Well guys I finally got my hands on some old bear razorheads and I just do t understand the all the hype. Is all the love for these heads from a nastgic point of view?

I'm sure they would work as well as anything else with ideal shot placement but they just seem to me like an underbuild Eskimo with a worse ferrul.

What am I missing here?

You're not missing anything, I think a lot of it is nostalgia due in large part of the average of trad archers. That's the head that most of us in my age bracket and above grew up with. Performance wise there are more durable modern heads, but all you really need from any head is to penetrate and cut and just about all do that or they would be out of business.

Yea! I always liked the Eskimo better , and the ACE standard even better

but like you said- they all have been well proven to work just fine

I like them, because they sharpen up so nice for me, and I admit they are classy,,,,, On the other hand, I am going pig hunting next month, my choice is now the Magnus,,,,,

I shot everything from Ace to Woodsman and I like the Magnus the best,,,,, but that is me

Nostalgia

Nostalgia, however they do still work. I find them a little soft and prone to bending before use.

They. Work and have since the 1950’s. There are and were many other options, but they were ubiquitous and cheap. There were only a few viable options in the early days. Nice thing is we have more options including broadheads that costs40 bucks each-deer don’t know how much a broadheads costs.

We sold thousands of them over the years. Got them delivered to us in gross count boxes.

Some may not know this but Fred Bear used Black Diamonds (Zwickeys) long before he started making his own head. The Bear head isn't too far off in size and looks to an Eskimo head. I am sure that was by design.

There are plenty of them still around, so they and not hard to find. Got some in one of my arrow boxes, so that also makes them affordable.

Bears sharpen up easy and I guess that’s a plus for people who need that. The downside is ez sharp = softer steel that won’t hold an edge and bend, but on an arrowhead it is used but once then re-honed. These have killed a ton of deer and continue to do so right along all the other COC heads available today.

I kill deer with Bear razorheads. If you don't care for them, I would be glad to buy them from you.

Sharp and in the right spot works for a bunch of broadheads.Zwickey guy myself! Terry

They work

So do others,,,i use Zwickys to but never feel undergunned with a greeny on my ceder

If I didn't like Bob and Jan of Ace so much, I would have no problem using them.

I use so many different heads but do love the ease of sharpening and the look of the bear. Killed a lot of game with bears, Ace Zwickey, STO's, magnus but now like the Sharks on my aluminum arrows and my carbons.

They are battle axes the sharks.

Bears fly really well on 15 / 35's for me though.

Because my childhood archery hero used them. That is enough.

I still have some and probably always will.

There are several characteristics that the Bear Razorhead possess that appeal to many bowhunters. 1. They are easy to sharpen using several methods. 2. They fly great. 3. They can be used as either a 2 blade or 4 blade. 4. The bleeder blade can be removed making them easier to sharpen. 5. The bleeder blade was designed to break off if heavy bone was hit. This was/is supposed to help penetration. 6. They were inexpensive and easily available. 7. They were made, used and extensively field testing by one of the pioneers of modern archery on nearly every big game animal in the world.

Nostalgia for me. I hunted near the same woods Fred did as a kid and even got to meet him once. Plus I cannot and will not spend $40 a head for new models out there

Has nothing to do with nostalgia for me. It’s a good head, has been and still is readily available, and gets the job done. Maybe if I were hunting cinder blocks I would look at some of the ones being made now that are as heavy as axe heads and cost just as much but I don’t see that happening in my future.

Not nostalgia to those of use who grew up with them. Fred tested his broadheads by shooting them into cinder blocks. I don't know what you other guys would call durable, but they have been plenty durable for me. The steel will hold an edge and sharpens easily...if you know how to do it. I think the big issue is there are more fashionable heads available and then must be better because they cost ten times as much as the good old heads.

I'll take any and all you want to get rid of. By the way, I doubt anyone hear could count the amount of game taken with them over the years...even if you lived to be a hundred. If you don't like them, send them to me or some of these other folks who knows a good head when the use one.

Amazing if you think about it. The geniuses here will dismiss a head that has been used successfully for sixty-two years as junk.

Birdy -

Simple, worked, and at one time, plentiful.

Broad heads are kinda like mouse traps. Everybody thinks there a better one out there, when in reality they all do the same thing.

Yeah, there's hype out there...

Viper out.

"The geniuses here will dismiss a head that has been used successfully for sixty-two years as junk." Love it, George. :o) My old greenies are headed to a Florida hog hunt next week and I have no doubts they will do the job.

You say "just nostalgia" as if it is a small thing. In this sport, nostagia is a huge thing. We're in the nostagia business. After all, isn't that why we shoot trad bows?

