I've owned several D-Shape (when strung) Longbows and even shot a few that weren't mine and being D-Longbows?...they were all sweet shooting and quiet as one might expect of such but?...after the pink cloud of newness dissipated?...the honeymoon was over and despite the drop dead beauty of a few of them?...they'd all leave me "wanting" in one way or another.
With a couple?...I had developed a serious dislike for the grip where others suffered performance issues over the combination of me selecting very low draw weights and the fact that they were D-longbows and I can only endure a dogged performing bow for so long no matter how sweet and quiet it shoots or how stunning it may be too my eye and with that said?....enter Jaco Wessels...
"TIMBERPOINT KRAKEN!!!"
I had heard enough about these D-Longbows from Archers far more skilled and experienced than I to safely presume that this was one D-Longbow that wouldn't leave me "wanting" and to know that if I didn't like this one?...D-Longbows would be off my future shopping lists for keeps.
Just opening the bow was an uplifting experience as I looked inside and realized it was a..."Custom Fit Box"...with cool little blocks of wood registering areas where the bow wasn't and locking the bow into position within the box...extra effort on Jaco's part and a great idea since originally it was Internationally shipped.
The next thing I was taken with was the quality of the bow sock the Kraken resided in...extremely heavy duty cloth lined with some real thick, soft and plush feeling felt along with an embroidered "TIMBERPOINT" patch...I know...seems silly to get all jeeped up about a bow sock but me this ain't your average bow sock and screamed "Pride & Quality" too me and I have an appreciation for such because this was just a taste of things to come and what came out of that super high quality bow sock?...left me in a moment of awe as I gazed upon a D-Longbow the likes of I've never seen before where the only thing that snapped me out of it was the thought of...
tipping the scale at a whopping 3lbs 3.7ozs (or 1,465grams)...Just under 3 1/4LBS worth of beautifully figured Madagascar Ebony and Golden Osage hiding the riser sections massive Dark Timber (I-Beam Like) Core.
I attempted to use a Borders Pocket & Hoop Stringer where despite the hoop being rubber lined?...it persistently slipped as I attempted stringing several times and had to hold the hoop in place cause it kept sliding up what I now believe is the limbs UD CF Backing with it's shimmering black/gray CF strands leading to tips accented with Osage with the string nocks cut in a fashion that seemingly acts as BH indicators...it's right when the base of the nock grooves are nearly straight up and down maybe?...
some take pause at the sight of the Kraken's grip as it appears tiny and painful but I'm here to tell you it isn't...it's an optical illusion where it "Only Looks Small" as it's raised from but back dropped by the Kraken's Massive Riser...if you will?....think of is as a grip that grew out of...and keeps you from torquing what is a King Sized riser...
However I will admit there's not much there.....but?...enough to be more than comfy where if it hurts?...you ain't doing it right cause this bow flat out shoots and does so remarkably well!!!...I just got the bow today....zero tuning...one nocking point...and from 15, 18 and 20yds?...baseball sized groups with 2 different types of wood arrows were the "easy to come by" norm...
Matter fact?...I was all giggly inside tonight thinking this is the first wood chucking longbow I've ever owned where I'm just as confident with it as any top quality target recurve I've owned...and I'm not exaggerating.
Also?...I don't think "Dogged Performance" will ever be an issue with this Kraken...imnsho?....it's also the first D-Longbow I've owned that preforms dang close to many older recurves I've shot...and please dismiss my.."Old Man Trembles"...they are highly exaggerated at the magnification I used to zoom in on the chrono...so it's like your eyes are 12"s from my bow hand...
I miss spoke in the Vid...I've looked at so many bows recently for some reason I thought this one was 51#@31"...it's not...it's 51#@30" which means I'm holding about 46#s at 27 1/2"s...but between the long limbs and the massive riser?...it's feels like I'm holding about 42#s.
More to come as I get to know the bow...Hope you enjoyed so far. Bill.
Jaco has been a personal friend for many years (we first met and shot together in Namibia), he is an amazing character with passion for life and the sport. Also a generous man, when a Longbow of mine failed (not his) he made me one of his as a gift to me.
Here is a short video of him, it will give some insight into the kind of guy he is, to me he is an inspiring Man in many ways.
Looks like a super nice bow, good mass weight for shooting too. From what I can see in your pictures Jaco is the real deal, both artist and bowyer. I think you will have a good time with the Kracken and any tuned arrow you shoot with it. TBOF shoot in 2 weeks..see you there, I might bring a plain Jane looking longbow I made last month.
Panzer: I snapped this pic just minutes ago to better show what sort of mass is involved here and it's...
"Massive" LOL!
The riser is 25"s long from end of fade too end of fade and the riser window at it's widest point (right by the shelf) is every bit of 2 3/4"s wide and then some...and I think it's because of the massive structure that Jaco was able to cut into the window so well...I have a mess of wood arrows here from two test kits...one set of 3 provided by Paul Jalon (of "Elite") and a test kit of 4 mahogany shafts from Kevin Forrester and I've yet to find a wood arrow I have that this bow doesn't shoot right down the pipe!...one nocking point...shooting 3 under...zero tuning.
