If you shoot them or have in the past, how do you like them? I was thinking about giving three blades a try and didn't want to break the bank on them if I didn't like them. Thanks

Well millions of them have been made, I don't believe that would have happened if those who used them didn't like them! There well made and all you need to do is sharpen them and put them in the right place.

Bob

That's good because I really like the price

Soft metal, but will do the job. I have some I dubbed the points on and use for small game heads. Bill Dunn at Zipper had quite a few and at a great price.

Years ago I used them with good success. Shot several deer with them. One of my buddies shot a cow elk with one. Like mentioned earlier, they are a little softer metal, but if sharp and shot in the right place they will do the job. I quit using them because I can sharpen two blades easier. But I thought they were fine.

good for small game, also used them when shooting at a BH shoots.

They are good for big game as well. Maybe soft, but they are a lot harder than skin, meat and ribs. I'm using some MA-3's this year and I have no doubt they will do whatever they are called on to do. So will the Bodkin.

The Bod-Kin broadheads certainly have a rich and respected history in their native Wisconsin and across our nation. They were first introduced in 1946 and to date over two dozen different versions have been produced. The model most fellows are familiar with came out in 1969 and has lasted far longer than any other design. They have been produced with 5/16", 11/32" and 21/64" ferrules in both straight and convex cutting edge designs. Over the years selected models could be had with serrated cutting edges. Plus, there was a model called the "Bird" which featured a notched edge for small game hunting. The Bod-Kins were produced by the L. C. Whiffen Co., Inc. in Milwaukee, WI and were originally designed by Larry Whiffen Sr. After he passed away in 1960 his wife and two sons continued the business and production of the broadheads until the company was finally shut down shortly after Y2K. In 2012 Larry Whiffen Sr. wan inducted into the Wisconsin Bowhunting Hall Of Fame.

I use muzzy. They are bad to the bone

Bill, who is the current maker of the Bodkins?

I have a bunch that were my dad's. One is cut nearly in half by the processor's saw. :)

I mount them up for bunny hunting and they do fly very well and I find them very easy to sharpen.

I shoot bows on the light side and the same setup for deer and elk so that setup Is a heavy two blade.

Mike - Right off I just don't know who the production rights and dies went to but I will try to find out. I'll make a call tomorrow and will try to come up with an answer for you. I should know, I know they told me at one time but can't recall right now.

iss -

I shot them years, and I mean YEARS ago. The flew well and cut well, but hitting almost anything other than a target or soft tissue usually resulted in a bent/deformed tip. I have a few somewhere that were straightened more than once...

Viper out.

I use them on my pheasant arrows

Not since 1972. Shot them for ten or more years when I would make a bunch of one color dipped woodies for the back quiver, but also used Razorehads back then. Found both in an old box of my arrows a while back. Really did like the simplicity of the Bodkins.

I prefer the MA3, but bodkins are ok.

I prefer the MA3. The problem with Bodkins besides soft metal is uniform weight.

Bowmania

Mike - Earlier this morning I spoke with Grant Whiffen regarding the Bod-Kin broadheads.

When Grant & Larry closed the shop the rights to manufacture the Bod-Kin and the equipment to do so were sold to a private individual in Milwaukee. This was a private individual, not an archery shop or large manufacturer. This fellow did it on his own.

He did manufacture the broadhead for a while and he (in Grant's words) "made quite a few." I did not get any sort of number as to how many "quite a few" are. Further, I did not receive any sort of time estimate as to how long this fellow made the heads. (From talking to Larry a number of times sometime ago I don't think production could have lasted for longer than five years.) Apparently production of the Bod-Kin was halted permanently when the individual suffered health issues.

I did ask a few more questions but did not receive specific answers. I did not receive the name of the individual nor the year production was actually halted. Perhaps this information was best held in confidence.

As far as Grant knows the Bod-Kins are no longer in production and unavailable on the retail market. We did agree however that there are probably scattered shops here and there which may have small quantities available. Exactly which shops do or their location is however unknown at this time. It is possible someone could walk into some out of the way shop and discover a large quantity of Bod-Kin broadheads available for sale. It is also possible such a shop does not exist.

Hope this info helps Mike. Looks like the Bod-Kins are now broadheads that belong to the ages. They were a highly regarded and prominent item back in the day, but that day has now passed. This leads a number of contemporary bowhunters to miss their presence and what they offered, and also other bowhunters to wonder what could have been.

I wonder if the Bodkins could be heat treated and tempered to a greater hardness. It's a bit of a crapshoot without knowing the steel used in them.

I might give it a go just for fun.

I just saw them in my newest 3rivers catalog, glue on aswell as screw in models. Someone must still be making them

IslandSnapShooter you're right. It looks like they also have the MA3s.

I have some Hi Precision's i woyld like to try this Fall.

I don't have any experience using bodkins. But I will say this. ...

You get ALL kinds of opinions when it comes to broadheads. I suspect most fixed blade broadhead failure is due to a poor hit and NOT broadhead failure.

Personally I have tried a number of different broadhead's from two blade Ace zwickeys, bear razors, magnus, muzzys, thunderheads, wasp ect...ect

And to be quite factual and unbiased...I found that if I make a good shot they all kill about the same on deer.

I have no doubt bodkins will do the same. In fact now you have me thinking I may as well try them yet. I usually fill a few tags with a bow every year. i'll bet they'll work as good as the rest.

The 3 Rivers heads could be NOS. Like I mentioned, Bill Dunn had acquired a large number of the Bodkins and was selling them also.

Several years ago I made the deal of the century at the Baltimore shoot swap meet. I bought 48 Bodkins for five bucks!

I killed a pile of groundhogs with them and only have a few left.

Yes, they are soft. But that just makes them easier to sharpen.

Shade mt I totally agree with shot placement. I just like getting all opinions on different topics, I liked what some had said about tips breaking on hard hits and how even though they are soft that it makes sharpening easier. Thanks leather wallers all your input is much appreciated :)

I've used them and liked them,, very easy to sharpen, fly great, I shot a nice six point with a 1956 Root Gamemaster and a cedar arrow with a three blade bodkin...worked too perfection.....

Back in the 80's we had a guy around here that always got a P&Y Buck each year. He was a machinist and very picky...he shot Bod Kins. Filed the the edge to the side off the seam and heat treated the tips. He seemed very happy with the results. If you ever saw the "Angle Rest" this guy invented it.

Best small game head out there.

I shot them all the time but now I like the Rage broadheads. Man do they make a hole

I still use them for squirrel hunting.

Hedge, do you temper them in an oven? How hard do you think they get?

I sharpen them on a piece of glass with wet or dry paper up to at least 400. Very light forward touch on the finishing strokes.

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