posted
The bowyers at Bear have a very strong connection to Mr. Bear and his bowyers. They do know how to make the bows. However, I imgaine the parent company (Escalade) has something to say about product lines, quality of production, research and development, etc.
I have two Supremes (TD) and I think they are terrific. I haven't liked any of the 1-pieces since the late 60's. However, I think the new (green-glass) Super K looks good. I'll likely by an A riser TD or the Super K in a few months.
I was recently at a meeting of the ATA. I asked a panel of vendors about the current popularity of traditional archery. I was very disappointed and surprised in their obvioius lack of interest in the subject. They reported that traditional sales continue to be stagnant. I thought "we" were on the upsurge?
I think the archery manufacturors are less than enthused with traditional archery because we don't buy much "stuff" with our bows. We don't buy sights, release aids, stabilizers, bow handles, straps, any number of countless other gizmos and gadgets. Many of us would rather make our accessories than buy em off the shelf.
The thing I've seen that we do is speak up for our passion to bowhunt more than other groups of hunters.
-------------------- If the mind wanders, so too will the arrow.
Member of various archery organizations. Posts: 3884 | From: Kentucky | Registered: Jan 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Bowwild: The bowyers at Bear have a very strong connection to Mr. Bear and his bowyers. They do know how to make the bows. However, I imgaine the parent company (Escalade) has something to say about product lines, quality of production, research and development, etc.
I have two Supremes (TD) and I think they are terrific. I haven't liked any of the 1-pieces since the late 60's. However, I think the new (green-glass) Super K looks good. I'll likely by an A riser TD or the Super K in a few months.
I was recently at a meeting of the ATA. I asked a panel of vendors about the current popularity of traditional archery. I was very disappointed and surprised in their obvioius lack of interest in the subject. They reported that traditional sales continue to be stagnant. I thought "we" were on the upsurge?
I think the archery manufacturors are less than enthused with traditional archery because we don't buy much "stuff" with our bows. We don't buy sights, release aids, stabilizers, bow handles, straps, any number of countless other gizmos and gadgets. Many of us would rather make our accessories than buy em off the shelf.
The thing I've seen that we do is speak up for our passion to bowhunt more than other groups of hunters.
remember, at the end of the day people at the ATA are in business. you have to sell product to stay in business. i still shoot the Grayling Kodiak Mag my father gave me back in '82. since he can't shoot trad bows anymore i now have his Grayling Super Kodiak. the two guys i hunt with that use trad bows are shooting Black Widows from the '80's. i can see why they say sales are stagnent. wheel bows get faster, more quiet, more shock free every few years causing the shooter to constantly feel the real or imagined need to upgrade. why would i buy a new bow? Trad bows don't become obsolete, they are good virtually forever.
Posts: 45 | From: mo | Registered: Jan 2008
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posted
I did some design work and sent it to Bear Archery. I got a call from the Marketing Director, in the insueing discussion, he told me that Bear was going to get back into the trad part of archery and was making a push towards it this year. We shall see.
-------------------- " Just concentrate and don't freak out next time" my son Tyler(age 7) giving advise after watching me miss a big mulie.
quote:Originally posted by kill shot: I would like to see a new 1964 bear polar. Mine was 66", 45#. That thing shot like it had eyes. It was smooth to draw and a joy to shoot when the temp was in the single digits.
In a one piece bow, Bear just won't build a bow over 60" in length. When I heard Bear was coming out with a revamped line, I was hoping for a 64" Super Kodiak, but alas, no joy.
I also would have liked to have seen the 66" Polar return.
posted
I am optimistic about Bear making a strong return to the traditional scene over the next year or two. They set up a booth at our Florida state shoot last year and they seemed really interested in the comments and feedback of the participants. I have my fingers crossed that they will represent Bear well. I feel like the local guys here in Florida really want to do that.
-------------------- MOLON LABE
Traditional Bowhunters Of Florida Charity Shoot January 26, 2013. State Championship Shoot March 1-3, 2013. Come shoot with us! Posts: 4872 | From: weirsdale, fl | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
We'll know for sure if they are REALLY REALLY SERIOUS....if we see those timeless green RazorHeads come back! Now wouldnt that be somethin'!? Posts: 570 | From: Massachusetts | Registered: Dec 2009
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posted
A year ago I contacted the Bear Customer Care department and asked, since the limbs are interchangable, why the Right Hand Bear Takedown was offered in 45 to 60 pound weights and the Left Hand only in 50 and 55 pounds.
This is the response I received: "I do apologize. In the past few years, our company has trimmed the traditional line of a lot of the left handed versions due to lack of demand."
I just had to shake my head and laugh . . . I do hope their traditional line does well for them.
-------------------- Compton Traditional Bowhunters Life Member Nebraska Bowhunters Association Life Member Nebraska Traditional Archers Life Member Colorado Traditional Archers Society Posts: 464 | From: Grand Island, Nebraska | Registered: Feb 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Craig Schoneberg: A year ago I contacted the Bear Customer Care department and asked, since the limbs are interchangable, why the Right Hand Bear Takedown was offered in 45 to 60 pound weights and the Left Hand only in 50 and 55 pounds.
This is the response I received: "I do apologize. In the past few years, our company has trimmed the traditional line of a lot of the left handed versions due to lack of demand."
I just had to shake my head and laugh . . . I do hope their traditional line does well for them.
That is real funny! Hopefully they have some people spearheading this return to traditonal that know what that word meens. You would think they would at least have someone lurking here on this site. I know that most bowyers do lurk here, if they are not acitvely involved.
I did hear a rumor of the return of the Razorhead.
