Neat little bow I picked up...

[OkKeith]

I'm not much of a Garage Sale/Yard Sale guy. Creeps me out to pick through someone's life laid out on a folding table in the front yard.

I was taking my "through the neighborhood" shortcut back from the hardware store and passed a yard with the usual old clothes and defunct housewares strewn across the sidewalk and driveway. My reptile brain signaled my foot to hit the brake for some reason. I backed up and looked at what triggered my subconscious. Sticking up out of a Snoopy wastebasket were four old but serviceable feather fletched arrows. Hmmm... better investigate.

I rummaged around and found a few more late 1940s early 1950s production wood arrows without points. They were not really hunt-worthy but at the price of a dollar for the hand full would certainly make excellent additions to the office/bow-room/etc. décor. I asked if there might be a bow that went with the arrows and the little beauty below was dug out of an old canvas golf bag.

It's a slim little thing. I can't figure out if the backing is fiberglass or not but I like the green. Might be Osage... there are a few little dings and what looks like a characteristic Osage thorn pin knot. The stamp of 50 (poundage?) makes me think it is a production bow. Maybe a school bow from back in the days when archery was a PE activity, maybe from a YMCA camp? I REALLY like the strung profile and a cursory pull puts truth to the idea that its a 50# bow. I'm afraid my mutant-like long draw of 31"+ might be too much for it. It had no handle wrap but has a cool little plug where the strike plate would be. I can only imagine this is to prevent wear at that spot. No other markings or labels.

I plan on a buckskin handle wrap and probably a small built up leather arrow shelf. Its not cut to center but as thin as the handle is I doubt getting good arrow flight will be a problem. The tapers at the handle area front to back and side to side are so well proportioned! It will definitely be an excellent pattern for future bow builds!

Just thought I would share my find.

OkKeith

[Pat B]

Cool bow. It could be osage or possibly lemonwood. The dowel is at the arrow pass. It's typical. The green backing could be a fiber backing which was typical back in the day but I guess it could also be FG. Should be easy to tell in the handle area where a handle wrap will cover it. My guess is that the 50 is either 50# or 50".   If you plan to shoot it be sure to exercise it slowly to re-educate it to bend and recover.

[OkKeith]

Hey Pat-

Thanks for the advice... I will be sure to ease it back into service slowly.

From this photo it sort of looks like FB, but thin for sure.

I'm not familiar with lemon wood. Is that NE species?

Thanks again!

OkKeith

[M60gunner]

Lemon wood is from Cuba. It was a commonly used bow wood back when. Bear used to make bows from it. Used a lot for target bows. Supply dried up when we put “no trade with Cuba” into affect after Castro showed his true colors. Never know it might come back as we have friendly relations sort of.

[ron w]

Really neat find.......

[Pat B]

Like M60 said, lemonwood(not a citrus) is a tropical hardwood from Cuba and possibly Central America and a common bow wood from the 1930's, 40's and 50's. Being a tropical wood growth rings are almost nonexistent. If it were osage of that age though, it would be a lot darker chocolate brown color.
Without scraping into the edge of the backing it would hard to say. You could do it at the handle area and smooth it out after with little if no damage to the bow. Compressed paper(fiber) was commonly used for backings of bows from that era.

[Roy from Pa]

That was a neat find, Keith.

[Orion]

I dunno.  I don't think it's lemonwood.  Lemonwood has virtually no discernible grain  Pretty easy to see the growth rings (oblique though they may be) on this one.  Regardless, a nice find. 

[joe vt]

That is a very cool find.

Good thing you hit the brakes........its a better thing you inquired about a bow.

[OkKeith]

Thanks Guys!

It is sort of Osage-y looking. As I look closer with a magnifying glass I don't think its FG. If it is its a very early version. Might be some sort of fiber backing.

This will probably go to Lisa since she has a short draw length. I'm scared I will blow it up if I try to shoot it.

Considering a light sanding and some clear poly satin before the handle wrap. At 50# and her draw length of around 26" I figure a two lay, 14 strand B-50 string will shoot well.

Thanks again for the info!

OkKeith