I've got a acquaintance who has a custom bow ordered. The bowyer promised a certain date of finish and is running three or four months late and is giving my this fellow the run-around. I told him, being late is minor compared to what "could" happen.

So.... it made me curious.

How many guys here have had a bad experience?

I don't want to start a bowyer bash so let's set a couple ground rules. Do NOT name any bowyer (unless you want too). Just tell us of a deal gone bad or not as expected.

They can range from being extremely late, to never getting the bow; not returning deposit or not getting a refund. Missing weight to the extreme or not acceptable quality, etc., etc.

I'm under no illusions here. I know it's a negative post and we would all like to hear to good stuff. But we need to know the bad stuff too.

Mine most disappointing (but is some ways, understandable) situation is, I made a trade with a bowyer. That was six years ago and I still don't have usable bow in my hands.

I have a friend that has a bow ordered and they bowyer told him he was delayed because he is going through a divorce. he is getting the run around. At least 6 months late

I ordered a longbow from a rather innovative bowyer in New Mexico a few years back. Long story short, I was one of the guys who actually got their bow, though it took two years with lots of phone calls. Turned out it was the best longbow I ever had, and took many deer with it.

I only had 3 customs made for me and they all went south on me. the bowyers made them exactly as I asked and I didn't know what I was talking about lol. I have read many horror stories about custom bowyers over the years. makers of excellent and popular bows. weak in character they took the money and ran....ron

Was on a bowyer's waiting list for five years. Called and/or wrote about twice a year to let him know I was still interested. Never answered his phone or returned a call. Finally heard through the grapevine last year that he quit making bows about a year earlier. Never bothered to finish out his wait list, never bothered to call anyone to say he was not going to make their bows. Fortunately there was no deposit. Great bowyer, but a total jerk....

Not quite the question but I had a like new, never in the woods high end recurve from a very well know bowyer. I put it up for sale and just about had it sold when the potential buyer let me know he had talked to the bowyer and they told him it was not that great a model and they'd give him a discount on a new bow if he'd buy one instead of my used one. Nice. Needless to say I'll never be buying one of their bows again. How do you bad mouth your own product?

Good and bad experiences. Definitely the most common problem is having underestimated the wait time. Anymore, I just assume it is gonna be double of what I am told, that way I am not disappointed. It was a bigger deal when I had less bows. When I ordered a heavy bow prior to my water buffalo hunt and was guaranteed that I would have it a month before the trip. I had a bad feeling, and got a separate bow from another bowyer. Good thing that I did. Got a few weeks before my hunt and didn't have the bow. The bowyer had made a mistake, and would not have been able to finish a bow before the hunt. He refunded my deposit, but I would have been screwed if I hadn't ordered the other bow. I know that this isn't the topic, but I will still give a shout out to Bob Morrison. He saved my hunt by getting me a bow on time.

My only one bad experience. Ordered a longbow from a relatively new bowyer that i had heard lots of good things about. Ordered the bow over the phone without any written correspondence. When the bow was finished I got a phone call that he had missed weight. He asked if I was dead set on the weight. At the time I had several bows in the weight that this bow came in at and was really wanting something a little heavier. He said he could shorten it 2" and make the weight. I was OK with this as I was on the fence about which length bow to go with initially and had ordered the longer one. When I received the bow there was a spot about the size of a nickle where the finish had popped off during shipping. The bow was just shipped in two of the triangle shaped priority boxes taped together. When I called to report the finish issue, he said that I should just get some wipe-on poly and touch up the spot. During the next few weeks more spots of the finish kept popping off. Finally convinced him to refinish the bow (he admitted that he had tried a new finish on some bows and had several other similar complaints. During this time he would advertise that he had bows that he had "on special" that he sold for less than I paid. Finally got the bow back and sold it. Will never buy another one of his bows.

NO WAY Id wait 5 years for a bow, don't care who the bowyer is. After 6 months the deal's off. Ill go to someone else.

I paid a guy who posts on all the sites as Crookedarrow. Been a year now waiting on 2 billets and a stave. Paid in full upfront, he quit talking to me after a few months. Then a couple months ago said he was gonna ship and had been in hot water and unable to contact me to tell me there'd be a delay. But then a month later sent me 5 tracking numbers. All were for packages delivered to jersey. Told him and he said oh that was another guy that just bought staves. Asked me to pay more shipping so he could send mine. Been another couple months and now he's gone silent again. Can't type, can't talk, worst guy in the world to deal with because of all his "my life is so sad I just need your money" stories. And I hope he reads this.

I'm with you Yankee. I wouldn't wait five years for a wedding, much less a bow. Good grief.

NAME THE BOWYER OR DON'T POST YOUR ISSUES! NOT FAIR TO ANY OF US TO HERE THINGS UNLESS WE KNOW WHO TO STAY AWAY FROM DON'T YOU THINK?

I bet the Bowyer Customer horror stories are a lot worse.

Yep - I imagine a lot of guys who can put up the first $100 have difficulty paying the balance when the bow's ready to ship :)

I've had only pleasant dealings with the bowyers of PA and OR that I have dealt with. Don't be in a rush, and like mentioned above 6 mos. is too long (for me anyway). Could be broke or dead in 6 months.

No way in the world would I ever build bows for the general public a thousand attaboys are ruined by one ohcrap.

I think most bowers start out with good intentions. They see bows going for a grand and up and decide to jump in. Most good wood workers including myself, do not know the physics and dynamics of bows. Good furniture finishes and glues, may not take the constant flexing. It turns out to be more time consuming than they thought and they run into unexpected problems. They fall behind in orders and their day job pays better. Absolutely beautiful bows may not stand up over time.Any one can get a very good web site now but it is still one man working in his garage. If he falls ill,gets injured, or goes through a divorce and move,he gets hopelessly behind.A few have made it work and have nice shops but many fail even if they do make good bows.Do the research,stick close to home,or take the gamble. >>>-------> Ken

Yep, it works both ways... as a bowyer who tries to stay out of the business, it's a good sign I'm making the right choice when someone finally convinces me to make them a bow, I send it, and after 2 years they still haven't paid for it... whatever, lesson learned... and it makes it easier to say no the next time.

Ryman Cat, read the original post.

I bought my first longbow from a very reputable guy back in about 1980. It shot great but one month after its year warranty was up the tip broke off. I called him up. He told me the bow was a month out of warranty so there was nothing he could do except sell me another bow. I never mentioned his name to anyone because technically he was right. The warranty was up by a month. But I felt that was the worst businessman I had ever seen and felt he was morally wrong. I kept his name to myself even when did the same thing to another guy.

