I just won this early Gordon Plastics example on the big auction site. I don't have it in hand yet but I do have good pictures.

It is dated October '57 and I think it is before the "Royal Line" of bows came on the market. I would appreciate any input on this!!

I have never seen a Gordon Bow in person and only a few pictures of the Royal Lineup online but this one does not seem to fit the typical type of construction I have seen on Gordon Bows for any time during their bow producing years.

Any info or insight would be appreciated.

I will post more when I receive it!!

I hope the lack of comments indicates I got something good :)

looks good to me, give it time someone will comment. SS.

I checked the 1957 Oct, Nov and Dec issues of Archery Magazines and there was an ad from Gordan Plastics showing a Harry Drake bow called the FireDrake showing the size as 4'6" long. They are showing the bow being drawn 40". Gordan Plastics sold colored laminates. Wondering if you are getting a Harry Drake bow with Gordan Plastic laminates? Gordan Plastics had ads in many of the Archery Magazines from the 50's and 60's that I have.

I will send you the add I have if you want it.

jeb,

I would very much appreciate that. What do I need to do?

AND Thanks in advance!!

Just need an address. I will send a copy of the opposite page which is a Harry Drake ad drawing the bow that is in the Gordan Plastics ad also.

POSTED BY jeb - I checked the 1957 Oct, Nov and Dec issues of Archery Magazines and there was an ad from Gordan Plastics showing a Harry Drake bow called the FireDrake showing the size as 4'6" long. They are showing the bow being drawn 40". Gordan Plastics sold colored laminates. Wondering if you are getting a Harry Drake bow with Gordan Plastic laminates? Gordan Plastics had ads in many of the Archery Magazines from the 50's and 60's that I have. ---------------------------------------------------------------

No proof of course, but I feel that this bows design was influenced by another bower and built by Gordon Plastics.

Gordon Co.(in San Diego) made lots of bows in the 1950s. They were highly rated, Jack Bice was their head bowyer (an excellent target shooter, by the way). Harry Drake didn't get involved working with them until after he sold his business to Seattle Archery in the mid-60s. I believe the model you have is called the "Knight." It sold for about $50.

Sweet!

Harry Drake knew bows. He holds the world distance record (or did) of 2,028 yards! Over a mile!

Gordon Plastics (with Harry Drake as designer) and was the brains and brawn behind the excellent Browning line of bows. They also made and still make the fiberglass used in multiple manufacturer's lines of bows.

Yours might be a good bow. But to say you "won" it on that auction site is also to say you were willing to pay more than anyone else in the world that knew about it. Whether that is a "win" is debatable. ;-)

*********I believe the model you have is called the "Knight."******

I have a few ebay pics of Knights sold over the last year and none even come close to looking like this one.

I can't find any pics of the King, Prince, Monarch, Duke or Page - all Gordon models.

Boy you guys are really making me dig deep. Obviously, as I mentioned on the Browning thread FireDrake HAS to be Harry's design and it makes perfect sense he'd let Gordon build them. Good marketing by Gordon as Harry was very well known.

From the recesses of my brain, the Knight wasn't laminated like this but I've seen some Drakes that were, and the Clan Gordon crest was green. Actually the Knight riser looked like the '59 Kodiak but had an extra limb lamination than the Bear and a bit more width at the fades so it IMO shot harder.

Regardless, nice bow.

Rick

Ah Ha ! "Amster" here ! I shot with "Jack Bice" … good buddy ! We lost contact when I moved to L.A. for BenPearson. To Rick…I can't dig up records of me shooting (and winning) over Rube Powell in S.D. I owned "The Archer's Den" and designed(with Jack) the "Royal" line of Gordons and the "Browning " samples that resulted in the Browning "DEAL" . My "E" mail: jramster @mac.com Thanks, Jerry

Jerry- Great info! Please tell us more about Gordon bows! Do you know much about Drake and his relationship with Browning?

Joe

I have to say it yet again...gotta love how information just comes out of the woodwork on the Wall

DDave

Harry Drake 'confidential "story. Shhhh ! Don't tell I.R.S.

Harry lived in a cabin (AKA: A Shack !) on a canyon in the hills East of S.D. He was almost "hermit " like from what Frank Eicholtz told me. When he glued up a bow and he wasn't happy with the results, he would toss it out the shop window into the little canyon behind the shop! His remarkable flight bows were highly STRESSED and he broke more that we can imagine ! He always pushed the limit and the canyon looked like a GRAVEYARD of broken bows over the 25 years he worked in that cabin. Not many folk bought his flight bows, but when Rube Powell won the National Field Championship with a DRAKE … he was making bows as fast as he could….working alone . The MONEY was rolling in ! OH ! OH! I.R.S. made a visit (Harry was not a big fan ) "You haven't paid TAX on your sales !" Harry pointed out the shop window… at the canyon FULL of broken bows ! " Look at that !" he exclaimed ! The I.R.S. agent drove down the dirt road, shaking his head. I have kept this to myself for 50 years. R.I.P. Harry ! Remember: "Old Archers Never DIE …. they only lose their QUIVER" Peace, Jerry Amster (jerryamster.com )

A lot of folks would like to go back in time to that cayon!!

LOL! That was great! Thank you Jerry!

Joe

Harry's record shot of 2028-0-0 was with an unlimited footbow. more impressive to me is his 55.1# unlimited recurve record of 1072-2-6. nobody will ever break that record.

Yep! Over 1,000 yards with a 55.1# bow, and to think my Holy Grail has those limbs!

Joe

This thread clearly illustrates how much the historical knowledge of vintage bows has grown since the original post three years ago. The notion firmly espoused by one poster that Harry Drake was integral in the inception of Browning has been tossed in the scrap bin of history through Jerry's clarification of how the Royal line of Gordon bows and Browning came to be, and why, and that Harry Drake was not involved at that time. The OP's bow was a Gordon and not a Firedrake. The ad merely demonstrated that Drake bows used Gordon glass...it shows how easy it is to rush to quick conclusions on superficial evidence.

Just for clarification.....Harry did indeed work for Browning but not while they operated in San Diego.

Harry was still on retainer for Browning at the time of his death. He was a good guy. Had total control over his shot. Didn't like to be anything but "FIRST", but took credit for some of Ike Hancock's ideas and builds of regular Flight bows.

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