I love the vintage recurves from the late 60s and early 70s and the greenies just seem to "go" with them. Like aluminum shafts. And they sold millions of them which makes them much more affordable than the new heads out today. I don't doubt that there are better heads out today, but they don't have the cool factor of the greenies. And I can run each side thru my Rada sharpener about a dozen times and they will shoot thru a deer. What else could you ask of a broadhead? When I see them at a good price, I pick em up. Wish I could find the Pearson Deadheads so readily and cheap. Now that is a cool head too!

I've used a bunch of different broadheads like Zwickley, Magnus, Ace, Grizzly, Eclipse, Bear, and some Ribteks. But I still like the old Bear Razorheads. But then I like my Bear Archery neon clock also. "lol" I have three dozen Bear razorheads still, with some of them still on Bear arrows from the 1970s. Like George said "The steel will hold an edge and sharpens easily..." I've killed quite a few critters with them since 1969.

What's not to like, they've been killing game for 60+ yrs. sharpen easily, and hold and edge. Most often you can find them for $3-5 pr. I'd like to find a 1/2 screw-ins now that you mention it. I've getting back to aluminum shafts and will probably be getting some Thunderheads,, another sturdy inexpensive BH that's been proven over the years.

I like them for both nostalgia and performance. I use the bleeder blade to help in blood trailing. They fly true too.

They work!! "If it isn't broke, don't fix it."

The multitudes of us that took their first game with them.There has been some improvements but they worked for years. I did have a tip curl on one that hit bone so I changed but would not hesitate to go afield with a shaft tipped with a razor head on the string. A lot of the better heads are entirely too expensive.>>>---->Ken

Never knew nostalgia was a bad thing. Means great history to me.

most of my setups call for a 145gr. head. razor head does that, without messing with inserts...ron

This guy hated Bear broadheads!!

Hes no longer with us

As a retired American history teacher I can be all about nostalgia...But I use Bear Greenies without the bleeder blades for 4 reasons...They fly perfectly, have a proven history,the cost is realistic and they are the EASIEST broadhead to sharpen ever. The angle is perfect for a RADA wheeled sharpener (@ 7 dollars). A few swipes and they are scary sharp. No fooling around with files, belt sanders, Lanskys etc. :( :( I can tell you however I know some elk, antelope, Canadian bear, etc that aren't or should I say weren't very fond of them. It's kind of like bang sticks here in Penna...Guys have to have all sorts of hot shot fancy calibers when a good old Model 94 Winchester 30- 30 from Western Auto will work just fine !!! Old School Rocks !!!!

I had a few I used for rabbits and raccoons. I liked them just fine, but... if you gave me a choice between 6 razor heads and 6 eskimos I wouldn't choose the razor heads.

Deer in the ribs shoot whatever makes you happy bigger animals not so much.

I killed my share with em. Easy to sharpen...yup. Good flight...yup.

But, the day I had one snap off at the bottom of the ferrule was the last time. That was about 25 years ago.

Shoot em if you like em.

I never said they were junk and If you like em then by all means shoot them! I was just wondering what exactly the appeal is when their are other readily available, dirt cheap heads like the eskimo or ace. Were they a lot cheaper than those other heads back in the day?

As a four blade the easy breakaway bleeders sounds like a great idea that sort of sets them apart from the crowd. I can Understand that.

Back in the late sixty's they were sold every where and Bear had great advertising. Being readily available made them popular and they worked.

(Most hunting knifes from that era won't skin ten deer with out a sharpening so they are junk also, in todays world)

I really like them. Nostalgia, proven, priced right, simple, very sharp and good looking...just like...me actually.

Here is one of Bear Archerys advertising for the Bear razorhead.

Here is some 1969 prices. If you look all the way to the bottom the Bear Razorheads are listed.

I bought a one pound coffee can of them, in the UP, several years ago, for 5.00,,, sorted thru them, most were in good shape, just gave them away a few at a time, at shows, and shoots

When I think of Bear Razorheads, I will always remember an old bowhunter, I literally ran into one day in Union City NJ. It, assigned there, as an undercover narcotics detective ( (thats another story for another day) He lived in a large row house in an urban setting, but from his front porch he could see the Jersey Meadowlands where he said he hunted deer pheasants and rabbits as a young man. He invited me in to his house to show me what turned out to be, a huge trophy room with dozens of mounted game heads from several continents. I asked him what was his favorite broadhead and we proceeded down to his attached garage, which he explained had once been his archery shop. There in the corner was a large hard cardboard barrel with the name "Bear Archery Grayling Michigan" written on the side. The barrel was filled to the brim with Bear Razorheads! I bought a dozen of those heads and still have them today. Unfortunately it was not until a decade later that I was able to go back to that area to see if he was still there, since I didn't get his name and couldn't give him my real identity. The house had been sold and he was gone, but I will always remember that barrel! TLM

I like them because they're cool, just like me.

1. They are of good size, weight and shape.

2. They sharpen easily.

3. They come with a chisel point, which many of us are fond of.

4. They can be either a 2 or 4 blade, depending if you want to cut a "slit" or a "hole". Most of us are one or the other.

