Bear Polar grip pictures and questions

[portugeejn]

I was just able to purchase this Bear Polar recently from another board member (thanks Robert!)  and the handle was covered with tennis racket grip tape.  This is what I found when it was removed.  The leather was still there, but had deteriorated badly.  When it was removed it was chunks and dust.

   

 
Here is what was underneath the old 1955 or so leather.

     

The 10350 is the serial number.  Any ideas about the 95B and the faint pencil 19?  I found it interesting and curious more than anything else.

As soon as I find the right color piece of leather, I'll try my hand at replacing it with something that will look correct.  The bow is in pretty good shape, but wouldn't look her age with a brand new piece of leather around the middle.  Any tips or tricks?  Thanks.

Ron

[portugeejn]

OK, no hints, so here is what I did.

Cut out some 5-6 oz leather, and skived the edges to make it lay flat.  Measured a 4" wide piece and then snipped it here and there until it was what it needed to look like-used a Bear Cub with a good grip as a model.  
   

Got the the leather wet, then molded it to the bow.  Then I put some Tru-Oil on the bow and three coats on the handle where there really wasn't much if any of the original finish left.  Let them both dry well.  I then used some leather dressing with a a bit of brown dye to darken the handle a bit so it didn't look so new.

   

I used Barge Cement to attach the leather.  a light coat on both the bow and the leather.  Let it dry some and used it as a "contact cement".  Put light pencil marks on the bow after test-fitting the leather to keep the cement off everything not covered.  After applying the leather, I used some more Barge's to glue down the  "flap" to finish it up.

   

And here is what it looked like when it was done.    Added a thin pigskin leather shelf and strike plate.

   

So, there you go.  If you have any questions or my descriptions are clear as mud, you can pm me and I'll try to explain further.

Ron

[kurtbel5]

Hey Ron
Thanks!!AWESOME WORK, This should be in the how to forum.
I can't help you with the 95B question.

Is leather dressing a dye? what if I wanted my grip a little darker?

Looks like a 4" wide leather tongue ,you skive'd all the way around it,so it tapers in top and bottom, thats the ticket right there.

I have a couple of grizzly's that I need to regrip.Perfect timing for me.
               Thanks again,Kurt

[ckruse]

Looks like excellent work! CKruse

[TRAP]

That looks like an original handle!!!! Great job.  Where did you get that skiving tool?  

Daryl

[TimZeigler]

95B may have been the employee number of the person who built the bow, not sure about the 19 in pencil; maybe 19th one built that month, or the 19th day of that particular month it was built. Just guesses.  Tim

Oh, and great job on the leather work.  Looks great and great how-to pictures as well.  Thanks. Tim

[TRAP]

Here's another little trick I learned for turning that vegetable tanned leather into a more desirable color if you don't have any leather dye.

You can sunburn it by sticking it on the dash of your vehicle in the bright sunlight.   This process will turn it from the pinkish color it is to a nice honey golden color in about a week.  Then add a little neetsfoot oil or olive oil with a cloth and you're ready to regrip.

Trap

[TonyW]

So five years ago I took Trap's advice and put my slab of leather near the windowsill of a spare bedroom.

Now that I am bored out of my mind waiting for my lumbar double fusion to fuse, it is time to get a grip on things.

[Bjorn]

Nice job on that leather grip!
You can get the skiving tool on that unmentionable auction site. You can soak the leather in acetone for a few minutes and it will get that 'sunburned' look.

Tony good luck with the fusion. Stay away from those old Chubby Checker tunes for now!  

[TonyW]

Because the twist wasn't bad enough:

 

Chubby is the patron saint of orthopedic and neurosurgeons!

[finsky]

Ron,
Looks great, will have to pick your brain for a few more questions. Nice !

[portugeejn]

finsky, send you a PM.

Ron

[finsky]

Very cool, thanks for the PM. Is the leather thickness measured by higher the number thicker the hide ?

[Kituwa]

I had aold bear that the leather looked just like your with the top layer peeling off.I took pieces of duck tape and stuck it on and pulled off most of the old stained top layer and then sanded it smooth.Then used brown paste shoe polish and buffed it out by hand.It looked just like a new handle when i was done. You did a great job on your leather replacement!

[portugeejn]

Yes the higher the number, the thicker the leather.  4 is 1/16th inch, 8 is 1/8th inch, and it is 1/32 thinner or thicker pretty much every number up or down.