68 or 69 Super K; Refinish or Not?

[Brian K]

I bough this 68 or 69 Super K from a shop in Rochester MN.  Initially it was believed to be a 67 1/2.  I enjoy shooting but it needs a refinish job so it does not go hunting and rarly to the range.  However,  I know its a collectable and I don't want to ruin it.  I"m no collector but I also don't want ruin it for someone who is and who might want it when I'm done.

If I refinish it, its to be a shooter/hunter and Id like to put Fred's grip on it.  

So any the recomendations?

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 BK

[59Alaskan]

I have never shot one of these but have heard nothing but great things about them.

Looking at it, I would dare say a collector would not pay too much for it.  I would put that bow in the "world class hunter" category and do whatever you like to put it in the field where it belongs.  I am perhaps weird, but I say honor the bow and to me that means hunt it!  If that means a reworked shelf and camo dip so be it.  Personally I wouldn't camo dip it but you get my point.  

Congrats on a wonderful bow!

[papabear08]

Looks like a 1969 model.

[Brian K]

I wondered if it was a 69 as well.   It's hard to tell if the first number is a 7 or a 9.    The shop owner told me it was a 671/2.  It was the personal bow of the previous shop owner.  But who knows if that's the real story.

Maybe someone more in the know can chime in.

[Ray Lyon]

If you're going to keep it as a shooter/hunter, I'd go ahead and refinish it. I redid a 1971 Super Kodiak and was very pleased with the results. I'm not a collector and don't intend on getting rid of the bow since I always wanted a Super K and it was a gift to me.

  I was missing finish around the rest plate were the old one I pulled off over the Berger Button pulled the finish off to the original wood.  Also, my limbs looked like yours around the decals with the horizontal checking.

Here's before and after photo's.

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Note that the decals and overlay glass on the riser look white. A before picture would have shown those an yellow hue because of the yellowing of the old finish.  You can also see the color change in the riser woods from before and after.

Just be forewarned, that finish on the Super Kodiaks is very hard and you'll go through some sandpaper getting it off. A lot of posts I've seen removing the finish are using a curved razor blade and carefully scraping the old finish off.  If I ever do another Super K, that's what I'll probably do.  I redid a 1957 Kodiak this summer and that was a breeze compared to the Super K.

And of course, this is the final results and what it's all about-a December 2012 late bow season hunt from the ground as a snow storm was moving in:

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[doug77]

Or is it a late '67 1/2 early '68  when they first started with the Rosewood cap's.

Hard to tell if the first number is a 7 or 9 and it's looks like the last number was written with a different pen.

Wonder what's under the strike plate ?????

My '67 1/2 SK was in worse condition so I had BD refinish it.


doug77

[Ron Roehrick]

Doug77 its either a 1968 or 1969 that's the only two years for rosewood caps the 1967 1/2 were all micata. In the photo it looks to be a 9 in the first letter of the serisl number.

[doug77]

Ron, were just wondering about the first number as to is it a 7 or 9. You know how Bear Archery was about thing

Hears my 67 /12 SK after BD refinished it.

 


 

[Brian K]

Okie dokie, decision made,  she's getting an extreme makeover.  I'm taking Ray's advice and getting her back in the game.  Im so glad it's not a 67.  I've been fret'n over that since I got her.  

Doug and Ray, both your super k's look awesome!   Great snow pic!  

Thanks all for the info.  

Doug,  hope to see you at the range this winter.

BK

[warpedarrow]

I would refinish the bow whether or not I planned to hunt with it.
Bear made a lot of bows and the collectibles are the odd balls, or the bows that not many were produced in that particular style, or bows that look showroom fresh without having been refinished.  Yours has some wear and tear and is not a rare bow so go for it and bring the beauty back.  I've refinished two 1960 Kodiak Deluxes just because the finish was all beat up.  They are beauties now.

[Ray Lyon]

Originally posted by Brian K:
Okie dokie, decision made,  she's getting an extreme makeover.  I'm taking Ray's advice and getting her back in the game.  Im so glad it's not a 67.  I've been fret'n over that since I got her.  

Doug and Ray, both your super k's look awesome!   Great snow pic!  

Thanks all for the info.  

Doug,  hope to see you at the range this winter.

BK

When I started the hunt, two hours before dark, there was no snow on the ground.  The next morning, there was 10 inches on the ground.

[Mojostick]

Refinish and enjoy!

[doug77]

Brian, hear are some pic's of a '68 SK i'm working on now. This bow had seen it's better day and needs a lot of attention. I lowered the shelf but someone else had altered the strike plate. I have the shelf whare I want it now and it's all going to be finished hopefully by turkey season.

I put a temporary rest/strike plate on it just to see how it would shoot.

I also put a pic of a standard '68 Kodiak

doug77

 

 

 


 

[Brian K]

I like the radius you have going.  What did the previous owner do to the strike plate?   It looks twisted.

I started sanding last night,  better get some decals ordered.

BK

[doug77]

The strike plate has been sanded down.

If your going to lower the shelf your going to need more than sand paper. I cut the bulk of the shelf with a fine hacksaw blade, then used a fine file to finish it with.

Take your time and you'll get their. I'm shooting mine for a few week's just to make sure it's where I want it. Then the hard part starts with sanding the rest of the bow.

doug77

[Brian K]

Here is my practice bow.   A Kodiak hunter.  It still needs to be sanded better and finished off.


 

 

[vintage-bears]

I have some of these bows for sale in the classifieds now for those looking.
Happy thanksgiving TG.