So I have seen this scenario a few times. A bowyer did not meet weight on a bow/limbs. It happens, most bowyers are good enough to sand off enough material to reduce but there is only one way to make a bow heavier. If it was too low, they would ask if the customer would be ok with them cutting the tip off and redoing the tip so that it will meet weight but the overall AMO of the bow is shorter. Like instead of 60"AMO @38lbs, it would be 58"AMO at 40lbs. For 3 pieces takedown they would cut the other end of the limbs. For takedown limbs, if it was too heavy, the bowyer would offer a longer riser. If the customer said no, it is not what they wanted. The bowyer would then offer it to other buyers AS-IS in stock bow or give them the same option of weight changes.

Based on reading and learning about bow designs. Longer is USUALLY better, but the combo of long limbs and short riser is USUALLY more efficient than short limbs and long riser.

ILF tech let people test this theory and most found that the overall speed difference between different limbs & riser combo is minimal, but the smoothest of longer limbs carries over better no matter the riser length. Shorter limbs on the other hand would start stacking for those with long draw length if using a short riser.

So just curious, if your bowyer notified you that your bow did not meet weight, that would you be ok with him making it shorter to meet weight or accept a different riser length if it was a takedown. Would you say yes or tell him to make another bow because its not the spec that you asked for. Would that shorten bow be as good as what your heart really wanted.

Just to be clear, this is not a personal event that I'm experiencing. I just observe it happening a few times and was curious of other opinions.

For myself, I would personally be ok with shortening the limbs as I'm nowhere near experience enough to tell the difference between a 60" bow to a 58" bow.

No, you order a custom bow to get what you want. You have done your research and shot other bows to decide on what you want. There is no reason to accept anything different when paying the price of custom bows.

I would rework one to save an older bow. That is entirely different from buying a new custom. That is my opinion anyway. >>>----> Ken

I've never heard of any respectable bowyer doing that, and if he did I would ask for a refund and move on.

Much of what you are surmising is too dependent on a particular limb design. For instance the Shrew design by Ron Laclair has proven to be a very forgiving bow, that does not produce "stack" even when sort overall length bows are drawn considerable distances.

The amount of actual working limb isn't always determined by overall limb length. Most folks don't realize that the fadeout wedges in takedown limb are added riser length.

I can shorten a longbow to raise the poundage or add a trap to lighten it but not on a custom bow. Most folks who order custom want exactly what they ordered. They had a reason for wanting that bow and right or wrong, thats what they want. I've never built recurves but taking an inch off the tips would probably change the way the bow limb worked and make a completely different feel to shooting the bow. When we sold bows commercially in Alaska if a bow missed specs it got put aside and we did a new one. we could always finish it later and sell it as a stock bow. Pretty competitive business and if you want to be in the game you need to give them exactly what they want.

When I am spending that kind of money, I expect it to be right.

what fdp said. The bowyer that does this is not reputable.

Many years ago on my third custom bow I asked for 65#@27" and I was pretty set on that weight. At 62" the bow was short on poundage. The bowyer said another bow could be made, or if I was OK with a 60" longbow he could trim the tips and up the poundage. Actually, a shorter bow fit in with the recurves and longbows I was shooting at the time. Have been happy with the bow for ten years.

I would do that myself to an old bow to "rejuvenate" it, but I'd never be satisfied ordering a custom and having to go through that.

Hmmm...good point on if its a recurve or longbow. Their design would affect how the bow shoot very differently.

Ok, I am seeing a lot of very strong reaction, mostly on a NO. I expected a lot of no, but am surprised by how strong it is.

I agree that if you're spending that type of money, you should be getting what you want.

So the no(s) are not surprising, but is the strong reactions as a result of the bowyer even asking? Like you're offended they even asked you to consider the option. Even if they offer you a discount, since the bow is 80% completed already.

"Like you're offended they even asked you to consider the option."

