why string a bow in reverse ?

[Garkane]

Hey guy's, i have seen a number of recurve bow's in auctions and at show's with the string strung on the tip's at the front of the bow.Im not a long time trad guy and would never do this to any of my bow's.

Please tell me if this is a bad idea and why.I would like to pass the info along any time
i see this,possibly saving a bow for future trad guy's.Thanks for your reply's........

Ed

 

[OH Longbow]

I store mine that way.  Personally, I don't think it hurts anything.  As a matter of fact, it might even help, depending on how you store it.  I have a wall in my basement, that I store them on.

Here is a picture from a build I posted.  You can see the recurve in the background.  

   

[DeployableBowyer]

They might be thinking at the auctions that it will give the bow a reverse "set", which turns out to be a bit more reflex, but honestly, I too don't think it will make much of a difference and at the same time would add that the length of the recurve string might not be much at all shorter than the distance between the tips along the backside of the bow. Normally when a recurve is unstrung with the string along the belly, much of the string's length is taken up by wrapping around the recruved tip of the lower limb. Hence the auction bows probably aren't being flexed much, and it is cheaper than buying a string keeper. But who knows.

[OkKeith]

Seems to me, that even with that wonderful material fiberglass, if you are stretching fibers that are used to compressing and compressing fibers that are used to stretching, you would ruin a bow. Or at the least weaken it.

I wouldn't think storing one with the string from tip to tip, without any tension would cause any problems though.

Just my two cents worth.

OkKeith

[Roy from Pa]

Won't hurt it at all.

[Grey Taylor]

While that is a way of storing the string for some archers I think many of the people doing that on fleabay just don't know any better.
I recently saw a commercial of some kind where Cupid was up on a hillside shooting arrows into town. His recurve bow was strung backwards.
I had a story from a woman new to archery who received her first bow in the mail from the auction seller. She said it was already strung in the package and she ran three blocks to her mentor's house, crying all the way because the bow was so obviously wrong in some way. When the mentor was able to stop laughing he strung the bow correctly and all was good in her world.

Guy

[Apex Predator]

I'm with OkKeith on this one.

[Garkane]

THANKS FOR THE INPUT !!!

[frank bullitt]

Ed, should'nt hurt, unless you have to bend or flex alot to get it on! There was alot of folks who did, including myself!

The amo length strings, like for my Bear Grizzly and Kodiak fit the length, fairly well. It was the Thing to Do in the Era!

Fiberglass is not like wood, in the fact that it does not compress or hold memory. this is why we can leave strung! It is called Undirectional for a purpose.

Check out the video of Black Widows from the early '90s, where Ken and Bill Bonner, bend a linb backwards and flat!

[OkKeith]

I think I have a disconnect in my understanding...

Seems to me we are very careful not to lean our bows in the corner so limbs won't twist. If doing that will damage a fiberglass bow, how can stringing it backwards (with stress on the limbs) or leaving it strung for that matter, NOT cause some kind of change in the limbs over time.

Although I am not really sure how the term "memory" is being used, if it didn't have a "memory" it wouldn't return to it's bow shape and cast an arrow. Right?

If I am wrong or have a misunderstanding someone save me from the darkness of ignorance.

OkKeith

[Todd Rothermel]

Seems it was a fairly common way of storing bows back in 60's.  I don't think it hurts them at all as long as it's the correct length string for the bow.  There really isn't a whole lot of tension on the string.  The difference between stringing it backwards and leaning a bow in the corner is that the string applies tension evenly, whereas leaning it in the corner you're more than likely to be applying pressure unevenly (leaning it on one side of the limb - which over time will cause it to twist).  If Fiberglass really had memory, there wouldn't be any twisted limbs.  I don't think it has much if any affect in regard to compression/tension.. it's not like there's special fiberglass for compression and special fiberglass for tension.  It's the same material.. you put one piece on the back and one on the belly.

All that being said, I have 80 or so bows from the 50's up until current and I don't store any of my recurves strung backwards.

[frank bullitt]

Well, just reading thru this, memory may not been the best word or definition. But we do agree, this use will not affect, unless you severly bend the limbs.

I just unstung my '70s Grizzly recurve, ran a tape from limb tip to tip, 53.5". The string, shot in, is 54" long. So you can see how this isn't an issue. Remember in that era, fiberglass was still in it's infancy, and developments were being made in it's manufacturing process.

Who would of thought today we would use Foam, Carbon, and ceramic in bow limbs?

No, I don't use this process of storing my
Grizzly's string or other recurves, that I have. No, now I leave them Strung! Remember when that was a no-no? Have fun, and good shootin,

Steve