Year ID needed--Bear Kodiak Hunter

[Altiman94]

I just got into a bear kodiak hunter, its a 60" bow, 50#@ 28". Fiber glass backed limbs.  Says "Canada 1953" on bottom limb, 1 piece recurve.

SN is KT24039.

Can anyone tell me what year it is?

[Raineman]

A picture would be the most helpful, but here is some info from the Trad History/Collecting forum. If you do a search there or just post a pic, you will get all the help you need.

DATING BEAR KODIAK HUNTERS

Year - AMO - Riser wood(s) - Glass color - Tip/Overlay color - Serial prefix

‘67 ½- 58”- Shedua- Forest Green- White/ White- 7T

’68- 60”- Shedua- Forest Green- White/White- 8T

’69- 60”- Tiger wood- Arctic Gray- Black/Black- 9T

’70- 60”- Pau Ferro/African Bubinga- Arctic Gray- White/White- KT


’71-72- 60”- Shedua/African Bubinga Arctic Gray- White/White- KT


(’71 is the first year the stabilizer insert was standard and not optional)

’73-75- 60”- Green Futurewood- Forest Green- Green/White- KT

’76- 60”- Green Futurewood- Forest Green- Futurewood- KT

’77- 60”- Green Futurewood- Random Dark Glass- Futurewood- KH

[Altiman94]

I think most likely its a 1970---Any idea what it might be worth?

[Raineman]

PAPALAPIN likes to say "its worth what someone will pay for it"...and I tend to agree.

If you bought it and you are happy with it, then it was worth every penny. If you are selling it and are happy with what the buyer pays you for it...then it is worth every penny. If the buyer does not want to pay you what you want for it, then it is worth what you are keeping it for.

Not trying to be rude, just trying to implicate that its worth is determined by you, and whatever you decide to sell or buy it for.

[Altiman94]

I received it on trade from a friend who does not hunt with traditional bows.  I traded him some treestands and misc. hunting equipment he needed in exchange for the the bow.

I know some of these older bears are collectors pieces, so I was just trying to determine a worth.

[reddogge]

Could be worth $130-200 but sight unseen makes valueing difficult.

[twotimer]

from the serial number it's likely a 72 year model,worth likely around 150.00 +/- 50.00.jmo.regards,robert          

[jeff w]

How can you detiremine from the serial number it is a '72?

I know the K designates a bow made made in the '70's--but what in the serial number means '72?

[twotimer]

as a rule the first number after the letter is the designated year of production.this is not set in stone,but the k series started in 1970 and the record system was kept realy well by then,if i'm wrong someone set me straght,i have't looked at my research in some time.i'm going off to make sure i'm right.regards,robert          

[jeff w]

I would have to disagree with that.

I have a '75 Super Kodiak(blue stripe) and a '73-'75 Kodiak Hunter(green futurewood w/white overlays on the grip), both start with "K", but the SK's first number is 8 and the KH's first number is 7.

To my knowledge the best way to estimate the year a bow was made is what Raineman stated, basically the bow's physical characteristics----wood types, coin(flush/raised), tip/overlay material/color, etc.

Check out the History/Collecting forum here on Tradgang--Wade, Bowdoc and others can help with just about any question of this nature.

[twotimer]

there's a lot of ways to get close to the year of the bear bows,coins are the hardest way in my oponion,in early 72 some had flush mounted coins,then late in the year they moved them up high on the riser and raised them,and i have read they had bronze and silver coins that year,plus sometimes they had coins left over from previous years and threw them all in a bind and used them as they pulled them out.but the more i read about how to determine the year they were produced,and all the different theories,i realize that i don't understand all i know about them.once i thought i was wrong,but i was mistaken,another saga in,as the world turns,i bow out to,wade,bowdoc and all the others who can help on this topic.with kind regards,robert