I dont know why but I cant into squared off tips on a recurve. I’m always surfing the bay for old Bears and most of the late 60’s and 70’s bows have the square tips. It makes the bow look cheap in my opinion. Anyone prefer square tips over a pointed tip?

T4

not me........my tastes are not for square tips. But it should not matter I guess......but then again there are limb veneers :)

I believe Bear went to 'squared' tips as a perceived durability feature. Here's a tip some of you will recognize.

Not a huge fan of square but a less narrow square is ok. My Timberhawk has this shape.

The original Bob Thompson Zipper recurves had squared tips. When he built me a bow I asked him to taper and round the tips. I think he wanted to turn me down, but he granted my request. To my eye a square bow tip looks bulky, awkward, chopped and strange. From a purely aesthetic perspective, I would not buy a bow with square tips.

If I had a bow with squared tips I'd have to take a file to them. Not a fan of squared tips.

I don't like square tips either or for that matter wide round tips. I lik narrow and relatively pointed.

I think rounded ends are less likely to get damaged. I think square is a cost saving measure. Pointy tips are likely the easiest to damage, but I like pointy tips. Chuck S.

If you can file your own fingernails you can modify the bow tips to satisfy your aesthetics.

Square bow tips are quicker to make and easier to get symmetrical to the eye.

They don't have to be overly bulky, although may of the older ones certainly are.

I agree about zipper bow limbs with square tips , Bill Dunn of zipper bows still put square tips on his limbs, each corner will ware as a posed to a more rounded tip my thought, I don’t like the square tips.

I couldn't care less actually since how the bow functions is my primary concern. I understand we have become enamored with aesthetics nowadays, and it's not unusual to have threads about veneer choice that run for weeks. I like all bows, and I certainly don't think square tips, or nontapered tips make a bow look cheap. That's rather silly, but I'll take the ones you don't want and even pay shipping.

A lot of Dartons had square tips as well.

I guess I'm strange, but I actually like square tips, as long as they aren't too wide. I really dislike big, rounded tips, but smaller ones are OK.

Only rather silly if you like the looks..lol.

Never have given it a thought. But because I like endless loop string I am leary of narrow, pointy tips.

I have square tips on my Kodiak Hunters, has a little meat to them and I like them just fine. I dont like the pointy tips at all, like the ones that come on the new Bear takedown. They look like a failure ready to happen.

Anything 1/2" past the string groove is doing nothing.

Compare a 1961-62 KMag to a later model. Art vs ugly.

Some look nicer than others to me.

I have a vintage pair of Bear red tipped take down limbs that I've always liked the size and shape of.

Simple, yet refined.

Those tips inspired the size and shape of the ones on the new TD that I made earlier this year.

It's never been something to worry about for me.Dont like it don't buy it or redo it.No big performance thing sometimes durability is a good thing

I don't care one way or another as long as the bow shoots good. Square, round, pointy does not make a difference BUT I do NOT like a limb tip that looks like someone stuck a big wad of gum on the end and filed string groves.

I favor square tips like the older Bears had. Back in the day before internet education and the push pull bow stringing method was 'approved' in was a necessity to keep from putting a hole through your shoe.

They don't sink in the ground as much when leaning a bow against a tree.

The perceived performance by less weight never mattered to me.

And if I forgot,lost my stringer I could still change a string or string the bow.

Jeff

Good for kids...they are rough on bows.....weren't you at that age? I always put square or rounded tips on kids bows... Some adults need this too. Richard

My old Pearson hunter has the squared tips and that was my first bow ar 12 yrs old so I never minded them. I have a bunch of fond memories with that bow and the tips are still doing just fine 40 yrs later.

Doesn't bother me which shape the tips are. I think the rounded or pointed tips look better. My bows are half square and half rounded.

Recurve Crafter, Nice, those are not square, they are rounded on corners, Nice. May be some day You will make more bows, OK.

Very true, but compared to the way I shaped most of my old tips, these new ones are a little more on the square side. ;^)

I like big long rounded tips. Better for poking at fresh elk turds, dead stuff, bugs, and whatever needs to be poked at while hunting.

You can have any shape you imagine. Here is before.

Here is after. >>>>-----> Ken

One more time After

Mangonboat, correct me if I'm wrong but that looks like a Telum tip and because it has white limbs I'm guessing a Letalis? Anyway, I could care less if they are square, pointed or whatever as long as it shoots well. Though something to be said for distinct tips.

I never thought about it., I'd say it doesn't matter

No Sir that is a Bear. I think you can read the logo in the first picture. It went from a horse tooth to a tiger tooth. You can have any shape though. I kind of prefer an arrow head. All material above the string groove is just added weight that the limbs have to move. The difference is small though, kind of like string silencers. >>>>-----> Ken

Just flat out ugly to me....same as pointy tips with no contour to them. Shows a lack of artistry by the bowyer or those in designing production bows ..but that's just imo. For sure it doesn't matter when it comes to performance ..?...nah.

