This has been my best year ever at finding Classic Bows at Garage Sales. I came across an original Bear 59 Kodiak at a garage sale a few miles from the house earlier in the summer for $45. I brought it home and put a new Dacron string on it and shot it for a half hour and was Happy beyond my wildest dreams. I had always wanted an original 59 Kodiak BUT not enough to pay what they normally go for.

My happiness was short lived. The next day when I strung the bow I noticed the lower limb had developed a twist. Yes it can still be shot and maybe the twist can be straightened out but the thrill is gone. I hung it on the rack and thought, well you win some you loose some, and chalked it up to bad luck.

Yesterday I was out riding around with my wife and came across an auction house in the next town over. I wrote down the name of the place and when I got home I looked it up on the computer. To my delight when I opened the current auction there among the 600 items for sale was one single bow. It was labeled ,"Old Bear Bow".

The auction company did a very good job of taking pictures of the bow and I soon realized I was looking at an Original 59 Bear Grizzly. I quickly registered with the auction site and was lucky enough to have the winning bid on the bow. I drove up this morning, payed the lady $103 and was a proud Papa. I drove home thinking what luck I'm having this year finding quality bows at great prices.

When I got home I put a new Dacron string on the Grizzly and it strung up beautifully. I took it out and shot 9 arrows into a nice tight little group at 15 yards and once again I was Happy beyond my wildest dreams. My son came home and I was showing him the bow and commenting on how beautiful it was when he said the following words. "It is pretty but Did you notice the tip is broken."

So you guessed it, the 59 Grizzly is hanging on the wall beside the 59 Kodiak. Two bows I always wanted to own but never really expected to and I find them both in the same year, within twenty miles of the house, in excellent original condition, at ridiculously low prices, and they both last exactly one shooting session.

Blessed or Cursed I haven't decided yet. I am going to drive over to the Bow Hospital next week and let John take a look at them and see if they can be repaired. If not they are probably going to end up being made into a lamp by somebody. Leaving them hanging on the wall if I can't shoot them is not an option. It would break my heart looking at them and thinking about how short our time together was.

I have bought a lot of bows at garage sales over the years and these are the only two that have ever failed on me. Of course they are also the most valuable and sought after ones I have every found as well.

I will continue to look and buy when the price is right but this whole experience reinforces my belief that when buying garage sale bows or any other bows that you have no history on it is best to stay at a price that you are comfortable gambling with because sometimes your going to loose. As has been said on this forum many times, there all going to break at some point it's just a matter of when. I know that is true I just hope my next couple last a little longer than the last two did. Good Day.

Both can be repaired. So why not repair them and enjoy shooting them?

If you go on Blacktails website and do a search they have a step by step on how to "Untwist" a recurve so I would definitely say you were Blessed with that one cause I have untwisted a many bow for friends and they have stayed straight . I would bet that Kodiak can be straightened easy. Some folks think once a bow shows a twist its done for but I once read somewhere of a bow company that had a few bows that would have a twist before sending to the customer and they would just untwist the limb and send it out. If you get hung up looking for the Blacktail How to untwist a twisted limb let me know I'll go look for you . I actually made 3 copy's for friends and gave it to them . So don't be afraid to try it yourself cause it's easy .

Old bows have issues. Nothing is surprising in your story. Twists can be removed and bow tips replaced. Those '59s had paper micarta tips that shed quite easily. Your story tells me that you need to get up to speed on some of the procedures that it takes to keep the old bows working. You can certainly pay someone to do the work, but that ruins the bargain aspect of the find. Do some research and ask some questions and my guess is that you can have both of those bows up and shooting for minimal expense. Post some pictures of the bow tip and we will get started.

Congrats on your good luck.

I agree with Brad that you need to understand some of the issues you'll encounter with a 60 year okd bow and how to remedy them.

Far from being fatal, a twist in a limb is, frankly, normal.

I have bought a couple of hundred vnitage bows and I am surprised when I find they DON'T have a twist in the limb.

It can happen with any bow but can be fixed in seconds. Simple.

Same with tip issues...few are fatal. The fact you could shoot it shows there is hope.

Hanging up a bow with a limb twist is like putting your truck up on blocks because you have a leaky tire!

I'll bet you have a smile on your face after the Bow Hospital visit.

Here's proof of just how common limb twist is. Herter's included this pamphlet with the bows they sold.

Stringing, or even drawing, a bow improperly can twist a limb. Just a matter of grabbing it and tweaking it back. It wants to be straight.

What Pdiddly said!

A twisted limb can be easily fixed and certainly is no reason to retire a bow.

Yep, I had a bow that I would have to un-twist every once in awhile. No problem.

You had good luck, not bad...and you just need to learn how to deal with the anomalies of old bows. Both of those bows are still quite capable and easily fixable. Enjoy, but learn more about how to deal with slight issues. You actually did very good.

