Just got off the big auction site...always looking to fill one more on my bucket list. Looking at those old beauties excites me as much as it did 50 years ago. The beautiful woods and glass, the stories they tell as you string them.. I read lots of threads comparing the 'new' versus 'the old', performance wise, and mostly just ignore them.

I own less than 20 of them, but shoot them all, spend happy hours just looking at and admiring them, thankful they are still so plentiful. If they were all gone ? I'd have take up golf.

Archery golf you mean, right?

Nothin' like 'em, used to have 40+ "old bows", mostly Bears from '57 to '76 mostly Kodiaks, and a few Wings, shot them all. It's just fun and relaxing.

Anyone who criticizes the old classics just has no clue about them, and they sure didn't live during that period. Only advantage to new bow performance is likely string material, not design superiority, when you compare like designs.

Amen!!!

Old bows old bows yes sire. Same shapes they use today.flipsum out there just fine :) JF

Old bows are better than old cars because they are more affordable.LOL

You ain't kiddin there. JF

I know the feeling!

I never pass up a chance to post a picture of this one...the bowyer who made this one was really having a good week

DDave

Have a few vintage target bows but acquired this old bow a few weeks ago. Its in very good shape and unlike my vintage target bows been shooting the shit of it! What a blast from the past!

Y'all take, Old

Three classics being used on my vacation...1967 Wing T-Bird, 1958 Howatt Monterey and a 1966 Browning Explorer.

A few more on the rafters above my head....late 50's Tri-State Jaguar, same era West Bow Jupiter Hunter, 1973 Howatt Hi-speed and a mid 50's Root Fieldmaster I just refurbished. I've been roving a lot with the Jaguar and the Jupiter...both 56" and fast! Let's hear it for old recurves!

I agree Bomack, and they are affordable too for most folks which is fantastic. I constantly look at the beautiful rosewood and bubinga in my 56 to 53 year old Bears and really enjoy them. Some of the older ones have a few stress cracks, but so do I.

Although I don't have a suitable camera, I do have a couple of Oldies on my bow rack. A mid 50's Root Recurve, 30 lbs at 28 inches. A mid 60's, 1967 if I recall correctly, Damon Howatt Hi-Speed, 35 lbs. at 28"inches. Both a really smooth shooting old recurve bows.

Was a Howatt freak back in the day, but seems like Herters' and Wings have knocked ol' Damon's offerings to second place lately (still love them though)

Recently acquired Howatt Cavalier

Wing Slimline (not mine pictured), one of which will be here next week

They're good bows... some are very good. But I'm indifferent toward them and don't own a single one. I don't own a single newer production or custom longbow or recurve either. No interest. But I've got dozens of bows sitting around :^)

My brother is big into auctions, flee markets, yard sales and such, mostly for old military stuff, and several years ago he began bringing me old bows and archery gear that he would come across. For a while I'd fix or refinish them if needed and give them away, but ultimately told him to stop. Apparently there's a good bit of older archery gear out there wating for a good home and a chance to return to active duty.

Love the old bows!

Gonna refinish this one and give it a few more years of shooting life! 1961 Kodiak and it REALLY smokes em!

Here it is again and the following pic is a Colt Hi-Power that USED to be in a similar condition before refinshing it.

One of my FAVORITES! a 1969 Tamerlane:

My shooting buddy and me, at the range. A 1971 Damon Howatt Vigilante. Same bow I was carrying and shooting at Denton Hill again this year. I don't really like new cars, new TV shows, new music, new "clad" coinage....

I must have been born earlier than 1962, since the "before" era suits me much better...

Even some of the more obscure brands are good shooters and there are some real gems out there.Hey they are so cheap that materials to make one cost more than they are to buy.Lots of folk get there start using older bows. I love them. OSR

Cleanrelees....the Tamerlane is on my bucket list, and yours is gorgeous !! Thanks for the picture.

Osr144: my first purchase from ebay [9 years ago] was a 66 inch Darton Classic target bow. It was in pristine shape for $120. It's still a good shooter and one of my favorites.

There's not too many I haven't shot at one time or another, so unlike Jeff, I love them all and would have a garage full if the money would cooperate. To each his own. I would even take a wheelbarrow load of osage selfbows.

I am developing an appreciation for the old timers. I have a Bear Tartar, amd a Pearson Goldn Sovereign on the way.

