63 Kodiak most collectable?

[69RECURVE]

Ever wonder why Fred radically changed his beloved 62 Kodiak for the year 1963? Was it a matter of sales performance or what? Dont you wish you could of been a fly on the wall when those discussions took place.

On the flip side why did the dogleg only have a one year run? Again was it sales driven performance or just what I suppose we will never know. All of those engineers have most likely passed on with those secrets.

This is no disrespect to either bow but you have to think that he must of thought he wanted to improve on something regarding the '62. Then after a one year run went back to a more conventional riser design.

So does that make the '63 the most collectable?

[PAPALAPIN]

This is just my guess

The made the 6-" dogleg and to the best of my knowledge they really never had any problems with it.

They made the 52 : Kodiak Magnum Dogleg and they were cracking up like crazy.  That was the Typw I.  They put out the type II to correct the problem, but it to still was not right.  So they put out the type three, whicj as far as I know did solve the problem

Bear replaced every Type I and Type II that was returned on warranty.

I think the reputation of the K Mag Type I hurt the reputation of the Doglegs so bad, even thought the 60" Doglegs were solid, they came out with the style of the K Mag that started in '64, and is the basic style from then on.

I think the problem with the type I  was not enough glass to wood contanct where the limbs join the riser.

They extended that on the Type II, but not enough.  On a type III the class goes almost all the way to the shelf.  This solved the problem.

As far as why the chenge from the '62 to the '63...NO CLUE.   Many feel that the '62 K Mag was the best shooter of all of them.  But then that is just a lot of peoples personal opinions.

[Blackhawk]

I agree with Jack in that the problems with the KM were perceived to be present with the Kodiak.  I still hear folks repeating the urban legend of the '63 Kodiaks and their breaking problems.  Fred was smart to change the design, even though the '63 remains one of my favorites.

I got a beauty of a '63 KM (type 3) from Bowdoc a couple years back and it is a great shooter too.

[Grant Young]

The '63 is one of my favorites even though I don't currently own one. The grip on the '63 has the same profile I have had most of my bows altered to as much as possible. I also thinkt the design was a very good effort to combine the best characteristics of reflex/deflex thinking. The forward thrusting handle section makes the bow point really well and the radical "dogleg" moves the limbs more toward the target to improve speed and reduce shock. When Owen Jeffery changed the design of the Grizzly in the late sixties by pulling the handle back somewhat the bow got noticeably less "shocky" to shoot. The '63 also has those deep recurves that eventually got toned down from '65 on. I think the '63 is a great bow and Fred's old rosewood model was a looker, too.      GY

[PAPALAPIN]

Never saw the Rosewood model...unless you consider Africn Roswood (Bubinga),  I'll bet an East Indian Rosewood or Brazillian Rosewood would be striking.

I am fortunate to own a 50# 60" Dogleg that is like it is out of the box perfect, with the most irredescent Bubinga I have ever seen on any bow.  To keep it that way it is the only bow I dispaly in the originaal bow sock.

G A W J O U S !!!

[d. ward]

1963 Kodiak is a great shooter if not one of the best shooters in the Bear line and the boys already said it nope the Kodiak and Grizzly never had any problems.
The Magnum however had a good number of returns but and I say but the problem was not the design of the Magnum it was from stepping thru them to string it and no back glass on the riser of the 63 mag eather that did'nt help matters.But the bow disign was OK as for the most collectable ???
a real collecter would be the 1961 Kodiak I think I think that because there are 10-12 different versions of the 1961 Kodiak bd

[OldSkoolArcher]

Originally posted by PAPALAPIN:
G A W J O U S !!!

PICS!!!

[PAPALAPIN]

Wish I could...To Technologically challenged

[snufer]

I realy like the Dogleg design, and have a small collection, A Kodiak, both Grizzlys, a Cub and a type three Magnum. Kind of have my eye on another bow so am thinking of putting them on the classifieds.(But probably won't!!)