Back before Jeff Massie began making the Longhorn, going to Fedora's school to learn to build recurves, Jeff produced, what I believe to be the finest forward handle longbows available. In February of 1993, I journeyed down to Gonzales, TX to meet Jeff at his shop. My intention was to order a custom made longbow.
I was introduced to Jeff Massie through a mutual friend, Gerald Fuguaret (sp), who owned a Landscape Nursery - Archery Supply in Gonzales.
I spent an hour or so touring the shed where his longbows were birthed. I truly wish that I'd had a camera with me because this was the original shop. Later he would move to Shiner in a much larger facility. It was not more than just a shed. The outside was weathered planks undoubtedly constructed by some rancher decades earlier. Inside, Jeff had taken great pains to insulate and seal the shop from the elements.
After shooting an assortment of bows of varying lengths, draw weights, and wood combinations I finally decided on what to order. As far back as I can remember, I've always like the color, grain and rich texture of black walnut. To enhance the appearance, Jeff recommended an accent lamination of hickory. Since this was to be my first custom bow, I decided to name it after my bride of 13 years. We called it "Sweet Sue".
Almost 20 years later, I still have "Sweet Sue", both the bow and the bride.
Topic: HH bug got me ... Part One! (Read 139399 times)
