B Handle takedown

[Stormer]

Apologies if I am flogging this one but I have Magnum/Grizzly/Hunter/ all early Grayling Bows with flat shelves plus early Gainsville Greenstripe Kodiak B. If Radialised shelfs were so much of a advantage why were they not in use in the early and later production considering the testing Fred did and was noted for being a thorough Bow tester. So many years with flat shelfs.
I must be be missing something here.

[cacciatore]

Vince,I am sorry but it is of a lefty!

[highlife]

Thanks everyone for the insight and info. Sounds like some confusion about dating some of these early green stripers. I am still going with 1982 as a birth date for mine ... serial number B-3767. I just got an old Waltham WWII compass that I plan to install in the current medallions place on the riser. I have never liked the raised medallions on the newer bows. They look cheap and are just plastic push in replicas rather than a flush mounted coin. This compass is going to look awesome. I will post some pics once done.

Stormer and others ... food for thought, why do they put a radius shelf on current Bear bows and other custom bows today? My bow came with the plastic arrow holder glued above the shelf and that caused the arrow to be approx 1" above my bow hand. No thanks.

[William F. Adams]

One datapoint. Back when the flat shelves were made Bear was selling feather rests.

[highlife]

I agree William, not only did Bear install feathered rests but this one came with the raised plastic arrow holder/rest installed from the factory.
And, like I stated earlier, Fred himself didn't shoot off a flat rest so I find it confusing that his production bows were made that way.
Bottom line, I just don't like the way my arrow releases from a flat shelf and I don't like the clunky appearance. So, I take matters into my own hands and have modified most of my vintage Bear bows as I like to shoot and hunt with all of them.
Personal preference I guess.    :rolleyes:

[jeff w]

I add my opinion regarding flat arrow shelves.   Back in the '60's and '70's many people shooting bows back then (before compounds came along) used raised arrow rest and installed sights on their recurves.   back then, I don't recall seeing as many people shooting from the shelf, as they do today.  I think the flat shelf was a 'holdover' from those days and not many people really cared about a radiused shelf.  I bought a Bear Green Stripe in '84: unfortunately we didn't get along.  Today I shoot one of the new Bubinga models and couldn't be happier.

[highlife]

Thats a good point Jeff W ... flat shelf with the intent of shooting off an elevated rest. That makes most sense to me as to why they built them like they did.
Its interesting to note that Fred stuck with his old tried and true method (radius shelf and shot off his knuckle) but was all about developing new high tech changes year after year. Maybe that is why his company is still alive and thriving today when most other archery companies (other than Easton and Black Widow) no longer exist from the 1950's and on.

[Hud]

As for the rest/shelf. Fred was old school, where the arrow rest on the knuckle, because longbows were first made without a rest, then a tab was added and eventually some started to cut into the bow a small shelf.  

Being old school, it was much easier to continue to shoot that way, why change? But the public liked the elevated rest, because they didn't like having the finger cut by rough quills on the feather. Many did not bother to grind the feather smooth on the shaft. The early Bear bows 1954-56 came out with slightly elevated rests. People like it for shooting. It became popular, but not necessarily better. Longbow shoots still shoot with the lower rest. It is like pointing your finger at the target, more natural than  with an elevated rest.

Shooting like Fred did was like point your finger at the spot you wanted to hit. I like it better and shot that way for years.

Sent a PM on the limbs.

[highlife]

I had to share a pic of this old bow that I have in my collection. I dont know the maker but its an older one for sure. If anyone has some insight to the origins of this bow, please share them here. Thanks.
Anyway, the back of the bow is laminated with an open weave fiber glass and the belly is micarta but whats interesting, is the beautiful dished grip and radius-ed shelf work, all original. The grip on this bow fits like a glove, perfect hand placement every time you grab the bow. Its a recurve and has the most comfortable hour glassed grip and the smoothest release of any bow I own, vintage or modern! The shelf on this bow looks great and just plain works!  
So lets put it this way, the radius shelf has been around for a long, long time.

  [/url] [/IMG]

[kurtbel5]

Highlife
That looks like a St Charles Thunderbird?
Want to sell her?

[highlife]

No, not for sale, I love this bow, launches an arrow rather nicely? I will have to get with St Charles son to verify. Thanks for the lead.

[highlife]

Just wanted to share the progress on the mods to my Bear takedown. I got a hold of this Waltham compass on the big site and have removed the plastic medallion and recessed a hole into the riser to accommodate the compass. For those who are not familiar with this compass, this is what was handed out to all pilots during WW1 and WW2 to help navigate there way out behind enemy lines in case they went down. It was worn on their wrists like a watch.
   

[highlife]

That picture looks odd for some reason ... oh well. Any suggestions on what to use to glue the compass down with? Considering vibration from each shot ... what would be best?

[kuch]

very cool,love the mods. I just shot my greenstriper today.

not sure about the glue....hot melt? i'm not a fan of it but might give some "impact resistance/dampening"

[4runr]

Hot melt.

[stagetek]

highlife, nice job on the radius riser. Stormer, I agree. Fred always shot with a re-styled radius, but sold his bows with a higher, flatter rest. He must have had a reason.