-------------------- No hunter should feel guilty for killing a deer that doesnt meet someone else's expectations. Posts: 569 | From: Sidney, Michigan | Registered: Jun 2008
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posted
I've read this thread and found it interesting.I'm 49 years old and have'nt been trad shootin but 3 years.Other than some of the older bow lenghts not being available what ways have these classics changed over the years? Is it design or materials that make todays models differ from those of old?Never had the pleasure of shooting vintage.
Posts: 886 | From: Hurley, Mississippi | Registered: May 2010
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quote:Originally posted by SEMO_HUNTER: If I'm not mistaken.......Bear was bought out by Jennings, then Jennings was bought out by PSE?? So your not actually buying a Bear bow anymore.....it's made by PSE, which isn't such a bad thing either. PSE has and still does make some really nice bows, although they never were too big into the traditional end of archery.....except for that Coyote take down recurve and it was a big POS! I had the Coyote recurve at one time and gave it ample time to impress me and it never did. Not very accurate and noisy.......no matter what I tried I just couldn't get those 2 problems worked out so I sold it.
I would also like to get my hands on one of those 48" Kodiak Super mags. That would be just about perfect for my blind. Whether they are made by PSE now or not, I've always wanted a Super K Mag.
PSE has nothing to do with them. Its parent company is Escalade Sports. There was a Bear / Jennings merger in the early 80's. That was more of Bear taking over an ailing Jennings. Tom Jennings and Fred Bear were still alive when that happened. There is a lot more hisotry in the archery business as to who owns/owned who. In my opinion its just the Bear name now and the Florida factory. What I was hoping was the powers that be at Bear may see that they can be in the trad world, if they only catch up with what trad archers want. Everyone is exactly right with the 59, myself included. I would buy one of those.
Your right, PSE has nothing to do with Bear archery....I was mistaken on that, but Escalade Sports does own Bear. This link explains why I thought PSE was somehow connected. It only says that Escalade Sports licensed PSE products in 2000. I'm not sure what that means except that maybe they decided to carry the PSE product line? Not sure about that. Then they aquired Bear Archery in 2003. They seem to own quite a bit more than I ever thought they did.
Doesn't really matter to me, I'd still like to have a Super K.
-------------------- ~Varitas Vos Liberabit~ John 8:32 ~Genesis 27:3~ Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most. Posts: 2867 | From: Missouri | Registered: Aug 2010
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quote:Originally posted by Possum Head: I've read this thread and found it interesting.I'm 49 years old and have'nt been trad shootin but 3 years.Other than some of the older bow lenghts not being available what ways have these classics changed over the years? Is it design or materials that make todays models differ from those of old?Never had the pleasure of shooting vintage.
They became stagnant with the trad world. Cookie cutter bows never changing from year to year. No involvement with trad archery, while focussing more on mainstream archery. They stopped making a lot of the things that were used in the trad world, like the Razorhead, and the spring arm bow quivers. Some say that the trad part of the company died in Grayling. This could be a concerted effort on their part to be a part of it all again. In my opinion, Bear Archery was "The" company in Archery. They let that all slip away, instead of carrying on the great tradition that Fred started here in Michigan.
-------------------- No hunter should feel guilty for killing a deer that doesnt meet someone else's expectations. Posts: 569 | From: Sidney, Michigan | Registered: Jun 2008
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It has to kinda make you think that they forgot where they came from? I bet if Fred were around today he would be extremely disturbed by what has happened in the past decade.
Fredhill said it right when he mentioned that the manufacturers still must see and turn a profit off of a certain brand/style of equipment they produce or they will drop it. The new Bear compound bows that have been out for several years now seem to take precedence over the Traditional lines.......and quite honestly I haven't heard a whole lot of positive feedback about their compound bow line. Other companies are kicking butt and taking names in that department and most of them don't even offer a traditional line of bows, so they concentrate all their efforts into wheelies cause evidently that's where the big bucks are?
It's sad to say the least. Even though I shoot both, I don't ever want to see the traditional lines discontinued. I love my Bear Grizzly, it was passed on to me from my uncle and I'll have it till the day I die.
-------------------- ~Varitas Vos Liberabit~ John 8:32 ~Genesis 27:3~ Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most. Posts: 2867 | From: Missouri | Registered: Aug 2010
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Those poor fellas down in Florida are danged if they do and danged if they don't.
Posts: 265 | From: Greenwich, Ohio | Registered: Mar 2009
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quote:Or, does Bear finally get it and are going to build bows that people might want?
Jashu, I'm going to pick on something you said, but please don't think I'm picking on you.....
Yeah, I think it's awesome that Bear appears to be getting back to their roots. There's probably nothing that conjures up images and sentimental feelings of archery more than Bear to me.
While Bear can bring back plenty of bows that people want , the rubber will meet the road if people actually buy those bows.
Let's face it, longbow and recurve shooters don't represent a sizeable marketing audience. The very fact that they are making an effort to revitalize their line is very exciting to me, even if they didn't bring back every single model of bow that each person holds dear.
Sometimes I get the feeling that many of us take exception to Bear (among others.....i.e Magnus) focusing on their bottom line more than on our every whim of what we enjoy using.
Yes, I have fond recollections of the days that the Bear recurves were always fresh and new, and their devotion to "traditional" archery seemed paramount. On the other hand, I bet Bear also wishes for those days to be back....days when they sold as many recurves in a month as the entire traditional community purchases in a year these days (I'm exaggerating--don't know off hand how many bows are purchased new these days).
It was a great company. What it is today, although not my cup of tea, is a company like many others that is doing it's best to continue in business. Bottom line is that their best hope of doing so is to focus on the bows that people buy .
Let's hope that this returned focus to recurves and longbows will be fruitful for them, because then it will be fruitful for us as well.
Posts: 128 | From: New Mexico | Registered: Mar 2003
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