Old Shakespeare Bow

[CRM_95]

After I bought my bow, my son decided he wanted to get into traditional archery as well. A few years back a friend of mine had given him an old recurve, and it's been unstrung in a case in his closet pretty much the whole time. It's a Shakespeare Necedah Model X31. It's a really cool looking bow. It's in good shape and we're going to get it set up and ready for him to shoot a little. It's 45 lbs @ 28''. The first order of business will be to buy a string. It's a 58'' bow, and the string that's with it is 53 1/2 from tip to tip. I don't know if it's the original string or not, but I can't take enough twists out of it to make the BH less than 9 1/2''.

Everything I've been able to find on this bow, which isn't much, says the brace height should be about 7 3/4''. So I think I'm going to buy a new 54'' string. I think the bow was made around 1974 best I can tell, so I think I'll go with B 50 instead of a fast flight string. I'm going to get some fur silencers and one of the bear hair rests and plates from 3 Rivers. I think I'll order a 3 pack of the High Plains Hunter's in 500 as well for him to try, because that's what I shoot in my bow.

Is there anything else I should be aware of when ordering the new string? And anybody that's had one of these bows feel free to chime in on how you like it as I don't know anything about them.

[monterey]

Those bows are junk!  The best thing you can do is to package it up and send it to me for proper disposal.    

I have one purchased new in 1970.  It's a good bow and a good design.  Are you sure it is 58"?

[CRM_95]

Originally posted by monterey:
Those bows are junk!  The best thing you can do is to package it up and send it to me for proper disposal.        

I have one purchased new in 1970.  It's a good bow and a good design.  Are you sure it is 58"?

LOL!! Yes sir it says 58'' on the riser. It's a really pretty green color. I looked it over real good and it seems to be in really good shape for it's condition.

[Blackhawk]

Does it look like this?

   

   

   

   

This is a '72 Shakespeare Necedah with the nice green glass and a riser which I had thought was shedua but found out it is imbuya, a type of South American walnut.  It's a 58" also and I have on it a 54" dacron B-50 string.  

These strings will stretch an inch or so putting the brace from 7.5"-8".  

I like the forward riser and it's plenty fast and accurate for an oldie.

BTW, give us your serial # and we can tell you the year and month it was made.

[CRM_95]

Blackhawk, it's very similar except the entire bow is green. The serial number is M41461A.

[Blackhawk]

Can you post pics?

...or just send to me and I will post.

Serial indicates it was made in December 1974 and was the 1461 bow of that model made.

However, are you sure the serial ends in an A?

If this is a Necedah, it should end with an M?

At least that's the decoding that some have come up with that is consistant.

[redfish]

If it is the older version like the 58" Kaibab, the standard 54" string is also too short.  I had to take the store bought string off and use a flemish that I made to fit.  The correct BH is 7 3/4" on my bow and it shoots quiet at that setting. Too high and it is noisy.

[monterey]

Think I see the difference.  Mine is a 54" super necedah.

[Stumpkiller]

This past year and currently I'm shooting a Necedah 58"  I'm as happy with this bow as any (but I shoot my 62" Explorer a bit better).  VERY nice hunting bow.

 

[CRM_95]

Originally posted by Blackhawk:
Can you post pics?

...or just send to me and I will post.

Serial indicates it was made in December 1974 and was the 1461 bow of that model made.

However, are you sure the serial ends in an A?

If this is a Necedah, it should end with an M?

At least that's the decoding that some have come up with that is consistant.

I'm pretty sure it was an A. I'll double check when I get home and post some pics.

[CRM_95]

Originally posted by Stumpkiller:
This past year and currently I'm shooting a Necedah 58"  I'm as happy with this bow as any (but I shoot my 62" Explorer a bit better).  VERY nice hunting bow.

   

That's a really good looking bow!!

[frank bullitt]

Had a Necedah also! Coworker gave it to me, gave it to my oldest son. He shot his first archery deer with it. It had red glass.

You need a longer string. Try a 12 strand b 50 or b55. 7.5 to 7.75 brace should be good.

[CRM_95]

Here's a few pics of it. I think I may go with a 55'' string instead of 54'' even though it has a 58'' AMO length. I've heard several people say they need a little longer string to get the brace height right.

 

 

 

 

[JMR]

Those old Shakespeare's are really cool bows!

[frank bullitt]

CRM, 54" string.

[Dave Worden]

If your bow says it is 58" you buy an AMO 58 string which will measure 3.5" less than 58 (54.5").  That's the length that Shakespeare determined was correct for the bow.  No rules of thumb or guessing.  AMO 58 means 54.5" sting loop to loop.  Recognize that Shakespeare supplied the bows with endless loop strings which will generally stretch less than a Flemish.

[Shadowhnter]

Wow! Those are a lot better looking bow then my Shakespeare. I have a Yukon X-24 40# bow 60" long. It looks to be maple riser with brown glass. I like how it shoots though, and for a 35 dollar bill, I couldn't pass it up. I've had it almost 15 years now, and its vitually like new still. I got it off an old guy that had a bait shop and was tring to sell them for carp shooting, when he went out of buisness. He had them for years unsold so they were dusty, but new. Wish now I'd have bought the other 3.

[Stumpkiller]

Originally posted by CRM_95:
 

Originally posted by Stumpkiller:
This past year and currently I'm shooting a Necedah 58"  I'm as happy with this bow as any (but I shoot my 62" Explorer a bit better).  VERY nice hunting bow.

   

That's a really good looking bow!! [/b]

Thank you.  Still images don't do the tiger-stripe [quarter sawn] wood justice.  I believe it's Sheuda and it is a delight.  The brown glass is a great choice for a hunting bow as well.  This bow has really carved a place in my heart.

   

 

[CRM_95]

I like it!! I gotta ask, what kind of knife is that? I'm kind of a knife nut to put it mildly...