5. They've been kilin' stuff dead for sixty-some years.

6. Have killed everything that walked, crawled or flew at one time or another.

I have collected several dozen, with auxiliary blades, and if I hope to take a big game animal with a Bear bow, cedar shaft and a Bear Razorhead one day. If I hadn't already had Ace heads on all my hunting arrows, I would be shooting the Razorheads.

Killed my first deer in 1973 with a Bear Razorhead; killed an Osceola turkey last spring with a Bear Razorhead.

I don't see any problem here. :^)

Native Americans would have loved to have bear greenies!

They are awesome! I killed my first buck with a traditional bow with one! Still use them they work great!

What ever floats your boat. As for me. 72 year Old Timer, Been using them since 1963,,Always been Great Heads, To Each his own.

I kinda thought he would loose this one

There's nothing nostalgic about a great broadhead designed years ago that still fles straight, penetrates well, and kills today.

I sometimes think these guys just say things that they know will get certain people going so to speak .i used to work with a guy that did this all the time he was a heckler that loved to get things going . then just sit back and laugh at all the ruckus .

In general I think anything Bear Archery is like by most.

I am not a collector of anything but I have a few things. I was visiting Terry at the Footed Shaft one day and he tossed me a green razor knife with a Bear logo on it. He said he had few and gave me that one as a gift.

Back in 81 I walked into Dons archery in Butte Mt n saw a gross box of them. I ask him if they sold that well that he bought so many. He told me he had sold 2 heads to some kids but had those sittin there 10 years n couldn't sell em. Offered him 10 bucks for the whole box. He gve em to me free,lol. I been giving em away over the years till I got about a doz or so left. I killed a few animals with em and they worked fine but i like a wider head n went back to my Ace 160's. Has to be mainly nostalgia. Even in the 60'ss all the guys I knew who used em ground the point back to about 3/8" in front of the ferrel and rounded it out so they couldn't roll up. They said it also allowed them to slip off bones.

GLF: I have told this before on here about rounding the point off the Bear heads and the reason why. My dad was on Bear Archery advisory staff for 3 years. He went to a meeting in Grayling and Fred brought in an MD that specialized in bones ,fractures etc, (can't remember the official name for that kind of Dr.) Fred asked the surgeon what would do more damage to a bone, a pointed object or a rounded object. The Dr said that a pointed object would probably stick to a bone where a round object would probably do more damage to the bone and shatter it. I believe ( my dad is now gone so I can't ask him) but that is when the Bear chisel point came about. Of course they had to get rid of old stock and re-tool the broad head maker.

Did that gross box have individual dividers between each broad head?

Interesting that you think the Bear heads to be "under built Eskimos". Fred Bear was the number one customer of Zwickey, buying more broadheads from Zwickey than ANYONE. Fred Bear then started selling his own Broadheads and almost put Zwickey out of business. I can't help but think that Fred may have "borrowed" some of the finer points of Zwickey's designs.

I'm a Zwickey Eskimo shooter. I like'em, but In my limited experience with Bear heads, I didn't find them to be inferior, underbuilt, or whatever you want to call it. One of my early shots with a "greenie" went astray and hit my metal fence post. Broke my arrow, but the head only suffered a slightly curled tip - which is pretty easily fixable.

As is said on here often, shoot what you like.

I use a bunch of different broadheads like the Zwickey, Magnus, Ace Standard, Eclipes, Ribtec, Grizzly. But to be fair to the Bear Razorhead here is a test from American-Hunter.com

The Bear Razorhead has been around for a long time, and with good reason. This head is not fancy, but it gets the job done very well. I tested the head as a two blade. By doing so I kept the weight down to 130 grains. If it is tested as a 4 blade, by using the bleeder blades, the score would remain the same, even though the bleeders give the head two more points, they also break off pretty easy.

The first time I tested the Razorhead I gave it an accuracy score of 3. Since then I have revised this to a 4. In further tests I have found it to be as accurate as any quality fixed blade head, and therefore I feel it deserves the 4 rating.

In the plywood test the head penetrated fully without damage. In the tire it penetrated the first side with several inches of arrow shaft, again no damage. In the steel drum it penetrated the front fully with the tip and 1/3 of the blade surface sticking in the far side. This broadhead not only survived the tests, but with some sharpening, it would still be very serviceable for hunting. Like I said before, it’s not fancy, but it will get the job done very well. About the only thing I could find wrong with the head was the blade sharpness out of the package. It was not very good, but that was easy enough to fix with a good broadhead sharpener.

Bear Razor head Time tested design?

Hmmmmm, Could be. Just could be.... ;-)

"Bear Razor Heads"- Are they the sharpest out of the package? No. Can they be made scary sharp easily? Yes. Are they the toughest broad head ever made? No. But mostly do they hold up? Yes. Bottom line the Bear Razor head is still being used by bow hunter's today. Because it has proven itself many times over the years since Fred first invented it. IMHO- That's a pretty darn good track record. And most amazingly game is still being taken with this broad head today. Even though they stopped being made many years ago. Are they any good? Why don't you give them a try and see for yourself...