This seems like the time to say I bought a what we thought was a "wall hanger" but I narrowed the tips installed new glass and macarta tip overlays sanded throught the toughest finnish i ever came across! I saved the water slide decale a new coat of finnish and Dang what a fine shooting bow This is for Mr Stout the bow is a recurve 50's style? by Amarco American 62" I told the guy at "Denton hill"I would do my best and I did but sorry it isn't an $11.00 bow any more she's a beauty!! fast quiet too thanks Jeff W any body know anythiing about these?

I bought a 1956 Bear Grizzly static tip recurve and it shoots so well I sometimes laugh while I'm shooting it. It's 62" 45@28. I want to kill a deer with it this year and I'm sure I'll be laughing because this old bow survived 59 years in someone's closet. The tips are small and slender, the limbs design amazes me and the grip fits me like any custom I could order and even better than most. I can't help but think of the maple in the riser, and limbs, the tree they came from, the green glass and old school glue that has kept this thing together for all these years. Not to mention, every time I pick it up I can imagine the old Bear plant in Grayling which still stands and maybe Fred had his hands on this bow. He was indeed an archery genius and businessman of his day. I'm shooting history and great history at that. The bow cost me $85 and $10 shipping ??

Good story, Ed ! Last night, I noticed a deformed cucumber in my garden...just round, about the size of a ping-pong ball, and starting to rot. I picked it and stuck it on my haystack-target. Was shooting my old Herters Match Hunter, about 26 yards...and nailed it, first shot. All I could do is giggle like a damn kid. Always get funny looks from the dog when that happens.

I knew I couldn't do it the second time so I called it quits for the night (>: Priceless fun.

Jeff, those 50's AMARCO (American Archery Company) bows are flat out awesome. My buddy just bought one at Denton Hill and he is in love with it. And yes, they will shoot with any new bow around of similar design.

I have a Herter's Unico "45"...that is also a great shooter. Woven glass, 64", 52#. No one knew what the bow was so very few bids were cast. I got it for less than $45.00 including shipping. Love these old critters.

You know , its kind of funny that there was a period of time where you could hardly get five dollars in trade for your old recurve on a new fangled modern compound bow? Then when the big auction house came in to being, the prices were pretty decent to begin with and now you are lucky and have to take chances to get a real bargain. But if you shoot left handed and live in less populated areas, there really aren't too many recurves for sale. So the big auction house does what any good marketing would do, lines up buyers ands sellers and provides the opportunity to purchase true pieces of history. And the variety of makers and models is truly educational and when combined with sites like this and a few books, a person may even know what to look for after a while.

Grizzly, I just bought a 1966 Wilson Bros. Black Widow off ebay. Am embarrassed at how much I paid. But, I had missed several and if I hadn't paid the price I wouldn't have the bow.

The seller didn't know spit about archery, just knew 'old boys' meant MONEY. However, the bow arrived in one piece, looking like it was bought in 1966 and promptly stuck in a closet. Shoots like a dream. I got my money's worth.

Timely thread Bowmack. Just finished seriously tuning up this old 70's ERA Ben Pearson Silencer for archery season. For years Ive just " Plunked" around with it,but this year its coming off the rack and going huntin! Heres 3 at 20 W/ Surewood Shafts, and 125 Gr. Zwickey's. At 47 lbs it a lot less than what I usually shoot, but Im not concerned a bit and couldn't be happier with any bow.

Luv Them Old Bows !!!

Most Of all Kodiaks !!!

Beautiful bows guys ! And Moelman, that 47# will do the trick, especially shooting like that.

A bunch of "Old Bears" are all I shoot anymore. They suit me and my style of shooting just fine and I'm blessed to have them.

It's fantastic these old bows and bows like them can still be found and many are very affordable. Many of the old bows like the Bears, Wings, Hoyt's, Brownings, and Damon Howatt's etc., (I've owned these brands and more) are bargins in regard to their cost verses their reliable performance.

Could just look at the wood grain of the Brazilian rosewood, bubinga, and classic designs of all mine everyday.

The good looks and performance of these old classic bows is why bow designers and companies both current and of the past have remade them, or now create more modern versions of them. Several of these companies, which are small operations can make and sell as many versions of these old classics as they are able.

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