Herters Collectable bow?

[Beauregard]

I just want to ask before I cut down the rest on this bow...  

I love how it shoots but want the arrow to be closer to my hand..  

Thanks for your help..

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[Shadowhnter]

UGH.... I've no idea on value, or devaluation of that bow. If I liked how a bow shot, id personally leave it alone. If I felt I needed a bow that allowed the arrow close to my hand, id just add another bow to the fleet...probably a longbow....cant get much closer to the hand then that which you can get on a good longbow.  Id cherish and keep the Herter whole as is....just my opinion though.

[Rough Run]

Ditto Shadowhunter.  I personally dislike altering originals of anything, and that is a fine looking bow.  I wouldn't change it, collectable or not.

[Pine]

Well I'm a firm believer that hat if it's mine , I can do whatever I want with it .
I doubt if that's much of a priceless collectable , and if you were to rework the shelf , l doubt it would spoil the value .
My old K-Mag had a rasp and a sander taken to the grip because it was just to big and high for what I like . But I'm never going to sell it anyway .
So I say , if you would like it better with what you have in mind , go for it .
And show us the pictures when you get after it .    

[Danny Rowan]

Not really collectible, however lots of folks like the old Herters. If you change the shelf, you may change the way to bow shoots for the worse. It was designed to shoot that way with the peaked shelf.

[Beauregard]

Thanks guys..  Great points.  I hadn't thought of the shooting differently but It might change the effective vertical centering of the arrow..

[Possum Head]

Take your topic to the Bowyer's Bench forum and see what the masters say. I like an arra right over my hand as well and rather than having a wall ornament I would lay a saw to it in a heartbeat. You could always come back and apply a Weather Rest or equivalent upon changing your mind.

[mahantango]

I have that same  Herters Turkish Hunter. No great collectors value,i think I paid around 125$, but a really nice shooter. It was built and tillered that way so why mess with it?

[Zradix]

Pretty bow.
Do what you want with it...it's yours.

One question though..
You sure you have the right length string on it?
Looks a little long.
Herters always seems to want a shorter string than AMO spec.
I've looked at many of the stickers online and they always call for what would be considered a "short" string.

The 2 Herters recurves I've owned call for a string 6" shorter than the bow length.

[mahantango]

Yes, the brace height looks low to me too.

[elkhunter45]

I have cut and radiused the shelf on my Bear Kodiak Hunter as well as several other vintage bows through the years. Fred Bear's personal bows were cut down all the way to the knuckle. I did not get that aggressive with mine because I considered the possibility of changing the tiller too much. I did lower it enough to where it comfortable to me. I guess I shake out with the cut it and crown it crowd. I did hobby build bows for 20 years so I'm not as reluctant to cut, rasp, sand, and refinish as someone without some bow building experience might be. In the end it is a simple matter of personal preference.

[monterey]

I'd take a rasp to it with no concern whatever.  There is no good reason to have designed the shelf that way.  It will tune just fine and you will probably shoot better with the arrow closer to your hand.

Herter was known for elaborate gimmicks in his products.  He would request oddball features in many of the products he contracted and was also known by vendors the willing to purchase products with odd design features.  They gave him what he wanted!

[Beauregard]

Originally posted by Zradix:

One question though..
You sure you have the right length string on it?
Looks a little long.
Herters always seems to want a shorter string than AMO spec.
The 2 Herters recurves I've owned call for a string 6" shorter than the bow length.

Actually I have no idea..  This is the string it came with off ****..  Any idea how to decipher the serial number to get the string/brace height?

[Zradix]

I take it that there isn't a little round sticker on it?
Normally those stickers on Herters bows have the string length written on them.

[Zradix]

In your case I believe the number means..and I'm really not sure..
10=Oct
05=5th
61=1961
009=numerical order.

I don't think there is anything in that number that gives the model name or length like the Herters do in later years.

Wish I could help more.

[dringge]

It wouldn't bother me to modify the bow but that looks like a lot of change.

[mahantango]

Yes, Oct fifth 1961. Mine is also a '61.. I'll try to pull it out tonight and check the string length and brace height.

[jess stuart]

I would also take a rap to it.  No sense in keeping it as is.  You will always hear that little voice saying "bet it would shoot better with a lower shelf".