Can I shoot it? Old longbow aquisition with pics.

[sloaf]

I've recently aquired an old ben pearson longbow.  Its 7o inches long and what i would guess is lemonwood. It has a tight almost not visible grain and the wood is very very dense and light orange/yellowish in tint. The backing is white and very thin and ben pearson is silk screend on the limb.  Any clue as to what the backing is?  It came with a linen string I will replace with b50 if its good to go. I can try to post pictures later.

[Horney Toad]

It sounds real old. It may be shootable, but it may also blow up the first time you pull it back. It's  hard to say.

[Larry m]

I'm thinking backed with rawhide. Can you get a picture up? It will certainly help. Occasionally I see these old bows like your describing still being shot but it seems all of them sooner or later blow up. Age and dryness will take it's toll! I myself would just hang it and appreciate the historical perspective but that's up to you.

[sloaf]

 
 
 
Nevermind the toes.  I may be too tempted to wall hang this bow it may need a different owner.

[Pack animal]

Hello from the descriptions I have read; they started the wound leather grips about 1944 on to the early 1950s  they also offered bows backed with "White vulcanized fibre" during this same time frame.  As for stringing it up.....I agree with the sentiment already said " it might blow up"...I've owned a few and yes I got frogy once...yep it blew  up.. I agree with Larry it will look good on the wall.

[oldbohntr]

I replied with this to a similar post on TG a year or two ago: \\
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"Old self bows most often had oil finishes and that could allow drying over the years. I have collected self bows for years and, in general, I don't consider shooting them a good policy.

However, there used to be a product called Wood Rejuvenator by Wood Medic and it was wonderful. I was successful making quite a few old lemonwood, osage, and hickory bows shoot by repeatedly warming the bow and the liquid, wiping it on in thick coats, and letting it soak in for days. Then I would string the bow with a long string, at about a 3-5" brace height, oil it again and let it sit for a day or so. Then, increase the brace height to maybe 12-13", and let it sit again. Then maybe to 16-18".  Then to about 24", and then to 28". Only then did I draw the bow. I am confident a good percentage of those bows would have broken if I just threw on a string and jerked it back, but I never lost one with this process. Of course, I put on a french polish or oil finish after the bow was working ok.

Rekindling my collecting interest after a 5 year layoff, last year went looking for some more of that stuff. Wood Medic is no more and googling Wood Rejuvenator brought up some new materials, but not that magic stuff that worked so well.

I also used it on laminated bows that showed little finish left and it may have helped....but I couldn't be sure....tho any oil applied to dried old wood surely makes it look better! I think your Cub is likely ok to shoot anyway. Apply some English Oil or some other good wood treatment, maybe with some warmth, and give it a go. I've had a bunch of Cubs from the 50's and always end up letting them go to a new archer or youth who needs an inexpensive, reliable longbow. Have never had one break in my hands or theirs.

I am looking for an old Cub for my wife now, one of the early ones with honey-colored glass, something around 40# or less. Wouldn't you know, I can't find one when I'm trying!"
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Looking back, I never had a lemonwood or other self bow blow up after this procedure. But, I don't know if that was because of the product I used or the method - or if I was just lucky! There are many products that come up when you google wood rejuvenator today....I don't know if any of them are the same as I used!  

But, the idea of massaging a warm rejuvenating oil into the wood and then basically re-training the bow to get back to full draw, is somehow very similar to actually making a self bow from scratch.  I liked the idea and it worked.

Hopefully, it will for you, as well.(by they way, I don't think the fibre backing will have any effect.)

[Pack animal]

Tom
take a look at item 330810476431, a little heavier than what you asked I'm not certain but looks like a cub?

[tuscarawasbowman]

Tom,
     I believe the "Traditional Bowyers Bible" reccomends something similar to your method. Adapt the bow to those stresses of tension and compression slowly....

[wadde]

There is a low poundage cub on that auction site now.

[Jimbow39]

I had a Ben Pearson like the one in your picture. I say "HAD" because I did what you are asking about, Shooting the bow. The top limb broke after the second shot. It appears backing is very thin fiberglass.
JIM

[oldbohntr]

It's definitely not glass.  I think Packy is right that it's some kind fibre stuff-appears to be paper based.

[sloaf]

It's whatever that fibre product was.  Not glass or rawhide.  Ok onto the wall it goes.