Time tested also. :)

What year was the last "Greenie" type razorhead made? Or to put it a better way - what year did they fall out of production?

Yeah it had thin cardboard dividers that made small squares just big enough to hold 1 head in each

Some things just don't need a reason...;-)

A little history:

In 1956, Bear Archery formally introduced the Razorhead to the public. Known today as the "Bubble-Head" by many collectors because of the rounded ferrule tip, this broadhead was an instant success. Good quality steel, easily sharpened and aligned to the arrow, the Razorhead was on it's way to becoming the largest selling broadhead of all time.

But Fred found a small problem with this original design. The "Bubble" on the tip of the ferrule was affecting penetration. So in 1959, Bear began flattening the ferrule tip to improve this situation. However, the vents on the 1959 Razorhead remained large as with the original 1956 model.

In 1960, a new die was made, with the vents made smaller and the ferrule tip even flatter. Lastly, in 1964, the vents were changed again, looking much like a die-cut parabolic feather shape now.

The Super Razorhead was introduced in 1978, and the era of the old lime-green Razorhead came to a close. However, these new Super Razorheads did not have a reputation for holding up under use and lost favor with the masses of bowhunters in time. However, Bear Archery’s ability to market better than anyone else kept this broadhead in tackle boxes.

Finally, in 1981, the Stainless steel version of the Razorhead came out, but it is the old lime-green Razorheads that remain popular with bowhunters today both as collectors, and as shooters.

I've had some given to me over the years. I shot groundhogs with them and saved my Zwickeys for deer and hog hunting.

Bear heads work for me I like them & will keep using them. I like Magnus & Zwickeys too but I just keep using my bears.

I found this test. I believe the test was done with the old Bear Razorheads, not the Super Razorheads which did have some issues.

Bear Razorhead Test from American-Hunter.com

The Bear Razorhead has been around for a long time, and with good reason. This head is not fancy, but it gets the job done very well. I tested the head as a two blade. By doing so I kept the weight down to 130 grains. If it is tested as a 4 blade, by using the bleeder blades, the score would remain the same, even though the bleeders give the head two more points, they also break off pretty easy.

The first time I tested the Razorhead I gave it an accuracy score of 3. Since then I have revised this to a 4. In further tests I have found it to be as accurate as any quality fixed blade head, and therefore I feel it deserves the 4 rating. In the plywood test the head penetrated fully without damage. In the tire it penetrated the first side with several inches of arrow shaft, again no damage. In the steel drum it penetrated the front fully with the tip and 1/3 of the blade surface sticking in the far side. This broadhead not only survived the tests, but with some sharpening, it would still be very serviceable for hunting. Like I said before, it’s not fancy, but it will get the job done very well. About the only thing I could find wrong with the head was the blade sharpness out of the package. It was not very good, but that was easy enough to fix with a good broadhead sharpener.

Question to ask, if trad archery is around in 15+ years, how many will be using Bear heads. Not many I presume.

Bear Razorhead History:

In 1956, Bear Archery formally introduced the Razorhead to the public. Known today as the "Bubble-Head" by many collectors because of the rounded ferrule tip, this broadhead was an instant success. Good quality steel, easily sharpened and aligned to the arrow, the Razorhead was on it's way to becoming the largest selling broadhead of all time.

But Fred found a small problem with this original design. The "Bubble" on the tip of the ferrule was affecting penetration. So in 1959, Bear began flattening the ferrule tip to improve this situation. However, the vents on the 1959 Razorhead remained large as with the original 1956 model.

In 1960, a new die was made, with the vents made smaller and the ferrule tip even flatter. Lastly, in 1964, the vents were changed again, looking much like a die-cut parabolic feather shape now.

The Super Razorhead was introduced in 1978, and the era of the old lime-green Razorhead came to a close. However, these new Super Razorheads did not have a reputation for holding up under use and lost favor with the masses of bowhunters in time. However, Bear Archery’s ability to market better than anyone else kept this broadhead in tackle boxes.

Finally, in 1981, the Stainless steel version of the Razorhead came out, but it is the old lime-green Razorheads that remain popular with bowhunters today both as collectors, and as shooters.

they are great heads

Nostalgia. I was given a gross of them. Tried selling them in my shop. Finally gave em to friends as gifts after Fred passed. When Fred was alive you couldn't give em away. They bend way too easy. They were cheap so if you bought a dozen arrows with broadheads you got bears. Alt of guys used em for that reason where I lived. But they cut the tip back to about 3/8" from the ferrel and rounded Them. I used mostly Ace back then and still do.