I bought a recurve from a guy that I had heard good things about. The bow shot so well I ordered another for a backup. When the backup came it wouldn't tune. The bow absolutely would not shoot a straight arrow. A friend did some measueing n told me to switch the limbs around. I did so and the bow shot great. So I called this guy and he had me send him the bow. He called and told me the tiller was way off once you got close to my draw length. Anyhow he sent me the bow, supposedly fixed. I still couldn't get an arrow to fly out of it. I again switched the limbs around n it shot great, but looked like heck. I sent it back to him agin. I got a call from him saying he had too much time wasted on it n he was sending it back to me as is. He also sent me a bill for shipping. This one was dead wrong so I took the bow to a large shoot ever weekend and hung it up with a sign. I had over the year probably 20 guys try to tune the bow and try to tune an arrow to it. No one could. I ate that one but hopefully it cost him.

I've bought a ton of customs over the years and not one bowyer has been anything but great to deal with. I've only had problems with one other bow and it was fixed right away. My bows have always been just what I ordered and have always gotten to me on time or early so most bowyers are stand up guys but you'll find a bad one or one in bad circumstances from time to time. Btw one of those guys is still in business and the other retired.

For once I have to agree with Ryman Cat (to a point). Either name the bowyer, or don't give any clues at all. I'm pretty sure I know which New Mexico bowyer Juspassin was talking about, but I know a couple of other New Mexico bowyers too. They don't deserve to have any doubt placed on their reputation just because they are from the same state. - John

I don't rest until a bow is completed, when and if I take an order. As far as I know, anybody who has purchased a bow from me was and is still happy.

If a man has no integrity, he has nothing.

KPC - not saying guys haven't been burned by bowyers. Just agreeing w/ the comment that I bet a bowyer or two has had customer non-payment issues - just like customer or two has had delivery timeline issues :)

I'll add that I ordered a bow from 1 PA bowyer with a super-short wait time who insists on 100% payment upfront, and another PA bowyer that had open-ended turn time but took $0 upfront. Worked out great for me with both bowyers. I had no fear and ended up w/ no regrets. Should know something about bowyer's character in advance of committing to them with an order.

Once I had a guy order an ambidextrous (dual shelf) longbow and he ask me to make it cut to center. (If you read this, you know who you are, I won't mention your name and embarrass you)

Most of the bows I build are donated to good causes or to individual kids. Would you believe you can get screwed around on a bow given away free, including shipping. I have donated 3 custom bows with arrows to members here since last Sept. All that was asked of them was to post a picture of their child or grandchild shooting the bow and I was assured they would gladly post the pictures. Been 6 months and no pictures. I don't have a problem posting their handle here for everyone to see if just one person would ask.

James

My limited experience with customs has been good. My first LB was on time but a little light, ended up being a good thing. My recurve I got from Vintage Works was actually ahead of schedule. I planned on a year and a half wait. I got it in 10 months. I love the bow. But, best experience was with Wes Wallace, I had a tip come off a LB I had bought used. I called to ask how much to repair. His answer, "my bows don't break" no charge. Of course I paid shipping, I expected to. I also had him refinish the bow. Remember I bought this bow used!

My horror stories are pretty mild, but they convinced me to make my own.

My first longbow, 30 years ago, from a very well known and respected bowyer, came with severely misaligned limbs. Unfortunately, it was 2-3 years before I knew enough to recognize it.

Another, from another well known bowyer (at the time) came with a semi pistol grip instead of the advertised straight grip. When I called, he said "Oh, that's how I'm making them now".

Another bow, from a very well known pair of bowyers, came with a grip different than specified, and different limb wood. Again, "Oh, that's how we're making them now".

Another, who claimed he would make anything the customer wanted. refused my requested limb/riser woods because it wouldn't be pretty (but he refused up front, so thanks for that).

That's why I started making bows. If you want it made just the way you like it, you have to make it yourself.

BTW, Dick Robertson, 28 years ago, made exactly what I asked for, and it looked, felt, and performed exactly as promised. It was also the only bow I've bought or even heard about that was delivered on time.

I have only ordered form Reputable bowers that have been around awhile, all great experiences for me

Never any problems with Black Widow,Fox archery, Robertson stykbow,Northern Mist Dave Wallace- Reasonable to deal with delivered as said with in reason and great quality product

Would not hesitate to order from any of them again Have ordered more than one bow form some of them and totally satisfied ,

Reputable people with a History

I ordered a 2 piece takedown RD longbow from a well known bowyer.Spent $1200 got a bow with cracks in the riser originating from the bowbolt.At the time I was active in tradgang as was the bowyer-I contacted him and was told it was "drying checks" I SHOULD HAVE RETURNED IT.I didnt want to start problems on the site....have long since left TG.Finally after years I contacted him or his son I forget which-asked if they would sand out the "checks" and refinish hoping to sell it for 1/3-1/2 of what I paid.I OFFERED to pay for it.I was told no-send it to someone else! I HAVE COME CLOSE MANY TIMES TO SENDING IT TO THEM CUT IN 10 PIECES.

I get mad thinking about that cheat.Galls me to think people are so low-I hosted this guy on a hunt!!

Sorry, but this wasn't a post to "expose" bowyers, it was simply to acknowledge issues some have had. Far as I'm concerned no one needs to know more than that. If I'm wrong, won't be the first time.

What original post?

I've never ordered that many custom bows, but have never had an issue when I did. Now, that being said, I never ordered a custom bow from anybody who had a forever wait list either.

I am with RymanCat, who are all these great well known bowyers that are shafting people? Stop protecting them and drop some names!

I'll never order another one.Ever.

I have bought one custom bow and the experience was great fun and zero issues. I drove from Dillon to Denver, met Kieth Chastain at his house. He showed me his shop and answered all my questions. I put a deposit down and a few months later I was back in Denver picking up my bow and paying the balance. Had a great talk and learned a few things. I would do it this way again.

I have bought one custom bow and the experience was great fun and zero issues. I drove from Dillon to Denver, met Kieth Chastain at his house. He showed me his shop and answered all my questions. I put a deposit down and a few months later I was back in Denver picking up my bow and paying the balance. Had a great talk and learned a few things. I would do it this way again.

The bowyer I was talking about doesn't seem to have a website anymore. I not sure if he is even in business anymore. Business practice probably took care of the problem.

All good experiences ordering from custom bowyers except for one. And he is no longer in business. So I will not tell my story.

Ya, I was told 6 wks. once and got it in 18 Mo.

Another time I went to a bowyers shop and was promised the grip I wanted, only after a long wait when the bow came it was totally wrong.

After 20 years of bow building I am going to close doors due to these kind of threads plus I have had two people in a row that have ripped me. I am so tired of the drama queens there is just no sense in working like I have been working to please people. I have never ripped one person off and have built every order faster than allotted time. I have also refunded people money on any bow that they were not pleased with. What more is possible for any bowyer to do? And yet almost every time I come on one of these sites there is this type of thread going on. Soooooooooooooooooo. Doors closed at EagleWing. At least for now.

