String follow longbows - who's makin' 'em?

[Tom Anderson]

What are some of recommended string-follow longbows these days?  I'm looking for a bow that starts out with a really soft/mushy draw and increases in weight as you pull the string back.  I've been away from archery for a few years now and just want to see who the go-to bowyers are nowadays.
Or - perhaps a string-follow bow isn't what I'm looking for at all.  I just want a bow that's very soft initially and builds poundage as I draw it back...whatever type that may be.

[MnFn]

It sounds like you want a Liberty Classic.
The shooting sequence of the Classic is exactly as you described.

And, not overpriced.

[Russ Clagett]

Brian McBroom makes a really nice one...

[Blueridge]

J.D. Berry makes a good one.

[Jack Skinner]

Most if not all ASL (Hill Style) bowyers make a sting follow model.

JD Berry as above makes a great one I have a Misty Dawn and it is a great shooter.

Some others
Northern Mist
7 Lakes ( I have good bow at excellent price)
Jet
I think HH archery will make models in SF also

[D. Key]

Please enlighten me...What is a string follow bow?

[David Mitchell]

D. Key, a string follow bow is a longbow that has limbs that stay bent some in the direction of the string when unstrung.  In the self bow world that would be called taking a set. The idea is that it makes the bow more gentle to shoot and a bit easier at the front end of the draw, but having owned three by top makers, I don't find them that way and from now on any bows I buy will be either straight limbed or have a bit of back set in the limbs (bend somewhat away from the string side when unstrung). SF bows just don't do it for me....I guess I'm in the minority but I'm used to that.      :D

[centaur]

Another vote for JD Berry. He makes several versions.

[GreyGoose]

Some nice-looking ones by McBroom, TG Sponsor

[nineworlds9]

I've shot a bunch of them. My vote is for the Northern Mist Shelton.

[ChuckC]

Well....technically, don't all trad bows start off small and get heavier as you draw ?  Kinda part of the game ?

[Tom Anderson]

Originally posted by ChuckC:
Well....technically, don't all trad bows start off small and get heavier as you draw ?  Kinda part of the game ?

Yes, they do - but string-follow or classic D-shaped bows load more slowly as you draw back.  The "hybrid" bows that are all the rage today have a lot of poundage already at initial draw - almost like a compound bow, except the poundage doesn't let off like a compound.  In other words, it starts out "tough" and just gets "tougher" with a hybrid bow.

[snag]

Call Allen at Liberty Bows and talk bows. He's a wealth of knowledge and a great guy. Can't go wrong. I love my Classic.

[Orion]

I have a string follow Hill and can't say that it draws any smoother or loads more slowly than my backset Hill.  In fact, just the opposite. If a string follow starts with less initial tension, how can it build it slower to reach the same poundage at a given draw length as straight or setback limbs that have more initial tension?  It has to build weight more quickly because there's less weight there to start.

That being said, the difference isn't great, and I suspect some folks just like the softer feel at the beginning of the draw.

[MnFn]

I have a JD Berry bow and think they are great. I just have not owned a string follow bow from JD.

The only string follow I have owned is the classic.

[ron w]

I had a J.D.Berry, still have a couple of Hills and picked up a Two Tracks Echo not to long ago. All were and are nice bows.

I don't see much of Nate Steen from Sunset Hill on the web these days, but I got a super string follow bow from him.  A fantastic shooter.

[Sam McMichael]

Steve Turay at Northern Mist makes the Shelton. It is a really nice string follow bow. I have two of them. One is bamboo, and the other is yew.They will not be going up for sale!

[bucknut]

I have shot and owned several D bows. String follow, back set and straight. The best drawing D bow I have pulled back as of yet is a Toelke Super D. It has manners after the shot as well. It's not going up for sale any time soon either!

John

[joe vt]

Mike at Maddog Archery (sponsor) makes a string follow longbow. I own one and its very sweet to shoot.