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Hayslope- Things have "sucked" here in Michigan for so long with this economy that I suppose I could be in some sort of vortex.LOL.So many manufacturing jobs have left this state.All this weird stuff is just evidence of the good ol' days when that little factory along the shores of the AuSable River in Grayling was in it's prime cranking out all this great stuff and making history in the process.Bear Archery was definitely one of the bright spots in Michigan's past.Thankfully some of what remains of those days is still popping up around me.Just gotta dig a little bit. I agree,the limbs are certainly unusual.
Posts: 1136 | From: Michigan | Registered: Dec 2003
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Thanks Jack.But I gotta tell you,that beautiful 70# 1964 Kodiak you found is pretty impressive.I think we need to hang out a little more.You're a pretty good treasure finder yourself buddy. Posts: 1136 | From: Michigan | Registered: Dec 2003
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Wow John More cool stuff. That Customized C Riser with the limbs are a treat for the eye's. Neat Stuff Indeed!!!!!!
Posts: 933 | From: California | Registered: Jan 2006
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I know I am Chuck..But I like to be teased as much as I like to tease everybody else.That 56" maple sight window 1959 Kodiak you just aquired certainly got a rise out of me.A "bow-ner" as Droptine would say.You're just as bad!! And yes,there's more coming. How's that for a tease?? LOL Posts: 1136 | From: Michigan | Registered: Dec 2003
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quote:Originally posted by hayslope: Damn John - do you live in one of those "vortex" areas like the Bermuda Triangle? Weird Bear stuff sure seems to find its way to your area of MI.
Nice finds........those are some unusual limbs!
X2, I'm with hayslope on this one, keep finding this kind of stuff and I think the "BEAR-muda Triangle" would become the perfect name for your collection John...
That is a pretty unique grip, it would seem to be easy to recognize, I'll keep my eyes peeled as I go through my old magazines.
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Brad- I like that,the "Bear-muda Triangle".I don't know how you guys come up with stuff like that.I may just use that if I need a name for a display in the future.
Chuck- Get that camera out!!! I know you're sitting on a treasure-trove of Bear-ied treasure yourself.Time to share 'cuz I'm running out of stuff!
Posts: 1136 | From: Michigan | Registered: Dec 2003
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I have a few more items to show you from my recent "Bear-ied treasure" find and wanted to save the best for last.But with little time to take pictures and post them in the order that I would like,I decided to get these pics up while time allowed. Fred had always wanted a bow that could be broken down for travelling.He was flying all over the world hunting all kinds of animals with his bow and travelling with a full length recurve didn't always work out the best.Being able to break his bow down in a smaller carry-on package was a huge plus for him.At that time I'm sure one could easily board a commercial airline with a bow disassembled and cased.Not so much today.Fred messed with the idea of a take-down bow for awhile before him and the boys in R&D finally came up with the ultimate idea.Not actually a "take-apart" bow that required some sort of tool to assemble/disassemble the bow,but one that could be taken apart without needing any sort of tool.You know the system I'm talking about,one still being made and used today.These are examples of two of the earliest versions ever made.I have,over the years,referred to these bows as the "brass bears" as they have small brass bears mounted on the latches as opposed to the more familiar plastic brown bears we find on the early production bows.I was told that as these bows were getting ready for introduction to the sporting goods industry,Fred sat down and drew up these small bears and had the boys in the tooling dept. make up a few sets.These brass bears were brazed to small screws and mounted on the risers.I was told that less than ten sets of these "brass bear risers" were made,making them truly some of the rarest "Bear-ied treasure" known.Fred wanted a few of these risers completed,bears and all,for the upcoming trade show where they were to be shown for the first time. Sit back and enjoy a couple of these pre-production,prototype,whatever you want to call them,take-down risers.Truly history in the making as the take-down bow was Fred's favorite bow of choice,his Holy Grail,and the last bow he ever hunted with.
Serial numbers are very low and in sequence on these two.B1007 and B1008 Posts: 1136 | From: Michigan | Registered: Dec 2003
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Here's a couple of pictures of the "brass bears"
Here's a couple alongside a plastic brown bear on an early production riser:
You can see how much the production riser(top) was trimmed down compared to the prototype version: Posts: 1136 | From: Michigan | Registered: Dec 2003
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The inside of these latches are marked "Model B" as opposed to "Model 10" as found in the production sockets.Sockets and latches are pretty much the same as on the production models except for a couple of early changes that were made out of necessity.I was told an interesting story about these changes and will share it with you here,along with photos so you can see them.These were last minute changes made to correct a problem that Fred discovered shortly before these bows were to be at that trade show. Unfortunately it is past my bedtime so I will leave you with this one last picture until I can finish the "show and tell" on the latches. (You're right Chuck,I am a tease!)LOL Posts: 1136 | From: Michigan | Registered: Dec 2003
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-------------------- TGMM Family of the Bow Compton Traditional Bowhunters
“Only after the last tree has been cut down…the last river has been poisoned…the last fish caught, only then will you find that money cannot be eaten." - Cree Indian Prophesy Posts: 1855 | From: Westchester County, NY | Registered: Oct 2006
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