God bless, Steve

well i will mention a name.BIGHORN BOWS rich burch, i sent a treasured albeit beat up bow to him almost 6 yrs ago to get refinished . everytime ive asked him to send the bow home he says ok,,,,,then nothing.

yes i sent some cash up front too.

Total of 3 ordered,on time on target each time----lucky to have picked the right guys I guess. Sometimes a 'no' or 'can't do it' is an honest and acceptable response to a request..

The Chek-Mate/Cascade story is pretty well known by now. I did get my riser after 4 years.

DDave

Jimmy see what you did? :)

Well any bowyer is only as good as his last bow! I remembered I bashed a Bowyer so bad I still feel bad about it to this day and wish I didn't do it. Ok I was out of control but that's how bad I was bothered with the finish. I am real particular and any bowyer that would build a bow for me knows this up front because I tell them. Now with this said I let a bow go that erks me to no end and its gorgeous but it has streaked glass and although was told he could try again but no guarantee. I elected to swallow it but don't like it one bit even to this day!

Not going to name him you all know him and he is a great guy so I left it go and kept complaining about it.Problem isn't going away in my head but it sure shoots game so I just look at it and let it pee myself off.

Some things just are not exceptable but what can be done and they know this when they have your money.

Sorry to hear that Steve that you got to the point that you feel this way. Many times I throw my hands up as well in business too it sucks at times.

At my age I couldn't wait I'd have to will it to my grandkids

From what I have seen here there is a problem now with the glass being streaked.,

Checkmate yea that is a whole story in its self .

After dozens of great dealings with various custom bowyers from all over the US , I only had one issue. Paid full amount up front on my second bow from Doug W. but never received anything. The rest is history about TCL.

Ok...anxious now after hearing some of these stories but still very excited. I have my very first custom bow in progress now. I get updates frequently and we talk regularly and pics sent.....so praying that I will have a success story to tell and not a horror story. Either way I will tell the story when I get my bow. Marsha

This is a good example of how it can happen to anyone by even the bowyers with the best of reps. One of mine was considered one of the best in his field till he retired. The other has been mentioned in this thread as a good example,lol. Mine were a long time ago. best is just don't deal with that person again n forget it.

Java Man Archery

Never had experienced any better business with a bowyer. Gregg discussed and explained options of my custom Assyrian with me. He also sent me pictures from glueing, sanding to final finishing. Bow arrived due to the date Gregg told me. Bow came in better than expected ... ;-)

Michael

I bought two different Timberhawks and had a normal wait.

Great experience, great bow, and very nice bowyer.

I'd buy again in a second.

Just from a pure entertainment standpoint, wouldn't it be fair and interesting to hear from a dozen different custom bowyers telling their horror stories about dealing with customers who made them miserable?

You can't go wrong with Black Widow, great bow and customer service.

Yes, and more-so if some of the names of those here complaining were mentioned by them.

I agree with Kevin. I am sure the phone calls and the change of order stuff gets old for the bowyers. Have ordered many bows from Dave Windauer over the years and never had a problem. He and Beth are great people to deal with.

Cracked riser on a 1 pc recurve after only 7 months. The bow was shot in the back yard only and probably only had 200 arrows shot through it.

Bowyer said he could replace it but I would have to include the non refundable $200. So the replacement would cost me a additional $200; I opted for my money back excluding the $200. It was a beautiful recurve that still shows on his website. I will never buy from him again; because I feel he should have stood behind his product better. I understand wood is wood but geesh $750 is a lot of money. The bow also had the I-beam construction.

got a deposit back after the bowyer never built the bow, and kept putting the build date and delivery off. this went on for about a year. I went to the local BBB and the editor of TB. they helped me. the bowyer called me afterwards and was screaming and swearing.

returned a bow for a minor warranty repair where the edge of the overlay was lifting. bowyer had the bow for 5 months and would not return my calls or emails. I sent a letter with delivery confirmation, asking that he either refund the money I paid him or fix the bow. he fixed the bow.

my worst experience was buying a used Bear Grizzly from a sponsor. there was no mention of the bow being repaired or having any major issues. when I received the bow, there was 3" crack in the fade out that had been filled with glue. this bow should not have even been sold as a shooter. long story short, I got my refund, less shipping. I will never buy from that SOB again.

as mentioned above, the stories go both ways.

this thread is useless without names not to bash but to give potential buyers a heads up ok my list of great bowyers to deal with

Jim Nieves Dan Toelke Mike Mcredy Steve Tallent Big Jim Black Widow Rodney Wright this is a short list

Never had an issue , bought several bows from various bowyers. I'll bet there are misunderstandings, cheats, and scoundrels on BOTH sides of this issue though.

I was a bowyer and only had one bad dealing with a customer.

I made osage bows and had a guy from Birmingham ordered a custom bow from me. The first one I made broke,the second one came in under poundage and the third was as perfect a bow as I ever made. I had an honest months of work into making the guy a bow.

When I emailed him that his bow was done, I got no response, I found his phone number on the net and called with no response. I kept at it and he finally picked up the phone, his response; "I changed my mind I don't want the bow".

Some people have no honor.

I never took a deposit and all my other customers were as fine a people as they are on the planet. I always finished a bow before the time I quoted and replaced any bow that had issues no questions asked. I also gave freebee bows to loyal return customers who bought several bows from me.

Dean Torges told me he had a guy string one of his bows backwards and shot it like that until corrected.You cant overestimate people when you are selling bows.

I've had a bunch of custom bows made and really only one bad apple in the bunch. Guy made the bow with the exact opposite woods that I wanted (even though I sent him a picture) The bows draw weight was 10 pounds heavier than I ordered and an inch shorter draw than I ordered so it was actually 13 pounds over weight. This was a well advertised bowyer and the fit and finish was terrible. Honestly, I've never built a bow before and I think I could do as well. Bow was over $1k. Needless to say I was not happy and would never buy a Bow from this guy again.

Several years ago I purchased a bamboo backed osage R/D longbow. After a few hundred shots the back failed. Bowyer said he could replace it or I could wait for a new model he was working on which is what i did. I did not shoot that bow much over the ensuing years; few hundred shots maybe. Was sitting in a tree stand this past fall and ran my finger down the belly and felt a little bump. Turns out on this one the bamboo was crushing the belly. Sent him a pic. and he said "yep it looks like a walll hanger". In fairness the warranty was long gone and he hasn't built wood bows for a long time, but that has cured me of the "custom bow" fever. My favorite bows now are 1950s bear dual shelfs, a sinew backed hickory that I built myself, and my trusty TFX BW.

Very well known bowyer, w/ supposedly great reputation. After 5 phone convo's and 3 letters, ended up 6 mos. wait, for a set of LB limbs only, built wrong, 2" short, did not have the tips I ordered, 5 LBs under weight, and way past hunting season, he gave me $ 100 credit. Would much rather have had the limbs on time and correct! Cured me on custom bows, or parts for that matter! Wyatt

"BIGHORN BOWS/RICH BURCHES" Sent him my bow 8 years ago! Get excuses BUT NO bow !