An old thread, but what the heck. What we have here is another case of guys on a traditional archery site mocking guys who like traditional archery gear. If you don't use what I use, you're crazy. Well whatever. The Bear Razorhead is still a good head and will kill game as well as any other. If you don't like it, fine, they don't make it any more. That should make you happy.

When I was young, I remember all the older guys using compounds and aluminum arrows (more junk right?) with Bear Razorheads on them to hunt deer with and several of them, my uncle included, killed a couple of deer every season with Bear Razorheads. They worked back then and still will now. Nostalgia be damned, I have several dozen in storage. The only reason I don't use them is I find they have a smaller ferrule opening and I tend to use larger diameter wood shafts. They fit quite nicely on smaller diameter aluminum though but I only have the one light weight bow. I generally shoot a much heavier head.

You have to take into account which Bear Razorhead. The Bear Razorhead ( aka: Greenies ) or the Bear Super Razorhead that was introduced in 1978. The Bear Super Razorhead definitely had some issues as stated in my post above. I've personally never had any issues with the Bear Razorhead (greenies) and I've been shooting them for 51 years.

What NY Yankee said X2 plus I just get all giddy when I see an arrow with a Bear Razorhead on it. I grew up with them and still have some. I've tried other heads but I still like the razorhead the best.

When Fred passed all thing Bear became more valuable. Example Xenia Archery had 2 brand new in their boxes type 1 A td risers. Plus he would give me type 1 white tipped limbs for them. They were old so he wanted 500 each. With my draw I passed on them. Plus Bear td's weren't popular. I saw him a few years later at a trade show after Fred passed. He thanked me for not buying them. Said he later got 3k each outa them. Nostalgia

I do like my Bear Razorhead ( greenies ) but I also use Ace, Zwickey, Journey, Magnus, Ribtek, and a couple others.

Razorheads?

Every time i hold one in my hand i think of drumming grouse,

fall leaves turning, morning ice in the kettle, the smell of

Rickard's Indian Buck Lure, and my father (and all he taught me.)

Used them for decades. Even used them when I went to the compound for a while. Killed many deer, hogs, havies and turkey with them. Even dug one out of a hickory after a pass through on a deer, never bent or curled one. Nostalgia ain't got a damn thing to do with it.

I've used them for 50 yrs. and they have never let Me done. Half of that time in MI. and the last half of that 50 in Alaska. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

Used them until the Snuffer changed the game.

I use them right now because my setup of 28" 1916 shafts tunes well with a 125 head. The razorhead without the bleeder is 110. On a 30 grain glue in adaptors it gives me the right weight.

Finding a 110 grain glue on is no easy task!

Because bear made them they are far from the best design out there but they do work & are associated with the legend

I used one last week on a rabbit. Someone gave me two last year. I use Grizzly and Simmons Shark for deer and pigs.

I still have 20 or so of the SS that I bought in the 80`s. Its all I`ll ever use. Ive killed multiple deer with the same one, they are tough as can be and fly perfect. I did bend a couple shooting into rocks from the tree stand as I always take a few practice shots when I get into the tree. Someone mentioned Thunderheads, well I tried those in the 80`s, thunderhead 160`s, they flew like crap, I never even used them and sold them. Bear SS Razor is the best there ever was and still is. I dont care what anyone says.

30.00 to 60 dollars for 3 New Expanding Heads>I started using BEAR Razor Heads in the 60"s No offence to anyone>>But Why Change Now? Back in the Day. 4.99 a Dozen With inserts< WOW! Take a Look.

They likely will be available for quite a number of years yet through the used, or new old stock items found here and there. Think about it for just a second or two. The Bear Razorhead Machine could and did make a finished head every five seconds. Multiply that by at least two shifts per day for five days a week, and multiply that times the years they were made. We're talking millions of Bear Razorheads made and there are still likely a million of them just floating around in closets, flea markets, old shops or hardware stores, and tackle boxes around the country. Fifteen years? They haven't made them for over forty years now and they still show up in abundance and just about anywhere.

I've always liked the Bear Razorhead. I have used both the Greenies and the Stainless. I came across around 50 Bear SS heads a few years ago. A dozen still in the package unopened! I have enough broadheads to shoot and hunt with for rest of my hunting days. I have one old practice head I have shot for years in just about every type of material made including dirt and sand piles. Like Riverwolf said there is no paint on it but it is still straight and flies good! They are much tougher then most people give them credit for. I like em and plan to keep using them!

Exactly Riverwolf, nothing has ever been made better after all these years. I dont have many left with the bluing still on them in the centers, mostly from shooting them into the ground from the treestand for warm up spot/shots. Doesnt matter though. They will outlive me and probly the next couple people that get them when I`m gone.

