I often can't pass up a bargain on a make of bow I haven't tried, especially when it is from a bowyer who was recently featured in TradArcher's World Magazine! This would be Chris Hartwig of New Wood Longbows in Wisconsin.
www.newwoodbows.com I recently took this particular bow off the new owners hands. He had just taken delivery but needed dollars and I was a bit sad he had to let it go, he just paid Chris Hartwig at New Wood Longbows right around $500 shipped for it just a short while ago.
As I mentioned earlier, I had been on the lookout to try one of these bows after reading about New Wood Longbows (bowyer Chris Hartwig of Wisconsin) in a recent issue of TradArcher's World mag.
The fella I bought it from didn't even get to shoot it. I'm the first shooter which is pretty neato.
The bow in question is a 2014 New Wood Vanguard longbow 58" 48@28, featuring a cocobolo and bocote riser, black glass back and belly, matching wood tip over and underlays with black Micarta reinforcement, limb cores of locally grown (local to Chris Hartwig's neck of the woods) elm (pretty neat!) The bow is cut to center.
After spending one afternoon with it,
I am excited to say that I find this bow to be an outstanding little performer, quite pretty, with solid construction and nice attention to finish. This Vanguard immediately appears to be a GREAT value in a functional and beautiful 1pc bow. I have handled a number of high-end bows costing 2-3 times more new, some almost peerless craftsmanship, this particular bow is not 100% flawless (hate using the word 'flaw'!) but very very close. Actually I think a more friendly term would be "evidence of craftsmanship" LOL. I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to this kind of stuff and tough to please, I owe this to my fine arts and vintage auto restoration background. I only noticed a couple things, and both of these only upon close inspection holding the bow up to my eyes out in the light. Again, this is being very critical though, bow nerd that I am. This "evidence of craftsmanship" is not unheard of on more expensive bows, but admittedly far and few between if QC is truly world class.
I can't help but repeat that you can't beat this bow for $500 new shipped. I keep trying to wrap my head around it. For how it shoots, how it handles, and how it looks there's just no way to come up with a better recipe. There are not many tradbows to be had at this pricepoint that aren't mass produced. With this bow you get something made with obvious love and attention to detail by human hands that performs superbly for its intended function. The nit-picking aside it is damn beautiful. Just a really handsome pretty bow. Everything is nicely radiused and the limb tips are slender with a pleasing shape.
Riser section fade to fade is 20". Chris Hartwig the bowyer says on the website that its good to 31". I'm inclined to believe him, as it easily accomodates my 29ish draw, though pulling it further I have a feeling that the 31" he quotes is the wall though. 30" and under you're good to go. This of course is 100% logical as it is only a 58" bow, compact and handy.
Also, I really love the near D-shape the bow makes when strung. A few who have seen preview pics have pointed out that the bow resembles a Centaur in profile, both strung and unstrung. I agree. Grip is a medium wrist recurve/hybrid style that fills the hand nicely.
How does it shoot? Well, just dandy. Zero complaints. I had it tuned and nailing the kill zone on my target at 20ish yards in less than 10 minutes, believe it or not, including a couple clean heart shots. I chose an arrow I knew to work around the 50@28 range and the bow largely did the rest with some fine tuning. To me that's a mark of a well designed and easy to shoot bow. The grip provides consistent hand placement and the bow seems to be very stable and forgiving.
For brevity sake (me? brief?) the way this New Wood shoots reminds me most of a Toelke Whip. The performance and sound level is much the same, though this bow for its size has a bit beefier riser section so it is more dead on the shot. Anyway, comparing it to a Whip is a huge compliment IMHO, as a Whip with black glass would cost $250 more plus shipping, then factor in exotic veneers and instrument grade wood as additional options and you're easily into the 8-900 dollar range on a Toelke. Again, for how pretty this bow is and for how it shoots its a super value at right around $500.
Chris Hartwig has a background as a selfbowyer, now turned glass bowyer...if this is how good all his glass models shoot and how pretty they are, Chris is truly on the precipice of something big here, if he wants it, and if archers across the USA catch on.
The details on this bow are pretty complex for this pricepoint IMHO and usually found on bows costing much more. Based solely on this particular bow (and to be fair individual bows will have variations to some degree), I honestly I think if Mr. Hartwig can step up the the already very nice craftsmanship and QC just one more little notch he could easily ask what some of the more well known bowyers ask for their work. The man is on to something and it is quite apparent he knows his way around a bow build. There is now no question in my mind why he was featured in TradArcher's World. He needed to be.
However I will say, upping the ante and raising prices, well that just may be counter to what this bowyer intends...in this case perhaps greatest value for the labor put in and price asked is the goal, and if so, this little Vanguard is a fine fine effort. Nothing wrong with that plan at all. Carry on Mr. Hartwig.
Would love to keep this as my back up bow, but I have too many! LOL!!! I'll pass it on to the next lucky fellow. Though honestly in a way I kinda hope I get to keep it. There was something about this bow when I unpacked it and spent that first little bit of time shooting it and examining its pretty lines and colors that made me have a gut feeling about it that just felt good. Good mojo. A sincerity to it. Ok ok, I'll cut it out now, I'm getting all 'spooky' LOL. Maybe that was just the Natural Light. LOL. Anyway, I just think its really cool I was actually able to hold in my hands and enjoy a bow built by a guy I had never heard of until I read about and saw him in one of our national trad mags. For the price, performance and really sexy lines I wouldn't hesitate to order a new bow from Chris Hartwig at all someday in the future. One of these Vanguard models in all dark woods would be totally ace.
If you're in the market for a new bow and want to make a choice that combines beauty and bang for the buck you ought to strongly consider giving Chris at New Wood Longbows a call.
www.newwoodbows.com 
Topic: New Wood Longbows- 2014 Vanguard hybrid longbow 'ride in the saddle' (pic heavy) (Read 1245 times)
