I can't say for sure, but in the 1960s and prior archery books magazine photos,it seemed like hunting bows were mostly without string silencers. I started noticing string silencers in the early 1970s when I got started bowhunting. I didn't put them on my recurve, but I did install brush buttons which had a silencing effect as well preventing limb from getting snagged on bushes. Any of you archery historians know the story on string silencers?

I bet George Stout will know, and others. In the early 1960s I had brush buttons and a kind of flat plastic string silencer a little bigger than a quarter with three plastic legs going out that slipped on to the string . I also had the same setup on my girl friend’s bow, who became my wife and her Nomad had them still on when we gave the bow to our daughter. I want to say they were Kwikee brand silencers.

I just googled the Kwikee string silencers. They are still available. Several places have them listed. Bonehead Archery is one place !!!

In the '70s we tied on rubber bands. I also remember they sold arrowhead-shaped slotted leather silencers that you would wrap around the bowstring. - John

This picture is from 1958. You might be able to see the 3 point rubber silencers that you had to pull your string through with a hair pin. Later there was the little tear drop rubber ones that went around the string and through a loop to attach

Sometime in the 60's I started making yarn silencers. I'd buy a roll of yarn and wrap around 4 fingers, cut, put through the string then cut the ends of the loops

They've been around as long as I can remember, but my experience was mostly those of the homemade variety.

When I was a kid at my first scout camps, our archery instructors had thin/small strips of bicycle inner tube in their strings for silencers. That was around 1966/67.

Rick

The commercial silencers I ever saw were the ones made by Kwikee. I opted for Brush Buttons only on my recurve at the time. In recent years, I haven't used string silencers on my longbows, but my arrows are fairly heavy in weight (10+ grains per pound).

I used the three pronged Kwickee silencers back in the day. Haven't used ANYTHING on my bows for years now.

Kwikee quivers and string silencers since 1957

https://kwikeekwiver.com/

I had both the quiver and string silencers on my bow in the 1958 picture I posted

Big 2 blade Goshawk broadheads with no blade hood on the quiver

That's them! You know, they worked pretty good, too. Or so I recall...when I can recall.

Great memories and photos for us old birds. Thanks fellas. And how well I remember the no hood quivers--and two injuries to others in the hunting parties over the early years.

I had one of the old Kwikee all rubber/no hood quivers for a while.

The rubber finally cracked on one of the pieces, so I started copying it from a pair of rubber flipflop sandals. Work great. 8^)

Rick

I still have a pair of the kwikee one somewhere in my old stuff. Those leather or rubber ones in shape of arrowhead were “National String Silencers” I believe. I used brush buttons mostly until I came West to San Diego and most guys had “catwiskers”. Of course that was because Rancho Safari is there and Jerry made them.

These are the silencers Ron LaClair and jhinaz mentioned.

That's an original one next to a cardboard pattern I made. One of my homemade ones that I made from a bicycle tube on the string. Not much to them, but they work real well. Stopped the vibration on a couple of take down recurves just fine. Still using them.

Sometimes simpler is better.

We used Brush Buttons on ours in the 60's. I used them until the puffs and catswhiskers came along.

Good stuff guys.....brings back lots of memories. The rubber bands, or cat whiskers, we tied on were in precut sheets that we tied on. Separated the partially cut sheets after the tie on. The worked and were simple and cheap.

I guess we're talking about manufactured string silencers? Because I'm guessing that silencers of one type or another probably came about not too long after the bow became popular.

I used cat whiskers in the 70s and 80s and the used strips of fur on my selfbows. Jawge

Guys -

Wouldn't take a genius to figure out that touching a vibrating string quieted it down. Figuring "silencers" have been around longer than most people think.

Viper out.

That's the way it often is on here though... questions are answered like bows weren't invented until the 20th century.

They properly came out when the archery manufactures realized if they market them they could make money. Just like a lot of stuff out there today.

took my mothers silk stockings when they got runs in them to cut in strips & slip them through the string & cut to length, worked pretty good back in the early 60s.

Ron, That second picture shows you with a bow that must be at least 90lb draw, what a log.

You guys that shoot the heavy bows don't need silencers cause that arrow will be there before the noise....Ha!Ha!

I don't use silencers at all on my longbows so far. Of course I hunt hogs and fish ten to one compared to deer.

Back when I was young we just threaded small furry animals onto the string. Also came in handy as snacks on long trips:) JayInOz

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