What can you tell me about the Conolon Missilite bows?

[jwingman]

Hi,

  Does anyone have any information on Conolon Missilite bows? Where, when were they made? Any info about them would be appreciated. I have one coming that looks awful nice. I have always admired their lines.
Thanks
Jwingman

[jwingman]

No one has any info on these bows?
Thanks
Jwingman

[TommyBoy]

Never heard of them before in my life - ya got a pic?

[Bill Carlsen]

I think they are from the 50's or early 60's. Sorry, don't remember much about them but the name. I think, but don't remember for sure, that they were experimental in that they were using "new" space age materials of the time in a effort to apply them to bows. They were not on the market very long. I bet George Stout would have something on them.

[jwingman]

Here are some pictures. I have seen both longbows and recurves. They called this a recurve but it is more like a very reflex deflex longbow. It is 64 inches and 47#@28 inches. the handles that I have seen are all about the same as this. A slight reverse handle. The bow looks like an early 21st century style bow almost. I do not know when it was made. There is no date on the bow. The glass is a woven product that looks like the glass on the Herters bows only green instead. No checking or any of those problems on this glass. The bow is dead quiet even without any silencers. I don't know if anyone else has any of these. I would see them on the big auction sight once in a while but always seemed to lose out. This one I was able to finalize.
Thanks
jwingman
 
 
 
 
 

[twigflicker]

I had a friend give me one that his parents had given him as a youngster in the 50's.... Looks just like James' but mine is only 40#'s...  I use it a lot when working on form issues...  

Jonathan

[Kevin L.]

I like the look of that. I'll have to keep an eye out and see if I can find one up here. I used to have a Miami Valley recurve that was very similar, with just a touch more curvature at the tips.

[AALLFAB]

I think they are also related to the Garcia and the Whites archery bow companies in some way. Jim

[tread104]

Conolon developed an early type of fiberglass that was used in these bows and were better known for their fishing rods. It is a cross grain pattern that will begin to fray on the edges of the limbs.  This has been my experience.  I own about eight of them and have done a lot of searching but with little luck.  Other brands with nearly identical features include Galco and White.  The tips on the Galco models are less pronounced and the composite making up the handles is almost translucent. I have not found any info on where they were produced.  If you ever find out let me know.

I got my first one about two years ago and prefer it to a number of my custom bows.  The lower poundage models like #146 do not have a shelf but are still unique, very wide limbs with almost no riser material.

I have bid some of them up fairly high, however, I have now idea what they are really worth.  If memory serves me correct I lost out on your bow over a year ago.  It was the last one of the last ones I have seen.  From attending a number of shoots the old timers tell me that they come from the 50's and were available in chain sporting goods stores.  The bow in the picture looks like a model number #350.   Let me know if you ever get tired of that old bow as I would love to add another one to the bow rack.

Good Luck

[tread104]

An American company named NARMCO invented the first hollow fiberglass fishing rod blanks in 1946. Dr. Glenn Havens, head of research for NARMCO, is credited for the invention. Though fibers made of glass can be traced back to the 1890s, Owens-Corning is credited for the invention of fiberglass in 1938.

NARMCO was a WW 2 weapons manufacturing plant that used fiberglass in some of their parts. Their name was an acronym for the National Armament Company.

NARMCO became the Narmco Conolon Company at their factory in Santa Ana, California and fishing rod production began in 1947. Armed and ready (pun intended) they quickly became the world’s largest producer of fiberglass rods. Prior to this invention; all fishing rods were made of split bamboo, wood or steel.

Narmco Conolon maintained the lead by covering the full spectrum from ultra-light spinning, bait casting and fly rods to powerful heavy-duty sea rods.

In the early sixties; The Garcia Corporation became the new owner and changed the name to The Conolon Corporation with Howard Ashby as President. Mr. Ashby was also a Garcia Vice President.

Notes:
Early rod materials were just called “fiberglass”, then “Missilite” (a chemical bonding finish they had used instead of rivets on their old products such as bombs and guess what, missiles!) to seal the fiberglass rods, then quickly changed due to the negative implications to “Conolock” then to “Live Fiber” in the fifties.

All of these “surnames” were no longer used when bought by Garcia.

