Factory Or Custom Made ???

[Bowmania]

Would you rate archery as your favorate pass time or is it down there at 4,5, or 6?  If it's up there at your favorate, you owe yourself the custom bow.

Bowmania

[dino]

Are custom bows better than a "factory" bow?  According to the Trad Bow Classifieds on this site... I think the answer is an NO!

I've ordered several custom bows over the years.  Some turn out and shoot exactly as you want and some just don't.  Bottom line is that ordering a bow sight unseen is a gamble reguardless of glowing recommendations, happy customers, numberous options, and so on.  I love the fact of ordering a bow, picking woods, weight, length, all of the options.  It will keep you awake at night.  But it is far better to go to a local shoot, K-Zoo, retailer of bows, and TRY the bows.  Don't look as them as "Factory" or "Custom".  Shoot em' all.  Every archer wants the same thing.  A bow that shoots the best for them and the only way to find that is to put your hands on the bow and put some arrows thru it.  Purchase a bow that shoots the best for you reguarless of where it comes from.  Just my 2 cents.  dino

[fflintlock]

I gotta agree with Shawn, for myself.
 I bought an older, new, used, Martin Mountainer from the classifieds here, I love it and it fits me, once I figured out how to hold it. I also have 2 used 60's Bear recurves. They all shoot excelent and they are excelent shape. I guess it really depends on where your at in your life. I don't think it really matters if it's custom or production, as long as it's what "you" want and you can shoot it correctly and it fits you. Other wood choices can be had in productions as well.
 As far as a "custom bow" for me, it'll probably be one that I'll make myself.

[Shawn Leonard]

I have to agree with dino and throwit. I know Martin bows get as much hand work done as Widows and Morrisons and many other so called customs. It is just a matter of size 9of the shop and the amount produced by each manufacturer. Guys do not realize that you can call Martin and order a bow to your specs. and with different choices of woods and #age, just like the regular bpwyers(Customs) everyone else is pushing. Why is a Morrison, BW, Robertson, etc. any more custom than the Martin? Shawn

[JL]

I agree with Dino. Everyone is different and has different shooting styles. The game your hunting doesn't know or care if your shooting a factory or custom bow. You owe it to yourself to find the bow that you shoot at your best. This can only come from shooting the bows under consideration...

I think this is why you see so many nice used customs out there. People hear that this or that bow is the hot ticket, go ahead and order one only to find out it's not their cup of tea. Nothing wrong with the bow mind you but it just didn't fit their shooting style.

If you were to hand me a $5000 custom job and a $50 Wards yardsale beater and I can shoot lights out with the beater, guess wich one goes in the woods with me?

Our goal is to find the bow that fits us to a tee and helps us consistantly hit the mark, reguardless of who's name is on it.


Everything thing else is fluff...


JL

[George D. Stout]

About the only thing custom anymore, is working grips and tillering for 3 under, which I consider unnecessary.    There's much more to a bow than how much you spend, or whether someone has changed the palm swell for you.

One of the most accurate bows I've shot in all my years is the Martin Hunter;  the newer models with the smaller grips.  I think that bow is made as well as most special order customs.  I'm also a Super Kodiak guy, and like those newer models that so many people hate.  They will last a lifetime and hit where you aim.  

There are some beautiful customs out there, that's for sure, so I would tell you to buy some of each.   Stop eating at McDonalds for a year and cut back on soft drinks and beer and you can buy half a dozen.  8^)....

[George D. Stout]

Oh...I wanted to add another kudo for Martin (Damon Howatt);  that Savannah looks as good, and shoots as good, as most of the customs on the market today.  My opinion of course.

[Incognito]

If you are going to buy a Martin do a google search for the bow that you want. You can beat those prices that are posted above by a good bit. I know for a fact that you can beat one of those prices by a $100.

[Incognito]

The Martin Bamboo Viper longbow is a very interesting bow. You take $100 off that bow and your are getting a bow with carbon and bamboo limbs cheaper than you can find anywhere.

[Benha]

Martin made a "custom" for me so I could get the grip and poundage I wanted at no extra charge.

[bentpole]

George said "stop eating at McDonalds for a year and cut back on the soft drinks and the BEER" it's 230 days for me today how do you think I buy bows with 3 kids in College LOL

[Alex.B]

my choice: custom bows(used or new) made by individual bowyers who work alone and who are dedicated to their craft. Big companies like Martin, Hoyt, Mathews, Bear and PSE, although they make good bows, only have a trad bow "division" to get a piece of our market on top of the killing they already make with their compound bows. I can't give them any of my hard earned cash    

[bentpole]

Well said Alex

[ChuckC]

Gary...I am not sold that a custom is always better.  It comes down to what you like in a bow and what features you find important.  IF all custom bows were hot stuff to everybody, why is the bow trade section so popular.  You can find all sorts of bows from the top of the top end right down to 150 dollar specials.  

People are trading to find one that they like.  Nearly all of them are great bows, but if it doesn't suit you then it is not so wonderful is it.  Check out a bunch and find the kind or the features that are important to you and then go for the ONE.
ChuckC

[Clint B.]

Martin/Damon Howatt was making quality recurves long before most of today's custom bowyers ordered their first Binghan bow kits. In my opinion, Martin isn't a Johnny come lately tyring to cash in on the market.  They kept on making the Hunter & Super Diablo recurves during the period when the compound bow's popularity had caused other archery companies to stop making recurves bows altogether. This was before the modern so-called "traditional archery" movement even got started.

[Clint B.]

That should read - Bingham bow kits. All I'm saying is that Martin/Damon Howatt kept the traditional archery flame going during the dark ages, before it was even called traditional archery. They aren't newcomers to stickbows, they're pioneers.