Age and Brace for a old Bear Alaskan

[BBK41ND]

Hi went down to visit the littlest grand baby and came across a really nice Alaskan with gray and tan glass and a leather handle.50#@28",62amo. and the serial number stars with a 1. My questions are 1. does the first number signify the year of the bow? and what would be a good starting brace height? Thanks guys

[Jack Shanks]

The only years you can go by the first digit in the serial number are 1965-69. Your Alaskan sounds like a 1961 though. The leather handle years were 1958-61. The 1958 had gray and black glass the 59-60 black and orange. I've never owned a 61 but they were single shelf and had tan glass on one side of the limbs. The semi recurves usually take a lower brace. I would try around 7" as a starting point.

[BBK41ND]

Thanks Jack,It is a single shelf maple riser in real good shape.should be a shooter for sure!I was guessing 1961 also.Thanks again