That is for sure part of it for me. If they are a "custom" bowyer than they shouldn't even consider something like that. To me that goes to show that have just about -0- pride in their product, and hardly any handle on how it actually works or their advertised craft.

And yes....I ran a very successful custom business in another industry for a long time so I do have an idea how these things work.

^^^^ what fdp said ^^^^

The only scenario I could envision is a longbow that came in light and was rejected by a customer. The bowyer could offer it shortened to a prospective customer to make weight at a discounted price.

A Bowyer should not even mention it to a buyer, be should build another to their specs. If buyer questions time frame he should tell the truth that he is running behind. IMHO

I get limbs different lengths on a regular basis from Bear. Funny they don't ask.

So it's a hypothetical scenario and not your experience? I say publicly embarrass the imaginary bowyer then get faux outraged.

The "stock bows" come from bows that came out too light mostly.

I've done it to my own bows. One, an ASL, improved in every respect. A bow that is just touching stack is going to stack if it's piked. I think most custom bowyers would just put it into stock and start over.

I got a bow with the tip broke off. Piked it, installed new overlays,cut new string grooves, then reduced it back to the weight it was. Everyone was happy. I certainly wouldn't sell it for a new bow much less a custom. >>>----> Ken

Nope you payed good money for the bow why have bowyer modify his limbs just to make weight. Not all bowyers will make weight but they will try like hell without shortening their proprietary limbs just to make a buck. Back in the day the bowyers would give you plus or minus 2/3# which to me is acceptable but make sure when you order you state everything what you want like wood combo and all I have return bows in the past because bowyer didn’t use correct wood in riser or didn’t add carbon etc. or even 7# underweight even though it was written on order form If I pay for a service I expect to get what I want not like the bowyer I used years ago that decided to use a different riser wood than what I ask for because he ran out and didn’t tell me until it arrived

In my case it was a blessing, because I have grown to love 60" bows and how they shoot.

I concur with 2bears statement ... the only time I've ever known a bow being piked is as a repair to damaged tips. It used to be common on English longbows but not so much nowadays.

So its not a strictly 'hypothetical' scenario. I had seen bowyers offered unfinished bow that did not meet weight to anyone that want a discount and they would complete the bow with modification to new owner's spec.

Personally, I had a bowyer who told did tell me that he only promise +/- 2lbs, and if given the choice, would I rather be over or under. Then....I'm going to stop here.

Ok, I guess this is a learning experience. I should of expected better quality of service. I just assumed that since you are asking for something handmade, some allowance is acceptable for human error. I would of felt really bad if I myself wasn't willing to compromise when the bowyer took all that effort and time. And the cost of materials they would of had to eaten.

I'm being honest here, I was probably too nice and didn't know any better on what to expect in the process.

There is virtually no way that you are going to be able to verify a 2lb disparity in draw weight because there is no consistency in how to measure draw weight any way.

I guess I’m confused… Is this a hypothetical situation, or is this something that actually happened?

Personally, if I were to have ordered something at a specific draw weight, I would want it to be what I asked for it to be. If the Bowyer missed spec, I guess I can’t blame him for contacting the customer and offering a choice. That said, I would Personally call the customer and say “hey, I missed the target and I’m going to build you another bow, unless you would rather have the lighter one sooner.” The difference is that (if I were the Bowyer) I would be owning up to my mistake and giving the customer his choice of remedy, depending on what his priorities might be.

First Class customer service (IMO) would be allowing the customer to shoot the underweight bow until the bow at the correct spec was completed.

Frank raised an interesting point, though, about the fact that given differences between exactly how things are measured and the scale being used, etc., it could be difficult to find agreement on “exact”…. That’s one of those things where expectations have to be crystal clear upfront, I suppose. Because let’s face it… There are times when, in order to keep a business running, you have to fire a difficult customer.

Maybe the only way to resolve that issue is that if a customer wants a bow to be really exact, he probably ought to send along a bow that he already has a comparable draw, and ask the Bowyer to match it. That way it doesn’t matter who is measuring or how; as long as they match, they match…. right?

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