Question for any Bear collectors

[jaynalley77]

I just recently got into archery after having the good luck to find a mentor to help me build my first selfbow. We are only able to work on it once or twice a month so it will take some time to finish. Not wanting to wait to start practicing, I picked up an old Bear recurve from a local antique store that I have been looking at for some time. I'm not a collector but would like to know as much about the bow as I can as I can't seem to find any others like it.

Here is a description of the bow: The bow has an arrow rest on both sides so you can shoot right or left handed. It is called a "Bear Glass Powered Alaskan". The glass on the inside of the bow is orange and black on the outside. On the left side of the handle are the numbers-25r10 62" 50# which appear to be either painted or written with black paint. On the lower inside "string side" There is a cream colored bear archery company logo Uspat,s 2,423,765 - 2,613,660 - 2,665,678 Canada 1953
Above the right arrow rest is what I think is a nickle bear coin.

I showed the bow to my mentor and he looked it over and informed me that I made a good purchase. He said the bow was in over all great condition with only a few minor dings. He says the bow is dead on straight and after we made a string for it he said it was real strong shooter and admited he wished we would have found it. But other than that he knows very little about Bear bows as he mostsly shoots bow he makes.

Any info will be appriciated.
Thanks,
Jay

[mwmwmb]

sounds like a nice find. how about some pics

[yellow bow]

sounds like a '59 or a '60. you made a nice find,good luck and have fun.  

[jaynalley77]

I'll post some pics tonight.

[wadde]

Yellow bow is correct 59 or 60 probably 1960. Nice shooting.

[Bjorn]

That bow is sometimes called the halloween bow. Great bow to shoot with and develop your skills, if the 50# is not too much for you.

[PAPALAPIN]

Bjorn nailed it...the Holoween Bow...Black and range.

Great collectible old bow.  It should be a solid shooterm but if it has not been shot in a while, pay attention to creaks and groans while you are shooting it.  If you are going to have a problem, it should surface soon.  If not, you will have it made.

Also, the best advice that I can give a beginner is to always use a bow stringer...no exceptions.  If you don't, you will probably twist the limbs.  Now that model Alaskan as I recall is a semi recurve which won't be as suseptable to twisting as a full working recurve, but I would still not chance string it with out a stringer.

[mwmwmb]

were the dual rests common?

[jaynalley77]

good question mwmwmb. I was wondering that myself.

Thanks for the advice Papalapin. My mentor gave me one of his bow stringers the day we made the string for it, and it seems to be very quiet.

[wadde]

yes the dual rest was common.

[jaynalley77]