I have ordered a couple dozen custom bows over the years and for the most part, I have been pleased with the experience. Generally the wait time was longer than promised but as stated above, that is kind of to be expected. The exception there is Howard Hill bows. Every one I have ordered has come in SONNER than promised, which is a pleasant surprise. I have had a couple of bad experiences though.

I ordered in eight different Bighorn custom over the years. When Asbell ran the company I had no problems but then afterward it changed hands several times. My last two bows were delivered six months or longer past their promised delivery date and one had a fatal flaw in the limbs. I sent the limbs back for repair or replacement and despite correspondence over a 12 month period never received replacement limbs or even my unusable ones back. No idea where they are today.

I also order a nice takedown bow from a bowyer in Ohio that is no longer in business. As this was to be a raffle bow for our club shoot I paid for the bow in full up front. I got every excuse imaginable from him over the course of our dealings as to why the bow hadn't been shipped. Three different times over a six month period he told me it was in the spray booth and just needed to be boxed and shipped. Finally he stopped responding to calls and e-mails at all. We were about 18 months into the process at that time so I went to the magistrate and obtained warrants for him.

See my posts on todays taxidermist thread.

Jim Casto Jr-let me whisper in your ear...."after 6 years you aint getting the bow".....

I only own two customs. Both made by Craig Potter. One I've had for over 20 years. Both look and shoot great.

Now I only buy the old bows of epay. Dont need another custom. Got two.

T4

As mentioned already, unless you are prepared to name the bowyer who did you wrong, don't mention their state as that will make everyone suspicious of other bow makers who are totally dependable. Like the "bowyer in Ohio who is no longer in business." We shouldn't cast suspicion on guys who don't deserve it.

David is right this threads will get shut down quickly be carefull guys what you say

This is a tough topic.

We all want and really should know who is to be avoided, so as not to waste time, effort and money on a custom bow.

A bowyer shouldn't be trashed by a single mistake, but if there is a pattern it would be wonderful to have that information before stepping into quicksand.

I had a friend that had been offered a job by someone that I knew. When he asked me, I simply said,"Look into that carefully." That's all I said.

He looked into it and then came back and thanked me and didn't take the job. I didn't have to denigrate anyone, just a friendly bit of advice.

If we can do the same about bowyers, or any business for that matter, we all benefit.

Plus, we need to constantly proclaim and publicize the bowyers that are quality craftsmen. Those who stand behind their product and are people of integrity who often give so much to this wonderful thing we call traditional archery.

Everybody makes mistakes and bowyers are no different. Any bowyer is bound to have a failed bow out there some where. It boils down to how they handle the customer. How they solve the problem. I've had more then one bow fail me by very reputable bowyers over the years. All but one did more than expected. I felt and still do that that bowyer treated me unfairly. His last words to me were "I'll never build another bow for you and you'll probably never buy another one from me" my response, was your right about that. I do believe he's a talented bowyer and that he treats people good as long as things go well. I learned from my experience. I don't see what good would come from me bashing him here would do. His followers wouldn't believe me any how. He shall remain nameless. Most of our bowyers are top notch and a pleasure to do business with.

I've never had a bad experience with a bitter. Guess I've lucked out.

I have had several good experiences and some

Riser Cracked in half when shooting - bowyer replaced it

Limb went crooked - bowyer fixed it

Had one back me up for a few months and deadline never came but he gladly refunded my money when I asked for it back

Have an issue now - sent it in

some other things I could live with but the bowyer said they would refinish it, good enough, not needed

It's the shipping that stinks - usually 25-50 bucks depending on insurance you want

several went just fine - these were my ony issues so far, guess it goes with the territory shooting wood bows

"Everybody makes mistakes." Yup, and on very rare occasion that includes me. If I'm being paid, that mistake gets corrected, pronto. No Judge Judy and Springer low class BS follows that train of thinking. No blaming others, no blah blah blah off into thin air, no finger pointing, and no stupid explanations. If I screw up, I fix it.

I'll put another vote in for Craig at Howard Hill archery. Had him build a bow, he was great to talk to and made exactly what I wanted. When the package showed at my house, I thought it was another bow I had bought, it showed up almost 3 weeks earlier than I was expecting! All around great dealing with him.

David Miller built me a bow, very helpful in figuring out exactly what to build. Got it sooner than quoted and it came out great

Had a Black Widow that was atleast 7-8 years old and a limb blew. Sent it back to them, they called said it was a bad glue cure and sent me a new set of limbs for free. Would highly recommend them!

JD Berry built me a bow back when the brothers were working together. Told them what I wanted and they went way above and beyond. Bow was absolutely incredible.

Had bows built by Harry Elburg and Gary Sentman. Both were great old scool guys to deal with. Their word was as good as a written contract. I talked with Gary about a bow, he said he had one he had just built pretty much exactly like what I wanted. Sent it out for me to try. It shot great so I called to tell him I'd take it and would send out the money for it. Told me to knock $150 off the price because it was already built! Can't ask for anymore than that.

Guess I've been very lucky

I ordered a custom Long bow a few years back from what was supposed to be a pretty good bowyer,waited a year for it,when I got it the black glass had white spots all in it.He then told me that I should contact Gordon glass for a refund.After arguing back and forth for a few days,he did refund my money,but I did loose my hundred dollar deposit.Any way the guy was a real A/H.That sort of did it for me with custom bowyers.Although there are a few that I would consider.

I could never be a custom bowyer, I can only imagine what many of them would contribute to this thread.

I know some people are clammering for people to name bowyers, but my experience on this site has been that the moment you mention a problem with a bowyer or other vendor, people that have had good experiences with that vendor, or are personal friends, will bash you and discount your experiences. If someones mentions a problem that they have had, you can always send them a pm and ask who it was. And there is truth in that you can do things well a hundred or a thousand times, and all people remember is the one bad time. It really is how you handle the bad the leaves a lasting impression. I am happy when people point out when someone has done a good job as well, and struggle to do that in my own life, but continue to work on it.

George, I think a new thread ought to be started by a bowyer where bowyers tell horror stories about customers from hell. No way would I want to build bows for people. Three things I would never want to be are 1) custom bow maker, 2) custom home builder, and 3) hunting guide. I have a friend who has been/is all three. That guy has way more patience than I have.

I thought there was a prior thread on bowyers and horrible customers.

Well it is like this you are dealing with the public and that alone is a pain in neck to say it nicely . my first job was just that dealing with the public . just because the guy shoots a stick bow does not mean he cannot be a pain . from what i read hear i see a few on hear have dealt with the public so they well know what i am saying . now that is not to say there are not bowyers that pull some fast ones .it is a two way street .my guess is most of the customers are great as well as most of the bowyers . i have only dealt with one he was ok his bow on the other hand well i sold it asap after he replaced the broken limb after a dozen shots .

