trying to date a Hoyt recurve.

[rainman]

I picked up a static recurve Hoyt that I believe to have been made in the late 40's early 50's.  Had clear fiberglass on the back with stained wood underneath.  Belly is brown fiberglass and the handle is glued on top of the belly glass not sandwiched in the wood lamination's and fiberglass.  I picked this bow up and several all wood bows at an estate auction along with a Osage Stave cut in January 1938 marked premium for Paul. 

[hardbern]

Have you got any pictures pls?
Did Hoyt do glass laminated (belly & back) bows that early.
In '53 catalogue they're using toxhorn (bakelite/phenolic) on belly & woven glass back.
No sign of any "static" recurves in their own models - although they dealt in Bear bows  (amongst others) too.
Could it be a Bear with Hoyt label added?

[rainman]

I will post pictures later today.  It sure looks like a bear grizzly but the handle is different and it is fiberglass as far as I can tell. The estate sale was from a family that knew the Hoyts very well.

[rainman]

Some pics

[rainman]

[rainman]

[rainman]

[rainman]

[hardbern]

hard to tell, but to me it looks like your back is just "varnished" & your belly (the brown stuff) looks like "toxhorn" (bakelite/phenolic).

in their no. 3 catalogue (1950? - with no bow pics),
the earliest I've seen they offer huntings bows yew, osage or lemonwood
with  "recurve ends" .... it seems only on osage bows.
I can't tell if thats osage on your back or waht your other 2 lams before the belly are ....
....they don't seem to mention "laminated" bows, but ....

Could that be rawhide on the back? ....it goes clear doesn't it when applied & treated?

In the No. 6 catalogue (1953?) they mention "toxhorn" facing (belly) & laminated cores but their pics do not show "static" or "stuck-on" recurves (they show semi/hybrid & real recurves ).... so maybe somewhere between in catalogues no. 4 & 5 might be the answer? ;-)

[hardbern]

that address on the decal i've seen in their '44 advert in American Bowman Review but it's not as used on their '50 catalogue ....

[rainman]

Thanks for the information,  the back is not osage appears to be clear glass over hickory or maple that has been stained.  The estate was from the farm that was next to the Hoyts farm in Warrenton county Mo.  It may have been a prototype they made just for this guy.  There were about 20 older wooden bows in the collection.  I only had enough money for three static recurves.  2 were all wood with a cloth type backing.  All three did have attachments for the bear bow quiver.

[rainman]

ttt