Bear Arrows I've Never Heard Of ????

[SlowBowke]

Added, I hope, is some photos of some early Bear Archery arrows.

I have to wonder EXACTLY what they are since somethings don't "jive" with what little I know.

They are, obviously, some higher grade Bear arrows, dipped and crested nicely on the glass shaftment.

A few things jump out at me a bit that confuses me.

One of which, while the length, spine, colors match the label on the box, the LABEL, if you look closely has a different label UNDER it.

Second of all, 8 of the arrows have 1960 Bear Razorheads, 3 have the 64 issue and one was left unattached, also a 64 issue.

Third, the current label says "X-100" but I've no catalogs of 1959/60 or so to compare a photo.

Lastly and the one that stumps me most is these fiberglass arrows ARE NOT HOLLOW. At first I thought a wooden section was put in to taper for heads but two attempts to prove this are telling me this is not true.
  A. Tapping on the shaft with a plastic ink pen has no sound change regardless of where I tap on it.
  B. The one without a head yet attached has a balance point, like measuring FOC, to the REAR of center, not forward. One would think about any lenght of cedar would outweigh the fletching, paint and knock.

Total weight, is right at 500 grains, spine is 50-55.

I'm hoping Wade or someone else has some kind of experience seeing similar or at least have a similar one WITHOUT the wood inside to weigh?

I REALLY expected them to be more than 500 grains, WITH a head attached.

Without breaking one (intentionally)I've no way I can think of to prove if there is or isnt wood inside the entire shaft.

The weight indicates to me that it does not, the balance point and sound test indicate to me that it does.

Any help will be appreciated from someone having sets of these arrows or similar to show me.

God Bless.

 

 
 

 

[SlowBowke]

 

[jcar315]

Steve, There are lots better qualified than me to answer your question. I will take a stab at it with my VERY limited Bear arrow info:
1. Any chance these have a cedar shaft that is wrapped in fiber glass the entire length of the shaft?
2. In the Bear arrow boxes I have I have seen all sorts of labels including just plain old wrong arrows in the wrong box. I have quite a few here that look like someone put some Bear arrows in a Bear box but they aren't what was in there to begin with. Also, knowing Bear wasn't a company to waste anything they might have used a box that was laying around and slapped a label over what was already on there.
Not sure if this helps at all but I will be curious to learn more about arrows too with what follows. John

[SlowBowke]

That's exactly what they appear to be, Cedar wrapped with fiberglass.  You've heard of them before?

Box is probably wrong but, it's hard to imagine a full set of unused arrows in this shape with the original card of inserts being in the wrong box, or at least why they would be?

Hoping more will reply but betting lots are off to Cloverdale and then Compton so, no rush.

thanks, Buddy!

[SlowBowke]

A thought. There for awhile, if I recall right, Bear had sets with 8 broadheads and four field points?????

Half thinking these were made and sat in the warehouse for years till someone asked for a full set of broadhead ones, so they yanked them and put 64 heads on the field point arrows?

As you can tell, Im guessing. The mix of 60 and 64 head is a tough one, they certainly dont look like anyone has changed a thing but the mix of years of heads has me confused almost as much as the glass wrapped cedar.

But confusing me isnt REAL difficult, LOL!

[SlowBowke]

Added info.

The label says "Type of point"   H-4-H

for anyone having a clue on the meaning.

[Wade Phillips]

Steve -

I would like to see a clear photograph of the writing on the end of the box. The glare from the flash makes most of it unreadable.

It is possible you have the wrong arrows for the box. Note, your the box says FOR THOSE WHO WANT THE BEST and the head on the illustration on the side is not a Razorhead but rather a solid blade head with straight cutting edges...

The box should say FOR THOSE WHO WANT THE FINEST and have a Razorhead on the arrow on the side of the box.

Right at 1956 the box changed, but any box could have been used at any time, and any label could have been put on any box. Stuff happens in factories.  

Also note how rounded the rear of the fletching is on the BEST box, which is very different than yours which is angled off to more of a shield cut.

The fact that the box apparently says 11/32 tells me that it may not be the proper box for a Glass shaft which in the case of Bear Microflites give a size as a number not a fraction and most of them actually say Bear Microflite on them but may not be true for Bearglas.

In 1959 the X-100 was a Bearglas shaft. Wooden plugs were common on hollow glass and hollow metal arrows back then. I have wooden plugs on hollow metal arrows dating back into the 1930s.

I still several sets of my father's arrows from 1959, one set is glass with wooden plugs, he killed his first deer that year with one of those wooden plug glass arrows. Times were different then.

 

[SlowBowke]

Very interesting WADE

"In 1959 the X-100 was a Bearglas shaft. Wooden plugs were common on hollow glass and hollow metal arrows back then".

These, are not microflight but the smooth tan shafts of the bear glass and do measure 11/32.

To make sure I understand, these are indeed the X-100 arrows but with a wooden plug instead of wrapped on wood?

I find it interesting that the box is older than the arrows LOL. It appears an old box at some point after made in 1959, the arrows were put in that old box and relabeled?

Id have to guess that it was some time after 59 to have the 64 heads on three of them with one loose.

Correct me if I misunderstood please.

An interesting combination if so.

thank you Wade!

[SlowBowke]

Ill post a different and beter shot of the arrow shaft. I darkened the originals due to the flash over exposing the tan shaft..

Ill get it up tonight but,again, the shafst are a medium tan/ wood color and not microflight.

BBLater.

[SlowBowke]

Still dont look exactly right but here is the shafts in the sunshine and couldnt find one of my old beater microflights to put next to them but I and a buddy have microflight arrows and these are more tan-light brown and far smoother.

I do appreciat the help, Wade!!

 

 

[Wade Phillips]

The box could be old stock they found laying around or some seconds they finally used up or a thousand and one different other reasons. Problem with most collectors, is we want to categorize old items into specific categories nice and neat. The manufacturers were in business to make money, they were not really concerned with how the item would be categorized by a collector 50 years later.

Regardless if the heads were put on 50 years ago or 45 years ago, if they were put on neatly, it might be very hard if not impossible to tell the difference.

This evening, while starting to gather up arrows to take to Compton I just found 3 different styles of old shafts that have wooden plugs. Also ran across a patent that was applied for in 1927, tubular steel or aluminum. And the tube could be tapered.

Your shafts have plugs in the ends, not glass over wood. Bear also sold the raw shafts separately in 1959 and stated they are hollow and even mentioned the plugs.

[SlowBowke]

Excellent. Thanks again!

[SlowBowke]

Best shot I can get of the label.

thanks again, very much.