If you watch the Fred bear video hunting Kaibab bucks,you will see that he has Zwickey Eskimos on the end of his arrows.If you put a Zwickey Eskimo broadhead on top of a Bear Razorhead you will see they are the exact same size and shape. The Razorhead is a copy of the Zwickey Eskimo . The main difference is the venting and replaceable bleeder blade. Also the Razorhead does not have the triple reinforced tip.Thus the Razorhead bend more easily. The venting may help with wind planing.But this more a matter of arrow tuning.

I have 3 boxes of Microflites with the green heads on them but I don't shoot them. They belonged to my grandfather for his LH 1960 Kodiak which was in my possession for years until recently, I have since passed it on down to the next in line. Whenever I hunted with it I had his regularly chosen marked arrows in the quiver, as I pulled out a carbon arrow with a 160 Magnus or a Snuffer when the time came. How's that for nostalgia? ;)

Yep, Bear archery used nothing but Zwicky before the development of the Razorheads. Never bent a Razorhead but did bend Zwicky and Magnus. Doesn't make them bad heads just makes them like all others. All will fail at one time or another no matter how much they cost.

My dad shot them for years when I was a kid. They would rust and go dull in the quiver. He switched to Thunderheads in the 80s and watched like the next 10 deer he shot fall within sight.

what amazes me the most is the younger guys that look at bear razorheads as nothing more than nostalgic junk...then about trip over their own feet getting to the store to buy Rage mechanical broadheads because 3 of them are on sale for 30.00

gotta love it.

As iv said before I made the switch to 2 edge a long time ago and I tried the bear heads both the greenies & the stainless & yes they absolutely killed anything I hit properly but they absolutely are not as durable as a similarly shaped brazed construction head. If you like em shoot em just don't expect them to survive hard impact hits

Have shot alot of deer and groundhogs with the razorhead. Never cared for the SS razorhead from my experience both the ferrule and the stainless was to easliy bent.

Why should I expect any broad head to survive a hard impact? I don't. Arrows and points are expendable, like bullets. If you get one back after a shot at an animal, great. If you don't, oh well, get another one. This whole attitude about broad heads having to survive is silly. They have to go through a deer or elk once, cut everything in the way, and their done. They have done their job. If you can recover it, That's just a bonus.

Briar " Finding a 110 grain glue on is no easy task!"

Zwickey Eskilite 110 grains without insert.Excellent head...

I don't agree with the Yankee. I like to shoot at squirrels and other target of opportunity when I hunt. Especially on a fly away hunt I find it most valuable if a braodhead survives and I can whip out my bastard file touch it up on the spot and continue to hunt. I use a lot of Ace heads these days, one of the toughest I've found.

I used the bear razorhead and killed a bunch of stuff with them. They are one shot heads though. That said, I believe the bleeder blade design is very effective for opening a big hole and shearing off if major bone is hit. I would not hesitate to use the bears and still do from time to time if I need a lightweight head. I used to put a bear bleeder in an eclipse and called it my "eclair" LOL. But eclipse got pricy and I I lowered my bow draw weight so I stick with ace now mostly.

NY Yankee I killed 7 deer with the same zwicky Eskimo before one of the bleeder blades broke and I bought 9 abowyer boneheads in 2005 I still have 4 & couldn't even guess how many deer those 4 heads have killed. I strongly disagree with the notion that a broadhead is a once & done shot. And that's why I don't use the bear heads

I'm sure they would work as well as anything . with ideal shot placement.. Got a grin on that one. I've seen fellas carry around a full quiver of those super sonic broadheads for a whole season without sharpening once.. Probably cause they couldn't.. Fred made a head that easily sharpened, even for the challenged.. No free lunch in most decisions in life.. As far as hunting heads go, I will take the greenies every time..

Well it isn't rocket science. Lots of guys are just tinkerers. I almost got caught up with that recently.,lol.,they work and are cheap and sharpen well., the only downside is they don't have a lifetime guarantee., I have bent some that have passed through deer and it rocks on the other size. Could have used that guarantee., I don't care about nostalgia or I'd be wearing a loin cloth. Trad hunting is just easier for me.

To put down a venerable broadhead like the Bear Razorhead is laughable. Period.

George not putting down anything just saying there are other heads of the same basic dimensions constructed considerably more durable and to argue that would be laughable .period.

Speaking of laughable....tested on a cinder block lol period

Bear didn't stop making them because they were selling too many. And not enough interest to bring em back. Yes some trad guys would buy them if they came back out but we're by far the minority and less than half of us would buy them in my opinion.

Great head that’s been proven over the years. The original carbon steel blades were the heads most of us senior citizens started with early In our bowhunting careers. No fancy sharpening systems around back then. You learned to sharpen them with a file on on an Arkansas stone.

Later I shot the stainless version, those things were basically indestructible. The only thing about the Stainless blades, you had to put a little string wax on the threads before you screwed them into an aluminum insert. The aluminum treaded ferrel and the aluminum insert weren’t real comparable. Had more than one seize up half way in before I figured out the wax thing.