Orion: Morrison's Dakota's were rather short longbows from what I've seen...56"s and such.
Holezone: Thank you very much and yep...sometimes I think some folks would love compound like velocity out of their recurves and longbows and while I'll admit that even I "Chase Speed" a bit now and then?...it's mostly for tuning purposes and also "logged info" so I get to learn and know what sort of speeds to expect from what bow and arrow combo's...the chrono also acts as a great form check and training tool to see how consistent an archer is executing their shots...that said?...I've had rigs I didn't really meld well with because they were "Too Fast" and created a situation where it took my mind longer (and had to work harder) to visually ingrain the arcs of my arrows flight at a variety of distances where it's like if the arrow is too fast?...it's like my mind doesn't get to "See it fly Long Enough" to nail down elevation and hold...for me and my brain?...the sweet spot seems to be between 180-200fps...a little faster or slower is no big deal...but get down to 160fps and less and I'm counting colors in a rainbow...but get me up around 210fps?...and my minds like...okay...fill me in here...what just happened? LOL! ;)
joe vt: Yes...it's a 68" bow and Jaco is meticulous in his material selection and craftsmanship...only the finest! :)
Fox Archery - Triple Crown and Royal Crown are similar designs. If built with micarta or some other heavy riser material they might be comparable? I'm pretty sure there are a few Fox's being shot in competition with sucess.
"Fox Archery - Triple Crown and Royal Crown are similar designs. If built with micarta or some other heavy riser material they might be comparable? I'm pretty sure there are a few Fox's being shot in competition with sucess."
Fox TC's are nice bows for sure and the house favorite of the D-Longbow shooting Elite who sealed the fate of many tourneys shooting one...but IMHO...just barely make the cut to be in the same league as the Kraken.
This is a pic of a friends Cocobolo/Boo TC parked next to my old Toelke Whip XX...and what the TC does too my Whip?.....The Kraken dwarfs the TC...and the Kraken's riser is of a far stiffer I-Beam core construction of a very heavy mystery material Jaco calls...
"Dark Timber"
Fox has a strong and well deserved following as his craftsmanship is par-excellence as well but the Kraken is rapidly becoming the Champions bow of choice and once you wrap your hand around one?...you immediately understand why. ;)
With TBOF's Fall Rendezvous just around the corner...Aug. 5th-7th...(not this weekend but next)...it was time for me to set and lock in my tune where I found the 5/16ths Parallel Cedars spined 40-45# that I cut too 28 1/2" B.O.P. flew like darts off this 46#@28" Kraken with 70gr Glue-on points.
These arrows weigh in at 400-410grs total giving me an 8.8GPP rig that's spitting them across the chrono at 176fps with me drawing 27 1/2" at 45#s OTF.
I already had a fair idea where I wanted to be with these arrows after seeing the results of shooting a variety of spines and point weights where these seemed to be the fastest, cleanest and hit well too center at a variety of distances as long as I did my part but did favor striking a bit left and with the single brass nocking point every now and then the arrows would kick tail high and strike low...undoubtedly needing that missing lower 2nd nocking point.
First I checked the BH which was at 7 5/8ths...10 twists later I was at 8"s even...the dead mean of Jaco's recommended 7 1/2"-8 1/2" BH.
At that BH the single brass nocking point was at 5/8ths up from the shelf which is where I jacked it up another 1/8th too 3/4" high for good measure (seeings how I shoot this bow 3under) and then added a nail knot tie-on lower nocking point and?....couldn't be happier with the results as I headed too the backyard for some test shots.
I only took (2) arrows with me and shot about 10 two arrow ends...this helps since the bow is on the stiff side for me (which is good for woods off a D bow) and only having 2 arrows seems to force me to execute each shot with an elevated level of conviction making each shot nearly like a spiritual experience and one shot after the next?...using a slight cant that leaves the massive riser wall perfectly vertical?...they flew like darts!
This is what a 68" Kraken looks like with an arrow nocked at 3/4" high with an 8" BH....
The Fox triple crown is similer but the Odessey /Kraken risers are 25 inchs the Fox is 24. The FOX is a wonderful bow but the kraken is a much larger riser and about 1lbs heavier. The Material used in the Kraken is not micarte!
Now made in Estonia? Ok. Never saw one until today.
I was at a small shoot this AM and a fellow had a Kraken lefty I got to fiddle with. At 68" and 37#, the draw profile felt identical to the 42# 1960 Kodiak Deluxe 64" I was using. IE. as any D bow, needs to be longer to get the draw lengths most of us need, and I could feel the Kraken tighten up as I reached full draw at 28" plus. (For me this is a positive as I want the bow to tell me I'm at full draw.)
The mass of the riser and weight was noticed, but most of the ohh-ahhh over the bow was it's beautiful lines and artist's attention to detail.
Hal, I have had the pleasure to share a camp fire with Ron Fox he is exceptional company! I will say again that the kraken is a larger heavier riser than the Triple Crown. no need to read anything into that statement.
