Originally posted by McDave:
There are a lot of options for guys who don't want to be on the waiting list: buy a Bear or a Samick or some other production bow, buy used, buy somebody else's place on the list, buy a new bow from a custom bowyer who keeps an inventory of bows on hand, etc. But to say you want a custom bow from a custom bowyer but don't want to wait for it, sometimes (usually, in my experience) for longer than was originally estimated, is like saying you want a Pope & Young buck but you really only have a weekend or two you can spare, and you really don't want to travel more that fifty miles from home to get it. Neither of those are very realistic expectations.
Bowyers are just people, with all the same weaknesses the rest of us have. Some will knock themselves out to get your bow to you when it was promised. Some won't. Some of the ones who won't, still produce great bows. Some don't. Sometimes, $hit happens in people's lives, and you have to cut them a little slack. More often, I suspect that a custom bowyer is just looking for the balance between work and life that we all would like to have, and your priority to get your bow on time is not as important to him as going hunting or doing something with his family.
But that's the way it is, folks. If a bowyer wanted to always meet deadlines and make a lot of money, I'm sure he would have decided to pick a different occupation.
This is the main Statement! Yes, bowyers are human as you and me no machines!!!
If I ordered a custom bow, she should be something special. Otherwise I would buy a on stock bow.
So,good things need time, and I personally don't want a bow build under pressure only to meet the delivery time.
She should be built with passion and not under time pressure.
Of course there are bow-manufactures which have profesional processes and several employers working on them. I think they are not often run out of time! :-)
But If I ordered a custom Bow from Mr. X, I also want the bow build by Mr. X not by several workers! Handcrafted by one person! I don't like CNC-machines!
perhaps this is an old way to go but I love It!
Just my 2cents