much anymore.

mnormand, there is no way to tell from the registration number. Most of us have had to reregister at times so our numbers don't reflect our start date.

I think that I have been here since 95 or 96?? My Handle used to be the current bow I was shooting plus Bob such as KodiakBob, MoosejawBob. I also used to enjoy the build-alongs. I still have one of the pot turkey calls that I made. Car accident appears to have ended my shooting.

I was part of the ATHA organization. It used to be fun to meet up with all the guys from here at the big trad shoots.

Hunted with Matt Napper when he had the lease outside Denton TX. John Kelly was there. Also hunted with James Young there too. There were a few others that were there, but I must be getting old.

I also used to converse with Dean Torges and Micky Lotz. Dean would always give me crap that I hadn't killed anything with the Firestyx bow I have.

Carl aka Plywood Bender

Once upon a time...

Maybe here since the beginning? Left for a while, now I just lurk...

I think Ive been here since the early 90s. Over 20 plus years.

Hi Ralph! Hope you are doing well. You were here at the beginning. Actually since the beginning of the Bowsite when those of us on the Prodigy Archery BBS moved here.

Zman, the Bowsite began in 96. The Leatherwall followed either later that year or in 97.

I think I met Ralph at the Magic Mountain shoot Near Twin Falls once.

Good to see that some of the old timers are still lurking. Hope your doing good Ralph.

Well the system didn't pick it for me. I was longbow and didn't participate for a good while on here. Came back and found out someone else had picked up longbow for a name, so I think it might have been Pat but maybe not but SOMEONE told me as in a p.m.or such, I would have to pick another name due to longbow being taken by someone else hence longbow1.

There was a Badger here before me that I was not aware of when I signed up. I only found out he existed when I did a search on my own posts. Has anyone heard from the other Badger or if you are reading this did you change your handle?

Phil, Doing well here. I do remember the prodigy deal. I remember Dave Mc and a few others. I have some pics in my album from a Prodigy initiated shoot in Philly of all places. Right outside of a prison!

Jim, I remember you quite well. At least from the Magic Mtn shoot and maybe a couple of others. I remember you talking about a shoot in Lamoille Canyon.

Hello, old dudes ;)

Good to know a lot of folks are still here. I think I joined in '98 or,'99...the old leatherwall. I retired in '99 and shot a Hummingbird, Zipper, 21st Century, Black Widow, several O.L. Adcock bows(followed his progression), Fred Anderson longbows.

Usually ended my post the same way; happy trails...

Been here since the old LW. You didn't need to register to post. Had a fella that went by Harpo. He wrote things so funny it would make you hurt from laughing so hard.

Been here since we came back from Germany in 1992 don't post as much, float to TG and TX Bow huner.

I was here before it was the Leatherwall. I think Dean Torges left shortly after ATHA went bust. Don't know if that had anything to do with it at all, just an observation. It wasn't long after Jerry Pierce died also and that hit him hard.

Don't remember the year (late 90's). I do remember the setup though. AOL 3.0 and dialup 9600 baud with most of the time getting connected to something much less. Good thing there was no pics. :o) Regards

Remember the Leatherwall before the transition. Much slowere than now. It has morfed but still has good dialog.

Kelly Peterson!! Man I wish you were still out this way! Idaho lost a good'n when Wisconsin grabbed ya. You still making arrows? I regret not being able to get up to your shop close to Twin. Lost opportunities. I really need to reconnect. Last time I saw you was a chat through the window of a truck as you were heading off the Angel Lake road. I do seriously hope you are well and its a joy to know that you are still hanging around this dingy ole hide.

Thats it Ralph. Lamoille Canyon is still pretty nice. I haven't been to it for a couple of years because its getting in my busy season. I am going to try it this year. Seems the older I get, the behinder I go.

Glad to see you and the rest are still lurking out there. Hope to catch you at one the events out here.

Be well my friends.

Ah those were the days.... 96/97... prodigy... a lot have passed on, some found other interests... I still post/lurk...

Still "talk" to Pablo, married and moved on now... makes pottery.

Been here since 1998 0r 1999. Dialup and all.

If you have already registered, please

sign in now

For new registrations

Click Here