My Dad always told me it was worth a little money to know a man.

I've only dealt with Bob Lee, and it was a very nice experience. Bows for my wife and myself were on time and just as advertised. I've heard several bowyers at different shoots and meeting complain that they can hardly work for people calling them and wanting to chat for an hour or more. A little reading between the lines on these forums suggests that is the case. Now, don't get upset. I'm not talking about you.

Murray

But on the other hand there's a lot that go way outa their way. Gary Sentman said he would build me one and told me he'd let me know when he was ready to start. Within a few weeks I got an email. I sent him the deposit and within about a week after he got it he emailed me and said the bows on his lap right now n the next day it would be ready for finish. I sent him the balance and within a few days I got an email it had been shipped. Jim Brackenbury used to send a letter to you to verify all the details of the bow n let you know when to expect it to be done. He almost always was early but he garranteed 6 weeks. Donny Assenheimer invited me to his home since we lived fairly close. He had some nice figured bubinga and he wanted me to pick out my riser block. His bows were always on time gtting to you. Tracy Trickett had me come to his shop the day he cut mine out so he could fit the grip to my hand and get imput from me on details. I found out about GLLI the sunday before it happened and I had no longbows. I called Jery Hill n sk if he had one to fit me in stock. He looked n said now and said he could build me one in a week but couldn't get it to me. He then said if I wanted he would build me one n meet me at glli and turn it over to me then and collect his money. Well anyhow I could go on and on and on but you see what I'm getting at. There's not nearly as much bad as good out there.

I agree Dave .

I'm the worst custom bowyer ever, broke 2 bows and ruined another while it was still in the form. No refund or even an apology... nothing!!! Didn't even return any calls or emails to myself. Told my customers (me) that I'll get around to making a new quality bow when I'm damn good and ready. Still waiting....

My wife said that if I had more patient and reasonable customers I'd be easier to deal with around the house.

Yes everyone makes mistakes but when you order a bow at said weight and it comes 4-5 pounds off either way, or it shows up looking like crap etc.

It left the bowyers shop with those problems it didn't change on the way so how can you say it's a mistake.

I've purchased custom bows from Bob Lee, Milt Calloway, Mike Mecredy, & Falco, all without any problem. But when I hear the name Checkmate I shudder. The first custom bow I ever purchased was a Chekmate. It took over a year to arrive and then the riser separated along the glue lines on the third shot. I will say the dealer made good and refunded my money no questions asked.

I've got horror stories about GM dealers, MDs, clergy, presidents and presidential candidates, mayors, plumbers, not to mention teachers, bowhunters, and ex wives. I don't like to dwell on them.

I think it's outright stupid to single out bad bowyers.

The only perfect people in my world are me, my sister, my girlfriend and her daughter.

fact is there are bowyers then there are bowyers-the "see one do one teach one sell one" mentality makes some people "bowyers" whether they are at that level or not-especially with internet exposure.If you are selling "prototypes" you make me smh.There are some GREAT bowyers who have left because of the way business is (or is not done) by wannabes.I miss Bill Howland he was a master taught by a master.

I have bought quite a few custom bows. All were great with the exception of one guy. I would not say his name here on this post or on LW but have in the past. My reason for not saying is name is that he has passed away so bad karma to slam him.

I was looking for a 59' Kodiak replica and asked here for recommendations. This bowyer came up and I placed my order. Well I suppose his good works were before he got hooked on booze or whatever. My first bow arrived late with file marks on it. I sent it back (he was ok with that arrangement to build me a new one) and the next one had bubbles where the glueup was bad. I called him and he was drunk, cussed me out and hung up. I called back and his GF said he was celebrating 4th of July early, send the bow back for a refund. I sent it back with tracking. After he got it I called and he said F-you no refund. I had paid with Visa and easily got all my money plus shipping back. I had pictures and just had to write up a letter explaining. The agreed with my side in less than a day.

After this happened and I would see guys recommend him on LW I would chime in and advise against the guy. I could not stand another LWer getting burned like me. Still some of his friends and past customers who may not have known about his condition kept recommending his work. Not only was I mad about the bows but his language was way out of line, terrible experience for me.

Never glad to see a guy pass away and I can only imagine that his demons were the cause of his death.

I say rest in peace and I moved on. I no longer harbor anger towards the experience.

I have bought bows from Bob Lee, Black Widow, Kevin Termat (old RER owner) and Border to name a few and have been amazed by the craftsmanship and service.

The old buyer beware however is still so true.

Bill

If I remember right there was a bowyer in Pa that was ripping people off several years ago. I don't remember his name but they bow he made had a funny grip.

If I remember right there was a bowyer in Pa that was ripping people off several years ago. I don't remember his name but they bow he made had a funny grip.

I don't think we should name the bowyer because they might be a sponsor

I don't think we should name the bowyer because they might be a sponsor

One other thing. I notice in my business that the people that complain are always the ones that owe me money. Just saying.

Lol babysaph

The real horror is most don't even make a wage for all there skill and equipment. Never mind the countless calls of people changing there order. Rooty

Amen Cameron!

I apologize for my tude in the last post. This thread has turned out to be a decent thread. I got depressed over some experiences lately where I did everything I could to please customers and ended up just giving them their money back. Problem is you can go all the way but you cannot read a mind and when you go all the way with this kind of person you still get bad mouthed and that in spite of you having done all you can do. Seriously though when a bowyer builds a beautiful bow for a person and they send that bow back a couple of days later with only the excuse that it was not (quote) that much faster than a certain bow that they already have and that bow you know to be a very fast and great bow which many of you know and own and with which I personally have great respect for the bowyer and the bows he builds. It causes on to be a mite bit angry. Here's another thing. Over the years God has blessed me with wonderful customers and I do not wish any one of them to think I do not appreciate either them or their patronage. God bless you all, Steve

I've had many customs built for me over the years. Never had a problem with any of the bowyers. One bow failed due to poor construction and he replaced it without hesitation. Another wasn't a custom bow but custom after market limbs for a Bear Takedown that failed and I got a refund.

It was all good and all fair so what's to complain about?

I had a recurve that I spent a fortune on that the finish on the grip got all gummy after shooting it for a month. BUT, the best was I received a custom recurve that was beautiful. BUT the bowyer forgot to put the limb bolt bushings in the bow!!!!! Bill

HAD A FEW BAD DEALINGS BUT A LOT OF GOOD ONES. My hats off to Black Widow, James Berry, Dave Miller, Robertson StykBow for great bows delivered on time or early.

My bad experience were 3, all fairly new builders building good bows. All three had day jobs that came first. All were young, all had young wives and all three had marriages that went south. Stuff happen, I can appreciate others problems but there is something to be said about buying from established makers with stellar reputations.

Just the once. Lost my 50% deposit to a bowyer who went bad - personal problems led him to skip out on all of his orders (deposits paid - some 100% pre-paid as a gesture of trust and goodwill) and go awol.

