So, what's this?

[oldbohntr]

This bow came to me years ago and I’ve never seen or heard of one like it.  It’s “obviously” a Bear, very finely crafted of osage, with delicate nocks, a wafer-thin maple lamb on the back, and 1954 red/orange glass on the back.  It’s a solid handle, not laminated.  It’s set back at the handle by about 1-1/8”.   No markings, but it is 66” long and the friend I got it from shot it and said it was probably at least 55#(“floor tiller” testing supports at least that much draw weight!)    
I’ve shown it to several experienced collectors and we’ve all heard how Nels G. would never have used glass on a bow……supposedly that’s why he left Bear, though I know they remained friends after the split.  I’ve had a number of Grumleys and seen lots more, and this bow might have come from the time he was there.    The 1954 glass points to a later date though.    My guess would be that a Bear employee may have had the bow from earlier years  and reworked it around 1954, using their “new” glass.   That thin maple lam is not something I’ve seen an osage self bow,  though all my 49-57 statics, Kodiaks, Grizzlies, and polars  have it.   There’s also a resorcinol glue line visible underneath the maple lam and it’s just a tiny bit thicker and more uneven than I see on the later laminated bows – supports the idea that someone at Bear may have made it for themselves.  
While it’s really well made, the overall impression(disregarding the fact it is glass laminated!) is that it’s not up to the work of Grumley himself.   The bow came to my friend from Utah, so my belief that’s it’s somehow connected with the Bear factory is not supported by anything other than the glass color, the handle wrap, and it’s similarity to some late 40s Bear bows.  
I’m fighting the urge to string the thing and shoot it.  And, the urge is winning!  

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

[oldbohntr]

 

 

 

[Larry m]

Nice looking bow.                 Older glass backed (and thin maple lam) osage is like nothing I have ever seen before. The color of the glass says Bear, but does not look like the detail or materials of the few Grumleys I have had the pleasure of looking closely at. Perhaps transitional, but the glass color? There are not many (that appear shootable) older bows that I don't think about putting a string on but this would be one I would have to give thought to.
Of course all of this you have stated above!! Be interesting to see what some of the others think.....

[oldbohntr]

Yeah, I know. For years, I just referred to it as (what I thought to be) a transitional Bear bow when someone noticed it in the collection. But, that doesn't really seem likely, and I thought maybe some other guys on TG might shed some light. It's not a Grumley, and I wasn't implying that. The Ranger is the only glass-backed Bear bow it resembles at all, and every Ranger I ever saw was lemonwood and seemed not-so-special. This bowyer had some skills-the delicate tips(for the draw weight), the nicely skived grip, and the general overall lines of the bow really are pretty special. It's not just someone's "homemade" bow. Someone who does an osage bow this good shouldn't have needed to glass back it! Of course, maybe he didn't know that at the time. Also, if he wasn't connected to Bear, where did he get the glass and the idea that it needed the maple lam in between?  I love these little mysteries!

[Bjorn]

That is a very handsome bow. It probably does not matter greatly, buy may I suggest that the red glass in the pics is more 1953 than 1954 which had blonde glass-no?
In that era there were many companies making bows and glass may have been fairly available?
After Nels left bear he joined a refrigerator company and continued to make bows as well; and some of these were indeed glass backed.

[oldbohntr]

Yeah, when I lived in Michigan I called on Greenville Products which, if I remember right had been called Kelvinator when Nels worked there.  I found guys who had worked in the pattern shop with him and a couple of them said he was simply the best at making anything!(got a bow from one of them too!)

I thought the double shelf static grizzly with red/orange glass was 1954, from Catalog #25. I thought the blonde glass, single shelf model was from 1952-53(cats # 24 and 24A).  Catalog numbers may or may not correspond with calender year, of course.

Yes, I wondered if that color glass was commonly available back then-but, if so, why isn't it found on more old bows? I also thought maybe my bow might actually have come from someone like Glenn St Charles, who was a heck of a bowyer in his own right, and Bear's biggest dealer as well.  He would certainly have had access to Bear's materials and methods.  But, I've seen a lot of Glenn's bows from the 40s. Most are yew and don't really look like this. But - yes, it could have been anybody who wrote Bear and obtained some glass.

[Bjorn]

Tom you are indeed fortunate to have visited Kelvinator and you got a bow! Amazing!
I would describe the glass sequence as 1952 blonde, 1953 red, 1954 blonde again. That's looking at the physical bows as the catalogs are vague. My 1954 R/L Grizzly is slightly darker glass than my Compass bow but neither is red like the 1953 bows. The 1952's are blonde.
Bo Tuff was available in the early 1950's but I have no idea about colors. Did Bear make their own glass in the early 1950's?

[Pack animal]

Good afternoon all
Pg 11 of the 1953 catalog lists bow backing for sale "This is the same parallel glass fibre that is used on our line of bows.  It is 1 1/2" wide and 66" long.  A thin strip of maple is bonded to the inner side so that the bow may be assembled by use of any wood glue."  
Given this information Bjorn you could be correct the glass may in fact be 1953 Bear glass.
But also given this information Tom your bow could have been made by anyone who ordered the "bow backing" and did a great job of making a really good looking bow.
Hope this helps

[oldbohntr]

Packy: thanks for pointing that out.  I'd never noticed that in the old catalogs. And, it's probably the answer to my question: it COULD have been anyone!  Though, I still wish I knew who did it!  All these years of collecting, I've seen so much great work that is unknown.....I will scratch my initials on every back quiver or whatever I make. It may or may not be mediocre, but-if it happens to be good-someone can find  out who did it!


Bjorn, I am still hung up on that glass color thing.  I don't think I've ever seen a double shelf Grizzly that didn't have the red/orange glass.  Catalog 25 clearly shows a double shelf bow.  Have had a bunch of them, and(what I thought was the 1954)was my favorite, but that's not definitive.  It does not matter, even to most collectors, but I'd like to label mine correctly if we know what that is. We all know Bear made bows from what they had available .... and that nothing is definite.  
Regards,

[Pack animal]

Tom I have to admit every old arrow, quiver, or bow I get I am always wondering "who made it" and what is its story.  But as you have pointed out, and we see evidence of, there are so many great creations found that there is no way of positively connecting the item to its creator.  It is inevitable, someday all that we do, all that we know, and all our memories will disappear into antiquity. That is why I enjoy hearing the history from individuals such as yourself, Bjorn, Wade Phillips, and countless others.  
Now that I have wondered off the path into the brambles of philosophical wonderment; back to the question at hand.  In looking both the 53 and 54 Polars appear to have the same color glass.  I check pictures of the old 54s I have had and pictures of single shelf polars I could find.  Also the 53 Kodiak I have appears to have the same color glass.  And from what I can find it also appears both the 53 and 54 grizzlies also used the same color glass.  Pg 15 of the 54 catalog also offers the glass with thin maple backing.  I could be wrong but your glass could be either 53 or 54.