Superb craftsmanship here fellas... And with antler yet. That's the top limb tip, the bottom one is more rounded.

I don't like square tips at all. The recent Bear TD tips are very nice! They're shaped like the tips on a Deathmaster.

Joe

The rounded tips on a 95' Howatt Hunter are nothing great.

Joe

The rounded tips on a Hoyt Pro Medalist are great!

Joe

The small Drake tips are beauties to behold!

Joe

The molded plastic tips on a 76er are disgusting, but they work.

Joe

No square tips allowed here in New Bowmania; it's an easy way to earn yourself a citation for having an ugly bow.

These are the epitome of square tios. 69 Grizzly.

Heat, that is a much better picture of the exact way the tiger tooth tips started out. Thanks. >>>>------> Ken

I don't like the square tips. The longer and pointier they are, the better I like them. Sort of that late fifties look that the gals all tried to achieve with their tight sweaters.

Here's the tip profile of my old Deathmaster.

Joe

Home made ugly squared-off tips, and a home made endless loop string as well....also ugly. The poofder section at the club turns their heads when I walk by. :)

That was funny Brad!!

Gladly 2 Bears! Too bad I can't spell or edit my post, haha!

I have 2 Bear Kodiaks and I think the square tips fit the bow. I do think theset tips on my Blackhawk Bee look cool

I can't say that it has ever really mattered to me.

Aren't those trapezoidal tips; not squared tips. :) Jawge

How much performance difference is there when reducing square tips to smaller tips? (Like what 2 bears did on that super Kodiak)

You could potentially remove many grains of weight from the limb tips. I have a Kodiak Hunter with big squared tips that I have been thinking of cutting down to smaller tips.

CD

They don't bother me at all. But then I don't obsess about cosmetics on a huntin' tool.

I think square , or rounded tips are less prone to damage, I had a tiny tipped RW T Bird last year and i was very careful of these pointy tips, that bow resides in Germany now. I cringe when I see people at shoots rest their bows with the tips on the ground or propped against trees. My bows are precious to me and i owe it to them to treat them kindly. Jigger

On the Bear T/D, I’m all for era correct limbs. I don’t care what they look like or how fast they are.

There was a thread on here some years ago that several of the flight shooters that used to hang out here contributed to.

It seems that one of the things that a large limb tip caused (and by large they were referencing excess material extending past the string nocks) was limb "over travel".

I don't remember all the details but it had a detrimental affect on arrow flight as well as string longevity.

wallace mountain longbow on left

Fox maverick recurve

Makes no difference to me. I don't obsessed about it. I like the construction of my vintage bows as much as my newer bows.

I've got a Red Wing Hunter with trapezoidal tips (Thanks Jawge) Pdiddly tells me that the A in the bows serial number (RA 283) is the Head Ski designator, didn't have the complete decal yet.

You are welcome, elkslayer. :) Jawge

Here is the tip on the long bow I built with help and advise from a good friend here. They are Rose wood and sheep horn. The bottom is more rounded. I don't know why the Rosewood looks so dark the rest of the colors are close. Thanks for looking. >>>>------> Ken

Elk antler tips on my me TradAl Kimery bow. But I don't mind the old squares.

I like my Thunderbird, tips don't matter.

I like the tips on my Kodiak Magnum.

Remember, Fred uses his bow as a wading staff, LOL. I always cringe when I watch that video of him pushing that bow into the rocks below the water.

If squared was good enough for fred they're good enough for me!

These were the tips on the 1961 and 62 KMags.

They should have kept making them like this...

Here is one of the nicest tips I have ever seen on a bow.

50 # 60" Dick Green. They're tiny but deep and work perfectly. That's a dime on the limb.

Side view of the same tip..

fdp wrote

"It seems that one of the things that a large limb tip caused (and by large they were referencing excess material extending past the string nocks) was limb "over travel".

Larry Hatfield posted that comment. As I recall, an entrant had some self bows at a flight shooting event and he broke two of them. Someone whittled the limb tips on his 3rd bow down and the bow shot well. The tips were too large and caused over travel of the limb.

I like the tips on my Staghorn Tempest.

Right shape and size and they have glass phenolic overlays so perfect for no-stretch strings.

Last one is the tips on a Sander's Sportster. Small and efficient and nice overlays.

I am not a fan of long thin tips...no reason to have that much material beyond the string. Form follows function.

I have a number of squire tips.

with out a doubt Brandon your the best.

You have to be careful with all tips Big or little square or knife like.

Use a stringer.

You might when you get hurt a few times.

That is what is nice. You can have any shape you want. If they are square like Bear, you can make them round, pointed, or much smaller. It they are pointed you can grind them flat on the end or round them off. If they are round they can be pointed or flat on the end. Less non working weight on a limb is always a good thing. Stay well.>>>>------> Ken

George is correct. Not square tips.,

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