I shoot what I have but refuse to pay$10 a head for someting that does the same things as the $20 per bucket heads I find at garage sales or at swap meets. I'm into buying old 125 grain Snuffers now. Much harder to find. 125 grain total weigh that is. And the old steel ones . Not SS

Because they have killed a TON of game!

Shot my first whitetail with a Razorhead in 1968. I expect I’ll shoot my last with one....They fly well, sharpen easily, and give a good blood trail. I’m still using my original supply purchased in my early years of bowhunting.

Biggest mistake Bear ever made was to stop making the SS razors. I had heard a rumor that when Bear left Mich the machine(s) was not taken. Left me wondering what happen to the stuff. Looking through my archery box the other night, I came upon a old package from the late 80`s, maybe early 90`s. They were from Florida, so machines got moved. I think a couple different owners have had Bear in Fl., anyone know the rest of the story?

This little paper was tucked in there

Bears and Black Diamonds, as good as it gets.

The Zwickies are an excellent, classic broadhead. Extremely well made. I love 'em, always have. But, the old Bear greenies are just bad ass. Some things are worth hanging on to.... Shoot Straight, rare breed

I just found some... >>>————————->

Zwickeys and Ace have also stood the test of time even longer than bears, and are alot sturdier built than bears. I paid 15 bucks for the look at half dozen ace heads I bought. Didn't need em but they were on sale. I'm not putting bears down. They work as well as any head. The question was reason for using them. Most people I know use em outa nostalgia. I can only speak of those I know. One friend bought a bear skirt a couple years back. He hurried to find razor heads so he could hunt all bear. His new bow didn't need a certain head. It was nostalgia. Guys used to r and under them off so the would slide off bone instead of rolling up.

I got a bunch still attached to vintage Bear arrows.

Spell check decided SK was skirt, sorry.

Riverwolf, the SS heads only came in 145gr. as far as i know. I bought a bunch back in the day. I bought a new 3 pk each hunting season, but then used the same ones, before I knew it I had a couple doz. They will last my lifetime.

Someone has to know the rest of the story with those machines?

MikeT, Bear also made screw-in stainless steel heads in 120 gr ( 1990 ). They were called the Bear Razorhead Lite SS. Later the Bear Razorhead Lite SS was changed to 110gr. ( 1992 to 1999 )

Here is the rarest of the Bear Razorheads. It's the Bear Giant. Only a handful of prototypes were made. They are really sought after by Bear Archery collectors.

They work well and I bought a lot of them two years ago at an estate sale, 100 for ten bucks.Used them as a kid and still like them today fifty years later, why change?

At one time the SS Razorhead was made in 3 weights with three ferrel colors, red, blue and green.

The Super Razorheads came 110gr and 145gr. Green was 110 and blue 145. Great heads.......

1992 Bear Catalog.

Bear Super Razorhead Lite SS - 120gr.

Bear Super Razorhead SS - 145gr.

1996 Bear Catalog.

Bear Super Razorhead Lite SS - 110gr.

Bear Super Razorhead SS - 145gr.

A few years ago my wife and I went to the NALS shoot (North American Longbow Safari). We each had a dozen wood shaft arrows. Mine were tipped with Bear Razorheads w/o the bleeders. Hers were tipped with Zwickey Eskimos. We did a LOT of shooting and missing. She came home with a dozen Zwickeys in fine shape. I did not come home with a single undamaged Razorhead. I’m as good or better shot than her. IMO- Bear Razorheads are very poor in the durability department compared to the Zwickey Eskimo. I’m guessing there are other broadheads out there that are much more durable than the Zwickey. 45 years ago I started hunting with Bear heads but I don’t hunt with Bear Razorheads anymore, and haven’t for very long time. Just saying...

Tucker... Doesn't sound like you are a better shot than your wife by your story. You were limiting out on rocks, and your wife was strategically guiding her misses into soft dirt.. Lol Just messin with ya.. Yes, you can bend a bear head .. The ones I bent I straightened and they became small game heads.. Somebody mentioned above other heads hold a better edge? It's not a pocket knife, it's a hunting head.. When you let loose on an animal you best have the mindset of kissing that arrow good bye, cause anything can and will happen.. That said, I have cleaned up and used the same arrow and broad head on multiple deer.. Use what you like, most of us just stick with what works for us.

I only need them to last one shot through the ribs.,

That's it Stan. You shoot what you're confident with.

Why so much love? Easy- they are absurdly easy to sharpen and are a good shape for effective penetration

In the war years when it was hard to get steel Jack Zwicky made broadheads for Bear so I'm sure Fred shot some. Jack told me his judo head was made becuase of the Bear razorhead coming out. Razorheads were selling well and his sales fell so He and Cliff had time to work with an idea they had had for some time and soon were producing judos.

Thanks Ralph, couldn't find my old catalog to show the pic. I never bought any but the 145 gr head but knew they made three.