Decided to learn to make my own glass laminate bows. Am on to my 4th straight longbow and have started my deflex-reflex form.

I'm glad custom bowyers exist, and plan on employing their services again in the future. For now though it's good to be able to furnish myself with new bows, and not need to pay some other bugger for 'em.

I'm as much of a perfectionist as anyone and can be hard to please at times. Had several custom bows my first was a Colorado Bighorn had it over a year and the top limb tip broke called sent it back and they made me a new set no problem. Then on the same bow after 2 plus years the handle developed a lifted splinter again called and sent it back they made me a totally new custom Bighorn riser no questions asked which was the more expensive better looking riser. That was during the Asbell days. Also the bow warranty was expired. Also had 2 different new Silvertips from Dave Windauer one bow the tiller was off and I brought it to ETAR showed Dave he took it home with him and fixed it right away, and the other had finish problems he had just taken over the business after Paul's death and was using a different kind and again I returned and he fixed it no problem. The moral of the story is nobody is flawless. I now build my own bows and can tell you it ain't easy or cheap.

Lost Creek - Chad Francis x1

7 Lakes Archery - Mike Ballenger x3

Dave Johnson ASL x2

Maddog Archery - Mike Mecredy x1

Great experiences on all 6 orders!!

On my very first custom bow order I paid a $200 deposit on a longbow from a bowyer and it took almost 2 years for him to finish it. I ordered it well before the Lost Creek and one of the Dave Johnsons. I got both of those bows well before the first one with the $200 required deposit. He is not one of the above listed bowyers. They all (above) filled my orders perfectly.

I'm not quite sure how to say this-there is a small % of the trad community that expects the moon-warranties on secondhand bows etc etc and some are just looking to get some discount whatever-similar to someone returning boots to LLBean after 10 by after 10 years.

Eventually it takes its toll on even the best bowyers.Thats why so many get burned out and quit.

I meant returning boots after 10 years-I saw a show about some of the outrageous returns taking advantage of LLBeans lifetime warranty-some employees took it so personal they had to have certain employees handle the returns-they are lifetime no questions asked.Bowyers trying to make a living take similar things personal and get jaded too.

I used to have yard tractors at Eddie Baurers main warehouse. People buy goose down coats from them, use the coat all winter then return it for a refund. They have a salvage sale each year to sell seconds and good returned goods. People can be pathetic. I do expect a good warranty on a new bow or I won't buy it. Used bows no one can warranty for a few reasons.

I paid $650 for a 21 st century longbow from Milton Callaway. It arrived and I opened the box, picked up the phone and called him. I wanted a refund and he adamantly refused only offering to build another bow for me. I told him based on the fact he shipping me the bow With such defects that I wanted no such thing. He got mouthy in an instant and swearing like a sailor. I reworked the bow and gave it to a lad at our club. Total loss for me. Karma baby. I showed the bow to quite? a few people first. The buddy n Jim bows are worth whatever you pay for them.

"During this time he would advertise that he had bows that he had 'on special' that he sold for less than I paid."

Probably others that came out with that bad finish that you mentioned... or they missed weight... or the customer backed out of the deal for some other reason... or it was a full-time bowyer who ran into a slow patch and decided he should be building on speculation rather than sitting there doing nothing that could ever earn him a dollar....

But don't overlook the fact that much of the "value" in a custom is that it is (or should be) just what you wanted; for anybody else, it's just a bow. Of a certain level of quality, of course, but - if you're not the guy who ordered it - it may not be any more Special to you than an off-the-rack Bear, BearPaw, or even a Samick.

But then there are exceptions, too...

Right now there is a bow listed in the classified for exactly what the bowyer is selling them for, brand new. I guess maybe you'd save the P-R tax and the wait, but still ... seems a little optimistic on the part of the seller.... Probably speaks well for the bowyer, too... Even if he IS too thick in the head to be able to figure out how to build a good, cut-to-center dual shelf! LOL...

Anyway... anybody who works with customers is going to have some stuff come up with clients, and some of those are going to be lu-lus... My wife is a graphic designer; one time she had a client that was very clear on what they wanted, so she showed them some Comps - prototypes - and they liked them. So she delivered a 90% finished sample, and they decided that they really needed to go in a different direction. So they paid her to come up with a new design that met their revised objectives and they ended up loving it so much they paid her for a second press run. Then there was the chick with the party balloon business who had no idea what she wanted and hated everything. She got three chances; then she got her money back.

Good to see Sixby back around!

years ago I had a 1 piece recurve on order. sent in 300.00 with the order. he said give me 3 months. no problem. 4 months goes by and nothing. called and no answer. email and no response. few weeks goes by and I get a response. I'm working on it. Give me a couple weeks. no problem. few more weeks and same thing. happened 3 times. finally he tells me he hasnt started the bow. I was like wth. he sent it to me for the 300.00 deposit only but I didnt keep it. didnt want a bow from somebody so dishonest.

"During this time he would advertise that he had bows that he had 'on special' that he sold for less than I paid."

The ones on sale were stock bows, not custom so of course they were cheaper. I won't buy stock bows from custom bowyers for that very reason. Its not custom to anyone so should be a little cheaper than a custom.

I bought a lot of custom bows during the 80s and 90s. No bad experiences at all as far as business or product was concerned. A few I ordered were heavier than I needed. :)

I think times are seriously changing:

The internet has meant that marketing and technology has flattened a lot. The commitment required to get a really good bow out there, or even a pretty good bow is not as great as it once was. There are threads popping up regularly that have more to say about how to make a composite bow than was in books in the 80s I paid thirty bucks for and probably had to wait several months to get through the mail.

And commercial bows are getting better:

a) For a while there people didn't want metal riser "trad" bows, now you can buy good one's off ebay, have them in your hands right away, that alone takes care of the custom grip, the tiller differences, and several other advantages that customs used to have over the rest of the market

b) Speed is probably pretty much available from everyone, and commercial guys have more upside from all the new composites.

c) I see some people who won't wait 6 months or less (and some bowyers are fast), but the speed of fulfillment culture in retail is mostly against the little guy. As is the need to be available on every new platform some university student invents for the web; the lifetime guarantee culture, etc...

Tough crowd these days. A significant number of bowyers are leaving every year.

I bought a longbow many years ago that got a crack in the glass near the tip. Called them and they said they would replace it because it's still under warranty. Waited for awhile. No bow. Called again and they said they couldn't send replacement bow until bower comes back from hunting trip. Finally got bow. It came with a string a foot to short. Called again to tell him about the string. He laughed and said an old man that helps them made it. Being a (smart#*s). I made my own string so I could shoot. 100 to 200 arrows later another crack in the limb. Called again. He said they were having trouble with a batch of clear fiberglass. I got my money back.

