"Nate The Great"

[Bryan pinick]

A buddy aquired a Howard Hill 66"  48@28 longbow with white glass on the belly and black back.  

The bow reads "Nate the Great" on the belly....just wondering if anyone knows the history on this one?

We suspect there may be a good story behind it.

[lpcjon2]

I looked in my copy of Hunting the Hard Way and there is no reference to anyone named Nate.I do know That Howard had sold the Hill company and was a silent partner before he died maybe it was produced for someone the Howard didn't know.Ted Ekin and Dick Garver took over production of Hill equipment Under Shawnee Archery shop in Sunland Ca.In 1979 Craig Ekin takes over and sub's the bow making out to various makers (Jim Darling,John Schulz,Tim Meigs,Ted&Lee Kramer and others).So you can try and contact Hill archery and see if they know.In the catalog it states you can personaly inscribe you own name or inscription at no cost.It may be that.

[bayoulongbowman]

There is gentelman named Nate who build the Real Orginal Hill bows before it was changes , its string follow bow. and I might add a dandy shooter, I just cant remember his last name , he was from out west somewhere. mark...still makes them too.

[Bryan pinick]

We are going to contact Craig.  I suspect that this is a "nickname" for the gentleman who hads the bow made.  I belive it is a Ekin bow.

[lpcjon2]

Good luck and let us know what the deal is.

[David Mitchell]

Mark, I think you may be referring to Nate Steen who builds the Sunset Hill classic.  He also makes a great back quiver in the Hill style.

[Bryan pinick]

Well, The  name that was put on the bow is Barry Potter.  "Nate the Great" has no significance to the bowyer, which we were hoping would.  Bow was made June 04.

[Raminshooter]

The guys that made Howards original string follow bows and all the variations for 25 years were the Stotler brothers of which there were three.  These were a tough bunch and all shot heavy bows like they did back in the day and when they finally left Howard it was to move up to Alaska and work.  They did eventually make bows again but it was their own design, one they worked on when they were with Howard and he thought it was the fastest bow he had ever shot back then but only wanted to promote his type of bow.  That's when Stotler ARchery was formed.

[swampthing]

I'm guessing somebody elses nick' name was put on it.  
  ie:  Owners son may have been named Nate. Or maybe he lost a bet and had to acknowlege the winner, Nate, by declaring it on his bow. People do things, many different things.