MAPLE SIGHT WINDOW '59 HAS ARRIVED

[johnnyrazorhead]

Cool bows doc.

[TRAP]

So, what did you decide John?  Compass? Quiver Bushing? Both? Neither? New overlays?  

Trap

[johnnyrazorhead]

Trap,
 I will have the stress lines sealed and probably have the red and white overlays installed at the same time.The compass is almost a for sure and I'm still debating on the quiver bushing.It's only 1/2" long and if I take doc's advice and seal the holes to prevent water seepage and possible swelling,it seems like it would survive.At least I hope it would.That picture doc posted of that '57 Kodiak with both bushing and compass gives me hope that both can be done successfully.What would you do if it was your bow?

[TRAP]

Well, I don't have a MSW so I'm not sure I can accurately answer that but....Here's what I'm thinking.

You are going to have some work done on the bow to make it an everyday shooter it sounds like.  

If you like to hunt with a bolt-on quiver, you're not going to be satisfied untill you add the bushing and take a picture of the old girl laying on the side of a white-tailed deer with  the 4-arrow bolt-on and the 3 remaining woodies sticking out of it.

As long as it's an authentic Bear quiver bushing I cant see how it will devalue the bow a great deal.  It's not like you're putting two Kwikee Kwiver bushings in it.  You'll likely keep the bow a long time anyway.  It's a MSW, it will always be valuable.  

As far as the compass and bushing, Fred did it, but hey they sold for what, $59.50 back then and he had a factory full of them.  

It's a valuable collectible and that makes altering it anymore than necessary a bit risky.  I don't like the tape-on quiver near as much as the bolt on but before I drilled the hole I'd try one out to see if I could live with it, but heck, I bet you've already done that.  LOL

Did I do a good enough job adding my opinions without offering any advice whatsoever?  Good that was my intention.  It's a great bow and will be a great bow no matter what you choose to do because I know you'll keep it as period correct and authentic as you can while making it the weapon you want it to be.

Trap

[johnnyrazorhead]

Trap,
 You actually did a great job of giving your opinion.You expressed my thoughts better than I did.I do feel that the quiver bushing being an original,installed in the "factory" location low in the leather grip,really shouldn't de-value the bow at all.The compass may,but if I did it at least it would be an original Bear compass.
 And I have tried the tape on quiver with some custom made rubber straps on one of my '60 Kodiaks.It did work but like you said,in all honesty,I don't like it as much as a bolt-on.It works but it just doesn't look right.
 But I especially liked your "vision" of the old girl laying on the side of a white-tail with the remaining three arrows in the bolt on quiver.That is exactly what drives me to "build" this bow.That scenario is exactly as how it should be.It just seems right.
 All in all there are no guarantees that the bow will never fail me if I do add my extras.Even if I don't alter it,there are no guarantees with a 50 year old bow.If it never breaks,it will be one awesome,vintage hunting bow.And if it does choose to fail me,then I guess that is what was meant to be.Either way I'll bet Fred will be smling.
 I do like your vision of the bow with a buck next to it.That's exactly the "advice" I was looking for.You do understand.Thanks.

[johnnyrazorhead]

Doc,
 After viewing your picture of the '57 Kodiak with the compass and quiver bushing,I got to wondering about this bow I had on my rack.It came from R&D at Bear in Grayling along with that two-piece '63 Kodiak Magnum,the KS with the V-lams running down the sides of the limbs,the green futurewood Grizzly with red glas,and some others.Many were marked with a piece of white tape with EXP on them like this one I'm about to show you.
 It looks like a regular '56 Kodiak,60",52# and I always wondered why it was marked EXP.I was told on another EXP bow that looked totally factory was that they were trying a different glue out on it and hence the EXP designation.This '56 does have a factory installed compass in it,and a factory installed quiver bushing.I never thought that the addition of the compass would cause it to be deemed EXP since Bear had been there and done that in '54 and never paid much attention to the added quiver bushing as those have been around even longer.
 But this thread,along with your picture and Wade's comments,got me wondering if this bow was marked EXP to test out the combination of both compass and quiver bushing.Some food for thought anyhow.The bow is in immaculate condition.What do you fellas think?
   

[johnnyrazorhead]

The other side with the tape faintly marked EXP.
   

[Wade Phillips]

John - Considering who you got the bows from, and what they told you, and what the bows actually are, I sure would not doubt the Exp on the 1956 Kodiak was put there because of the different glue just as the guy told you.

I have a factory installed compass in Kodiaks from these years, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1958 and 1959. None of these bows are marked Exp. Have also seen other non 1954 Kodiaks with a Compass and none that I can remember were marked Exp.

On the flip side, I have two "No Compass" 1954 "Compass Kodiaks" that have never had a compass or compass hole... one is Fred's very first recurve made... as in his original prototype of a recurve bow... the other has some unusual solid material (not wood) for the limb laminations. Surprisingly, neither is marked Exp... neither has a compass...

[Wade Phillips]

John - Your original post was 15 days ago. I'm surprised you don't already have the quiver bushing and compass both installed in that 59 and have photographs of it posted on this thread...

If you can't make up your mind, just send the bow to me, I'll give you a chance to get half of your money back for it. That is my standing offer, but nobody ever takes me up on it.

[johnnyrazorhead]

My question on this bow Wade was whether you thought it might have gotten the EXP tag because it had BOTH compass and quiver bushing.Perhaps the guys at Bear,and Fred himself,debated as we have here on this post,on whether a bow could handle BOTH compass and quiver bushing without breaking.I can't recall seeing too many Bear bows with BOTH factory installed.
 Also,many of the bows I have are simply marked EXP on a piece of tape which could easily be removed.Perhaps some of the bows you mentioned had a piece of tape on them marked EXP at one time.I know I've been tempted to remove them a couple of times on mine but thankfully never did.It would be very easy to do.Just a thought.

[JavelinaHink]

Here's Mr. Meakers K-4
 

[TRAP]

John, werent alot of the 54 Kodiaks also fitted with a quiver bushing in addition to the standard compass?

Would your suggested experimentation have been done in 55, 56, 57 because of failures in 54?  

Were the 54 Kodiaks more prone to failure than other models?  

Trap

[johnnyrazorhead]

Trap,
 I'm sure there were some Kodiak II's with quiver bushings installed.I can't recall seeing many myself but I'm sure a few exist.How well they held up if they did have both and were shot I don't know.Heaviar weight bows would seem to be more likely to break.
 I've heard it said that the compass bows were prone to breakage due to the compass installed but the ones I've seen broken seem to break at the fade-outs which seem to be a little bit of a weak area.