People in general are more demanding nowadays. Related to this topic, just in thirty years we went from 'Life' mag, to 'People' mag, to 'Us' to 'Self' mag. At car dealerships you now have 'My Car' My this, my that, my way. Can you imagine WWII generation being so self absorbed? No.

No chance I'd be a custom bowyer. Clients at work nowadays are frequently snotty rude obnoxious self absorbed and always in a hurt, where in the early 80s they generally were not. Used to be about 25% of clients were tough, now it is about 75%.

That's our 'Me' generation nowadays. Pretty common to whip out the cell phone, tap tap tap, and shove it in your face. "See?" You can be in the middle of a conversation about their new house, their phone goes off, and not even a 'pardon me', answer it while you are in mid sentence. Or, right at the end of construction, someone walk in off the street and say, "Is it too late to make changes?' Without even introducing themselves. lol

If you've spent an hour or two in person with the bowyer it might be a "custom bow". Otherwise it's not.

There is no such thing as a used "custom" bow. It's just a used bow. That may mean it's better than any new bow could be: "used" might mean "value-added."

I've only owned one custom bow, a Wes Wallace Mentor I traded an M1 rifle for. It's just a wonderful bow. But reading this thread makes me glad my 4 other main bows are ILFs. Before that I was into classics and you just can't bash Fred Bear or Damon Howatt.

James Parker of Hunt worthy productions. Took my deposit and ran its been at least four years now. Cant find his number or a way to get a hold of him. I have received a few messages from his so called friends stating he had gone through a terrible divorce and that he is doing well now.

live and learn.

I ordered a bow from Steve Gohr at Cascade archery and it came through perfect ! And then ordered as short recurve from a bowyer in Texas named Siegeworks Bows I foolishly sent the payment in full, this was in 2009, and am still waiting for the bow!

This is why I stick with Black Widow never a problem, if a bowyer can not produce a good product he shouldn't be in business, would he like a new car with hazing in the paint without a big discount? if the dash cracked in a few months would he be happy its only cosmetic will not affect the way it drives. cloudy glass and dry check or other issues should not be my problem you pay for a nice bow not seconds.

I like this thread, and have already made a list of who not to sell a bow to. I mean any kind of bow...new, used, or whatever. I still would like to hear the bowyer's side of the stories.

I made my list months ago who not to buy a bow from. and who is not so honest to deal with. you would be shock who at the top of the list.

I waited 28 months for a promised 12 month bow. All polite inquiries were met with smart ass remarks and threats.

He's out of business now. :)

Careful Red youll be on a list

I've never had a problem in 25+ years with a bowyer or a seller. I have made a lot of good friends. We should do a thread on foreign scammers saying they want to buy your bow. Seems that's the big issue these days.

Only bought one, waited a while, and love it only bow I have shot for 10 years.

oz

https://www.facebook.com/Huntworthy-Productions-801702793198523/

I have sold hundreds of bows but after following this thread I am glad that I decided to stop taking orders on bows more than ten years ago, Now I build a bow and if someone shoots it and wants it they can buy it. For me, I cane honestly say, there has only been one transaction that has not been settled to the satisfaction of the buyer. That one is a bow that I had returned to make another set of limbs and a event took place that I lost all records so I still have the bow here and have no idea who or where it goes. So if that person reads this and will pm me with the description of the bow we can get it to the rightful owner.

I think Bob Rowlands nailed it---the ME generation.

In September of 2015 I made a comment on a Facebook post about a Dave Beeler longbow and how I would like to have one , at that time he was already out of business, it was a day later he sent me a personal message and told me he was not in business anymore but would still build me a bow on his terms I said that was fine and sent him the $300.00 deposit plus over $30.00 in feathers that he needed A year later in September of 2016 he sent me a message and told me he dosent have time to build it. I told him that was fine and he said he would refund my deposit since then I have seen 2 checks for $50.00 a piece. Better than nothing I guess !!!

Plenty of old guys acting like the me generation its not just the young guys

Lot's of reading on this thread. It makes me pleased that in 11 years and some months since going pro I've had nothing but great customers. Even when I failed nearly all of them have been pleasant. In fact I can only recall two who spoke to me rather harshly. Once they quit talking and I said "pack it up, send it back and I'll give you a full refund including your shipping" they let up. But at least I haven't been run down online (yet).

Bob Rowlands is right. My business has nothing to do with bows but my patients are very demanding. In fact I am glad I am retiring. They want it right away and they want it cheap. if not they will show you someone who can do it cheaper. Medicine and Dentistry are changing. We no have pt's that can contact their Dr. and be treated over the internet. They want it now because they are so overextended in their life that they can not take time to even go to the Dr. I sure would hate to make bows for people.

BTW, in my business if I take your deposit and keep it and ignore you I will be arrested and lose my license.

"Careful Red youll be on a list"

I've been on the list for years!

I have my list too.

;)

Ttt...

I've ordered and received a bunch of custom bows since 2001. In every case except one the bow was just as I ordered and the timing was close enough to the pledge that I was fine.

Ive canceled one of about 20 custom bows over the years but the bowyer made it clear that I had that option. I canceled a year before the bow was scheduled to be built (wait time on that model was 2 years ...I know that's a long time but that's the deal I accepted).

I do have an order outstanding right now. I have the utmost faith in this fellow.

https://www.facebook.com/Huntworthy-Productions-801702793198523

thanks but I've already tried that route too. I've sent a couple messages and no reply. hasn't even read them. So it's a lost cause. It is what it is. Damned crying shame too because he built a heck of a bow.

I ordered a bow from Tim Meigs 20+ years ago, and was lucky enough to live close enough to see it take shape. For those who do not build/craft bows, the bowyer doen'tjust cutup a plywood plank and stick a string on it. He measures thicknesses,cleans everything often before glue up and then crafts magic into a finished product with much hand work. Expensive? Time consuming? Subject to failures in wood? Bowyers cannot read minds nor can they anticipate those "it does not fit me" events. Are there bad bowyers, both in product and in morality? They are people! And some people a just plain unhappy with all around them. I have been happy with the products and service provided me by custom bowyers- some have been on this thread. Thanks to them

Has anyone had experience with Seigeworks bows?

Two guys that did a hell of job for me are Al Kimery and Mike Veija. Both delivered exceptional bows, exactly as ordered, on time and with great updates as they built them, with pictures. Not sure I will ever test my luck again on custom but glad I did with them.

To Shawnhultquist,, forntunatley for me I ran across this post. To start with I have not went through any divorce, and I don't remember taking any deposit from you for a bow, you have not sent me any facebook messages, I have been building bows for many years and you are the first person to ever bad mouth me. I keep my word when I give it, and as far as trying to get in touch with me my personal cell phone number is on my web site, but just in case,, here it is 336 977 5201, Now you took the time to come to the leather wall and post, maybe you should take the time to call!

