Last Friday two bows I've had on order arrived on the same day. My Silvertip was ordered in mid-August. The Bear TD was ordered on January 7th.
I'm waiting for a sunny day to take a few pictures of both and I will add to this thread.
Initial Reaction:
Schafer Silvertip: 58", Recurve, LH, 53#@28", Rosewood Dymonwood (FF), Macassar flares, myrtle limb veneers, with antler limb tips. Checkered grip and Bear Compass. My name is on the bow along with my favorite slogan, "On Target for Life".
This Schafer is, for my taste, the best looking bow I own. I replaced the provided 20-strand string with a Skinny String made for my Widow PAX by a great Trad Ganger in New Mexico. The bow is a pure joy to hold and satisfying to shoot. I'm shooting it off a Bear Weather rest but have ordered a Cavilier Champion II Magnetic flipper to try. The grip on the bow is a tad different from the one Billy Shipp loaned me and then traded to me, but I like it.
The Bear TD: A Riser, LH, #3 limbs -60" bow. I asked for 52# limbs (@28") but the limbs weigh out at 57#. The riser is without defects and the limbs fit in the latches perfectly. The grip on the riser is quite different from the one I tested on January 7th. It is much deeper and less rounded from face to back than I expected --more than 5 1/8" around the narrow part of the grip. I will be calling Bear to see if I can have the grip narrowed.
The #3 Limbs are more tapered than I was expecting with slender, red limb tips. I like the gracefulness of the limbs. The finish (black glass) on the limbs is pretty good but there are a few silver streaks in the glass with a couple small ones that seem to come through the surface -- this particular streak can be felt very sligthtly. Bugs me a little. I compared to Brandon limbs. Brandon limbs win out.
I am very pleasantly suprised how quiet this Bear is to shoot. It is a dull thump and with a couple of String Leaches it is very quiet - -more quiet than the Supreme Riser I own.