As most of us know, Fred designed the machine that made the Bear Razorheads. I read that the Razorhead machine was modified to produce the Stainless steel razorhead down in Florida. The machine quit after many years of production. No one could get it running again. I don't know if the same machine made the different weight heads in the Stainless steel models but I'm sure it was modified to make the 145 Razorhead SS. Tucker, with all due respect I don't think any broadhead was made to be shot into rocks and survive. I have the older version of the Razorhead and have killed deer with them with no damage. I have actually killed more deer with the stainless Razorheads. Shot from compounds and recurves. And I have never damaged one shooting an animal. As we all know any broadhead can be damaged.

This is about bear heads & I'm fully aware of that but at one time abowyer broadheads had a video of their heads beying shot into cinderblock and diamond plate aluminum. And it did not destroy them. Have the bear heads proven themselves deadly you bet are there much more durable heads made you bet

I never even saw a red one Riverwolf. Years ago I ordered mine from FS Discount and always made sure I got the 145 ( blue) heads. Great heads, wish I'd have bought more.

Timex, I saw a video a few years back of Zwickys being shot into cinder blocks. They all survived and were still usable. It is my desire to never shoot a cinder block though.

Frankly, those of you who don't like them, for whatever reason you have, that lets more for the rest of us who do. There are only a few broadheads that have proven the test of over fift-five years and Bear is one of them..Ace, and Zwickey the others...not counting MA-3. History is a wonderful thing.

Got my first, second and third Trad deer, all bucks with the Bear Razorhead 145g. Lol was considered heavey at the time. All passthroughs

Love it Ontario Lonbow.

If the razorhead machine hadn't died they may still be made. The cost of refurbishing it was beyond the return they felt they would get out of it. And as I mentioned earlier, there are still gazillions of them out there so no need to build more. Fred's foreward thinking...make a gazillion or so and they will be here forever..:))))).

Funny but I've seen just about every broadhead made in my lifetime and not many wouldn't bend. If they didn't give up the ghost at one time or another you wouldn't need to make so many. It's all good boys and girls, you can love one without hating the other...and I don't think they have cooties.

At this point I have enough broadheads to kill a few deer every year and never use the same head twice. Many of them are Bear Razorheads and they are the ones I turn to more often than not.

They don't need me to defend them. They have their own track record. I have bent some but I've bent or broken others. I'm not hunting water buffalo so I don't need a forged 275 grain head. One of the things I appreciate about the Razorheads is the convex, rather than straight, edge. I'm convinced it aids in cutting through a surface, no matter how slight the advantage. Plus, as mentioned above they are easy to sharpen even in the field.

Back in the day a lot of deer were lost with Razor heads and Bodkins. Much better heads today. I wouldn't mess with them anymore and I had a lot off them.

A lot of deer are lost every year.. I wouldn't blame the broad heads.. Keep them sharp and hit what you are shooting at.. Hilarious , the excuses folks will use, instead of owning up to their own mistakes..

Now this can die. :^(

I never lost one that I hit in the right spot. Sharp and accurate count more than brand name.

I have a friend who's been using the bear greenie for probably 60 years, some of those SS models too. He killed more whitetails than anybody I know. He has a shoebox full of bent, broken greenies... pieces of those bleeders (cut his finger and hand twice field dressing on bleeders that sheared off inside the deer). He loves 'em, only uses Bear bows too of course.

There was an Archery show being held back in the 80's at a South suburb of Chicago. A couple of speakers, Ted Nugent was featured, gear for sale and a truckload of Bear greenies all loose, no packaging, dirt cheap. My friend couldn't make the show and asked if I could and grab a couple dozen of the heads. I think I bought about 4 dozen and was gonna keep a dozen for myself....they were a buck apiece or a doz for 10 bucks if I remember correctly. There was a bunch of big boxes full of them....thousands!

I wound up giving my dozen to my old buddy after comparing them to my Zwickeys...they just didn't cut the grade for me. That and they had a smaller ferrule...maybe 21/64 ?

One other thing about my friend...this might get to some of you collectors ;)....he has dozens and dozens of those rare, sought after, collectable bubble head versions....all hammered flat because he thought they impeded penetration. ;)

Here is a bowsite thread about broadhead failures.

https://forums.bowsite.com/tf/bgforums/thread.cfm?threadid=463706&forum=2

Nice to get the story on what happened to the machine. If they would have fixed it back then, it would be making alot of money now. They didnt think ahead enough and how prices would go up. Oh well, Ive got enough for my lifetime so I`m a happy camper :)

I love the bear greenies and I've also used the super razor head with no complaints. But they aren't made anymore and that is their ultimate failure. Same with ribteks, which were extremely effective heads. I can still buy the ace standard new from any number of sites. And the magnus stinger is a newer head that just delivers. But a bear greenie is kind of like putting a tuxedo on an arrow. Wish they were still made.

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