Every trad archer shooting sticks its part of the education to learn to take out twists. If you never had a limb twist or had a bow with it that you picked up you awful lucky.

Even I, a total greenie when it comes to building or repairing a stickbow, took advice from a Waller and fixed my Deathmaster that had a twisted limb. The Herters advice above was my method, and it was a serious twist where the string would slide off the side of the tip when drawn. It is as good as new after I fixed it with that method. Was simple and quick, and lasted. Its my go to bow again. Sat for years thinking it was 'done for'.

D31, Both of your bows can be fixed. Finding both of them bows for the prices you paid was a great find. I found this 1997 Bear Super Kodiak on the big auction site. It had a Make An Offer option so I made an offer of $125.00 and thought to myself the guy was never going to accept my offer. I was really surprised when he accepted my offer. Sometimes we just luck out.

You have two nice bows and two opportunities to learn two simple repairs. Look on youtube. It’s easy, I’ve done both more than couple of times. Those narrow, slender long limbs can twist pretty easy,, they can also be straightened will a little gentle finese.

I was able to contact John Rafferty at the Bow Hospital and send him pictures of the 35# @ 28" Bear 59 Grizzly that suffered a tip failure the first day I owned it after shooting nine wood arrows through it with a new B50 Dacron string. I had my thoughts on it's ability to be repaired but I wanted to garner the thoughts of a professional bow repairman and John was kind enough to offer his.

After looking at the pics he said that because the tip is sheared all the way through the limb that he did not believe it was a good candidate for repair.

Many of you reading this post have done bow repairs yourself from the comments that were shared. If one of you would like to try to repair this bow and make a follow along thread out of the repair I will pay shipping to get it to you and you can take a run at it. If you repair it to a safe condition I will pay you for your efforts, If you repair the tip and it fails you keep the bow as a wall hanger, a souvenir, or make a lamp out of it. If it can't be shot it's of no use to me. I am not interested in taking on this one as my first tip repair.

The 59 Kodiak that had the twist that I mentioned in the original post was landing the string in the groove today, we will see what tomorrow brings. Thank you all. Good DAY.

Thanks for the update.

That tip is not fixable...

I am sure glad it was NOT a FF string on the Grizzly or we would have heard all about how that was the reason the tip busted!

So I guess it was the excess vibration of the B-50 eh?

All joking aside, the tip on that bow was probably cracked when you got it. Check the other one...it's likely damaged too...dry fire at some time.

I inherited my Dad's old lemonwood Indian longbow. I grew up with this bow and somewhere along the line the tip was broken. I've been thinking about cutting off the other tip and just shortening the bow. Anyone ever done this?

The fast flight fans always strike first. :^) I would fix that bow by cutting both tips off evenly,building new tip overlays,and cutting new string grooves. The poundage will be increased depending on how much it has to be shortened. I don't like to toss old bows but that is just me. How long was it to start with? Hate to say it but I am totally incompetent at taking pictures and posting them. Good luck what ever you do. >>>>-----> Ken / 2bears

Ken, it is 35# and 62" long. I am not into tossing anything myself, just ask my wife. How much do you think the poundage would increase cutting it down and rebuilding it?

I can't tell how much has to come off to get rid of all the split. Maybe as much as 10 pounds but then there are steps to take with that also. Good to hear it is at least 62" If I take it on and you are not happy with the results I will keep it and make it up to you somehow. >>>>-----> Ken

Just my guess maybe 10 to 15 lb it will increase it how much for sure is anybodys guess i would try it if it were mine . The wat i look at it you have nothing to loose the bow is pretty much a all hanger the way it is .

I have a 45lb Black Hawk Scorpion that I bought with a broken tip for dirt cheap. 60 inches long reduced to 58 inches . Added tip over lays, and ff string.I reduced the weight from the sides of the limbs to get it back to 45 lbs. Still working fine. Two Bears will bring that bow back.

59 Bear Grizzly on it's way to Texas Monday.

It started life as a 35# @ 28 62" bow, it won't match those specs when it returns but it will be a shooter instead of a wall hanger.

Two bears has offered to shorten the bow to remove the damaged area and reshape the tips and string grooves to make it usable again.

We are not going to do a follow along thread on this but I will post before and after pics and new specs when the bow is finished.

Thank you all. Good Day

I have probably bought hundreds of bows over the years at garage sales and flea markets and have yet to find a 59er so I would say you are blessed. Those 59 grizzlies are super shoots and a great bow. Too bad about the tip.

Same with me Woodsman. I could not believe my luck when I found two 59's in the same year having never even seen one in a garage sale, estate sale , or antique shop in forty years of looking.

Of course I couldn't believe either that they both developed problems the first time shooting them either but the broken tip Grizzly is on it's way to Texas now and the Kodiak is holding the string in the groove now so Blessed I am. Keep looking you may find one yet. Good Day

You will be simply amazed what Ken will do to the Bow

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