The Conolon Corporation closed in 1982

SEE:http://en.allexperts.com/q/Fishing-1634/2008/4/f/Garcia-Conolon.htm

[jwingman]

Tread104,

  That is some neat information. I appreciate the time you took to put that together. jwingman

[arneinar]

I have some factory promotional material from a 1958 sporting goods distributor catalog. It states that the fiberglass material used was an out growth of NARMCO's high pressure vessel research for our ICBM program. I believe that this has to do with gas and liquid storage containers like the current kevlar scuba type tanks used by divers, firemen, and PCP airgun owners. Of interest is that these types of fiberglass tanks were used by the Germans in their V-2 missiles. This is the basis for the Missilite name. NARMCO is an acronym for National Research and Manufacturing Company and was founded in 1944. They developed a nylon based epoxy adhesive system used in the manufacture of our B-36 program. Conolon was a division created for their consumer products. Cytec Aerospace is the heir to NARMCO and they are owned by Solvay a Belgian multinational chemical firm. The promo material I have shows the bows profile strung and unbraced and all secifications with a price list. I could not figure out how to add attached photos but can send them by email if interested. I have had Bears, Wings, Damon Howatts, Shakespeares, Brownings and others and all went down the road with the exception of 2 Wilson Black Widows and 2 Conolons, a 449 and a 450. The 450 will be the last to go and it seems to be some sort of hybred as its length and riser profile do not match up with the promo material and other examples I have seen.

[Liquid Amber]

I'm surprised nothing has been mentioned about Frank Eicholtz's relationship with Conolon.

February 1946 "Archery"

EICHOLTZ & COMPANY - "IN '46 TREAT YOURSELF TO AN EICHOLTZ COMPOSITE BOW-FEATURING- CONOLON BACKING-FIVE WAYS BETTER -MOULDS to the contour and over the edges where most breaks start.-FLEXIBILITY.  No slack.  No "tightening up."  It's S-M-O-O-T-H.-STRENGTH. Many times the tensile strength of wood.-PROTECTION.  Scratch Proof.  Moisture Proof.  "Set" Proof.-Adhesion.  IT STAYS GLUED.- Available Only on Eicholtz Bows----Straight or Recurved."                  
                  
March 1946 "Archery"

EICHOLTZ & COMPANY - "A NEW ARROW WILL SOON BE READY MADE OF WAR BORN CONOLON - these arrows will be a milestone in archery--made of synthetic material twice as strong as wood for equal spine.  They will not become crooked  They resist vibration better than wood, hence they fly faster and farther.  They fly straight from the time they leave the bow.  For a new sensation in shooting try a set of Conolon arrows.  "They are guaranteed to FLY straight and STAY straight."   

August 1948 "Archery"

CONOLON BONDED TO PLASTIC                              
     Question: I have seen a new bow backing made of Fiberglas and it looks pretty good.  It is three ply and is tapered in thickness.  This backing is called "Bo-Bak."  I would like to know if you have checked this backing and if so what is your opinion?  Also would like the name and address of the manufacturer--F.R., San Antonio, Texas.                              
                              
   Answer: There is a company in San Diego, California: Narmco, Inc., at 2934 Pacific Highway, that are putting out a backing of fiberglas bonded to a heavier plastic sub-base.  I have not had an opportunity to try out this material however so cannot give you any dope on it.  Sorry.

[Liquid Amber]

September 1948 "Archery"

New Conolon Backings                     

     "Frank eicholtz states that the new improved Conolon bow backings now being offered to bowyers, both professional and amatuer, are even better than the old type he developed several years ago.  Conolon bow backings have made an enviable record in flight shooting  by establishing record distances in all weights.  Distances of over 600 yards with boows of 75-80 pounds are  now fairly common.  Yet two years ago such performances was not believed possible.  The modern Conolon backed flight bow far exceeds anything achieved by the fabulous Turkish bow in approximately the same drawing weights!  Based on eight months of rigid tests, the conclusion is that the new Conolon backings are unbreakable.                              
                              
     The new backings, for which a patent application has been filed, are simpler to apply in that their increased thickness with the bonded subback make them a rigid structural part of the bow and prevent even cross-grained wood from breaking beneath the backing.  An added advantage is gained in using cross-grained wood as it is much less apt to split longitudinally in using relatively weak woods, such as yew, in Composite bows.  Good grade Commercial Maple and Birch cannot be beaten as cores when plastic facings are used.  These woods are readily available at lower cost and have the adantage of greater shear strength, better gluing qualities, much easier to work, and there is absolutely no loss in cast.   
                                 
     To use the new backings it is necessary only to sand the plastic side with coarse sandpaper to remove all glaze, and glue with any good adhesive including Cascophen, Urac 185, Penacolite, Cascamite, etc..  Accurately made forms may be cut from plywood to the desired contour of the back and the whole bow glued down to the form, using half-inch Birch strips faced with rubber or wood blanket on top [face] either clamped or wrapped with rubber.  Wrapping without the 1/2 " strips would result in a concave back.  The undesirability of having the edges of the back higher than the center can be readily seen."