Over the past 20+ years I have ordered quite a few custom bows from several different bowyers.All have been good experiences for me,and I have ordered 10+ new custom bows!I like to do more trading or buying used custom bows these days! I get to try and shoot a lot more different bows without the wait! My last new custom bow I ordered was my Zipper ZSR with carbon & foam longbow limbs,it is a sweet bow and just exactly what I ordered.

Would love to hear the resolution to this one. Let us know the results of your phone call to Mr. Parker, Shawnhultquist. He's called you out. The ball is in your court.

I have 4 custom bows. Two Meigs longbows, a Bob McIlvane Lil Shooter, and a Green Mtn longbow. Incredible bows and no complaints. I ordered a #60 longbow from Tim Meigs years ago and it was a great bow. Put it on top of my pickup cap after a hunt and drove off. Remembered it but a log truck drove over it. Can't blame anyone but myself for that. Called Tim and asked him if his bows had a "user stupidity" warrenty. I ordered my #46 bamboo LB and it is the only bow I have used for hunting since. An incredible bow.

Ive only delt with three bowyers. Chec-mate, wes wallace and Al Kimery. Wes and Al are great. to great guys that build great bows. chec mate took a year to get they said 2 months. it was ugly. but it was a good shooter.

What does a custom bow mean? Just different wood choices? Maybe a lil change in the grip

I have purchased 6 bows from Sixby. I have also purchased several of his bows on the secondary market. I have yet to sell one of his bows.

I have never had a bad bow made by Sixby. One of his bows, with an elk antler riser is the finest bow that I have ever owned in at least 50 years of archery.

My elk antler bow by Sixby has 35 pound, static tip, recurve limbs. They are exceptional with measured performance that matches 50 pound limbs in feet per second with the same arrow.

I don't buy custom bows, but after shooting a James Parker longbow at the Tenn. classic and talking to him, I bought that bow and have a very hard time believing that he would intentionally screw anyone. Great guy and awesome bow!

Babysaph, 'custom bow' means different things to different folks, including bowyers. For most it means just what you said, some wood and grip choices... draw weight and length too.

There are things that could(maybe should in a custom bow) be considered and coordinated to bring the bow into a more predictable harmony with the archer for whom it was built. It could be designed and balanced around one's specific shooting idioms, the bow center positioned according to the fulcrums under his hands, with the strength of the limbs balanced to them throughout the draw as well. Such a bow is more inherently tuned to the archer, should draw and shoot without tipping from the get-go, send the arrow straight away from a predetermined spot on the string, without the fulcrum shifting under the bow hand, and without the need to move the nock point on the string in an effort to 'tune' or otherwise mask SOME of the inadequacies of a bow NOT custom tailored to him.

Can a bow generically tillered to a measurement at brace such as '1/4" positive for split finger' be considered a custom bow? Does that 1/4" mean the same in regards to limb timing if one 'custom customer' heels the grip below center and the next has a high pressure point above center? or if one bow is symmetrical and another has a shorter lower limb? These are basic factors that could be addressed ahead of time, and relatively easy to incorporate into the build.

In my opinion, fwiw, a bow isn't "custom" without such considerations... and more.

I agree about the ME genetation. You ought to be a dentist and work on them. They get pissed at me because their insurance doesn't pay 100 percent for their treatment. And they picked and paid for the insurance. Lol. Go figure

I agree about the ME genetation. You ought to be a dentist and work on them. They get pissed at me because their insurance doesn't pay 100 percent for their treatment. And they picked and paid for the insurance. Lol. Go figure

Jeff what bowyer does that. Most bows are made from orders over the phone or Internet. I know of no bowyer that does that. I guess there are some. Having a bow made like that would make it impossible to sell use because it would not fit anyone else.

I've probably bought 30-40 custom bows over the years and fortunately I've only had one bad experience. The bowyer was well advertised after waiting about 9 months the quality was horrible I've never built a bow and I think I could have done as least as well. We discussed the woods and even sent a photo of a bow he had made similar to what I wanted, got them all wrong not even the right woods but the worst thing was he miss the poundage by over 10 pounds. I ordered a 47@29 it came 59@29.

That being said, I just got a new bow from JAVA MAN and the quality is exceptional. He sets the bar high for his fellow bowyers.

I am not sure if this story applies to this thread or not, but here we go.

A week ago I had a telephone conversation with John Rafferty of the Bow Hospital in Sterling Heights, MI. We discussed a bow I wanted refinished. He seemed friendly, professional, and competent. He said to send it and that it would take approximately 10 -12 weeks before it would be returned. I understood and we agreed on a price. I then asked about sending a down payment, and offered to do so,...I figured one-half or so would be proper. Mr. Rafferty said NO DOWN PAYMENT was necessary! Again, I offered. Again, "NO".

To my way of thinking, Mr. Rafferty shows all the signs of being an upstanding businessman, honest, and the sort of person I hope to encounter in my everyday life. I am looking forward to dealing with him and eventually getting my bow returned looking almost new. I anticipate everything is going to work out well and assuming this happens, I have a few more bows from the 1950s to send for refinishing.

I hope this link stays around so I can eventually report on the conclusion of this deal. I think it's all going to be positive, all signs point that way. Good luck to all with your bows.

to mr shawn hiltquist, after spending some serious time trying to find any information that I may have written down, I have come up empty handed. Normally I write any and all bow orders down in a record book, price, down payment, bow model, wood choices, ect, etc. You Mr. Hiltquist say that I took your money and ran. Honestly, I'm only human, and I make mistakes. there is a possibility I may have written it down on something else and may have misplaced it. To make things right in your favor, and mine, I'm going to build you a bow with no balance due. I'm even going to pay the shipping. I'm taking my personal time to try to straighten this out and do the right thing. You will have to come on this site and acknowledge that you want me to build you a bow, and what type and bow model. This is the best I can do to come to a full resolution of the problem. You can contact me on my personal cell, 336-977-5201. Thanks, James Parker

Nothing negative to report here, but then I've only custom ordered two bows - a Mahaska longbow, and a Bighorn t/d recurve (from G. Fred himself). Both arrived as I ordered them, and both prettier than expected. The Bighorn took about ten months, but I was aware of that from the start, so no complaints.

I ordered and paid for a custom longbow (US-based bowyer) but never received it. I also ordered and paid for an asian recurve once and had a hell of a time getting the bow. Peer pressure via the Leatherwall resolved the issue. When I got the bow I decided it had bad mojo (for me) and gave it to a friend.

I've had experienced with other bowyers and they were a joy to deal with. Bowyers on both sides of the Atlantic.

I've bought a lot of used bows in the ten years since I discovered the Leatherwall. I've sold a few (very few in comparison to purchases) as well. I was very surprised at how rude potential purchasers can be.

I can only imagine the crap that bowyers have to deal with every day of their working lives. There are some right idiots lurking on this site but then the vast majority are brilliant people.

Regards, James.

If you have already registered, please

sign in now

For new registrations

Click Here