Bowyer History

[String Cutter]

What do the following bowyers have in common ?? Other then being top shelf artists???     Norm Johnson , Wes Wallace , Charlie Bisharat,and Bill Howland????

[JCJ]

Directly of indirectly influenced by by the late Jim Brackenbury and his idea of bow design.

[String Cutter]

Cool JCJ.. I really love the way all of their T/D recurves look. You can see that they are all related some how.
How about this one???
Fred Bear was missing a finger. Which finger? And how did he lose it??

[nutmeg]

Index on right hand cutting hay.(nut)

[owlbait]

You might be able to add South Cox to the first list also.

[Winterhawk1960]

owlbait is correct......as South bought out Charlie a few years ago. You also forgot Ron Fox.

Winterhawk1960

[String Cutter]

Owlbait, you're right. Charlie Bisharat did teach South Cox didn't he??? But Did Jim Brackenbury  teach Ron Fox?? This is the first I've heard? Winterhawk can you tell me more?
Whom cutt off Papa Bears' finger??

[Winterhawk1960]

String Cutter.......my bad. I meant the other "Ron" in Fox Archery. Ron King, I believe worked with Jim before his untimely death in 1991.

Winterhawk1960

[wingnut]

I think you can add Brent Rudolph to that list.  He is the guy for Black Mountain Bows.

Mike

[Ted Fry]

Ron King did not ever work for Jim Brakenbury, Wes Wallace did work with Jim , Norm was directly taught by Jim and Charlie as well. Brent Rudolph worked for Gordon Porter ( Jims nephew) who took over Brackenbury after Jims death. Brent also worked with Ron Hardcastle for a time.
Bill Howland is a friend of Gordon Porter and took over the company after Gordon moved on.
Jim Brackenbury influenced in some way or another most of the bow builders in the North West, he openly shared his craft with anyone that would listen, a great loss to the bowhunting community.

[String Cutter]

But didn't Bill Howland work for Jim For a period of time before Jim past away??

[Ted Fry]

No Bill did not work for Jim, Wes Wallace did until Jims passing.
Bill cam into the picture as I said , after Gordon Porter took over the operation, as did Brent Rudolf, Brent worked for Gordy. Bill was a friend of Gordys, when Gordy decided to move on Bill took over.