Replacing Bear leather grips

[Danny Rowan]

How hard is it to get the old leather grip off of a Bear grizzly and replace it? Everything about the bow is perfect except the grip and rest. Is it something I could do?The grip, that is, I know I can do the rest.

Thanks,

Danny

[TRAP]

It's kind of a pain but can be done.  I use Vegetable tanned cowhide 1-2 oz.  A skiving tool can be used to thin the edges once you get the leather close to the right size.  I have also used a belt sander to thin the edges.

I use water to stretch the leather around the throat of the grip.  

If you've played with leather you can do it.

Take pictures and let us see the finished product.

Here's a few I've done


Trap

[Jon Stewart]

Nice looking bows Trap. I almost had one to send your way for a refinish job.

[Danny Rowan]

Thanks Daryl,

I mainly need to know how hard the old grip is to get off the bow without messing the bow up?

Danny

[Jon Stewart]

I get you guys mixed up.  Still great work and if I do find an old bear one of those two guys is going to get it!!

[d. ward]

Danny that old grip is glued down,but the best way I found to remove them is just rip off as much old leather as you can by hand.Then I use a scraper to clean the leftover glue and small pieces of leather off the handle section.You may want to put 2-3 coats of tru oil on the exposed wood before applying the new leather grip...bowdoc

[Danny Rowan]

Thanks Don,

That is what I needed to know.

Danny

[hotfootTG]

You do nice work Daryl. I like the squared off finish. What do you use for dye? I've been using Feibing Buckskin color, however Feibing no longer can sell in CA for environmental reasons. I got almost a full bottle, but CA is getting to be a real PITA.
Al

[TRAP]

Thanks Al,  

I don't use any dye at all.  I usually stick some Vegetable tanned leather on the dashboard of my truck and let it sunburn for a couple of weeks and it turns the golden honey color.  Different grades of leather will sunburn different shades.  The leather I use is fairly expensive stuff that I get from a local shop.  The shop owner is a fishing lure collector so we've done some trading.

When I'm completely done with the wrap I lightly oil it with pure neetsfoot oil to protect it and replenish some of the oils lost in the tanning and sunburning process.  

I've found that if I dye anything or oil it ahead of the stretching and fitting, it will stretch too easily and I end up with a loose fitting grip.

That's too bad about the Ca restrictions.  You could always move to the Midwest where there's some big white-tails and dye is still available.

   

Trap

[ckruse]

Daryl, really nice work. I may have to farm a grip or two out to you someday! I've got a leather gripped bow headed my way right now that I'm hoping I can just clean. It appears to have had some tape around it. I've used saddlesoap, neatsfoot oil, and Montana Pitch blend in varying combinations to revive several in the past. Unless they are a lost cause it's nice to have the character that the original usually lends. CKruse

[TRAP]

I agree Cam, nothing beats the original.  If they are intact I leave them the way they are or do what you suggested and try to revive them a little.   I like the old battle scars.  

Don brings up a good point about sealing the handle under the grip.  I'm a little surprised the bows were not sealed better under the grip at the factory.  Wet leather over bare wood seems like a bad combination to me.  

Trap

[Bjorn]

Great work Trap!! Nice leather wraps and feather rests too. When didja' get the MSW?

[TRAP]

Thanks Bjorn,  

The MSW in the picture is a Holcomb 59er.  It's hard to get a real MSW.  Someone I know buys all of them that are offerred    

Trap

[alaskabowhunter]

great looking repalcement, you have talent and hand skills. I always had Wade Phillips replace my grips when needed. I was always happy with his efforts.

[d. ward]

Early days bear archery sprayed the bows while they were clamped in a squeeze clamp.Right under where the leather grip would go = no finish hardly at all under the leather.The only reason I used a hook to hang and spray the bow rather then the clamp is some guy's do not want leather grips back on so there has to be complete finish on the riser....and Fred himself did not like the leather grip he would remove them before shooting the bows.Fred's personal 1957 Kodiak and his personal 1959 Kodiak both had the leather grips removed....bowdoc

[Bjorn]

Bowdoc, you never cease to amaze!! Thanks for hanging out with us.
Good luck with the grip Danny!

[TRAP]

The man is simply a wealth of information.  Doc have you forgotten anything????

When I first got my 60 Kodiak, I shot it several times without the grip and really liked the feel of the palm swell.  I only put one on it because I thought it should be there.  Wonder how some checkering would look?  

   :D   Just kidding !!!!

Trap

[TonyW]

[copicasso]

The best way to remove a grip and get it all in one piece is first soak the grip in acetone. Don't get any on the finish unless you are going to refinish the bow. Then take the rag you wet the leather with and get it really wet and wrap it around the leather grip and let it sit on there for a good 10 or so minutes. The acetone will dissolve the glue and you can start to peel back the grip at the overlap. This will work and you may have to keep wetting the rag and peeling back a little at a time. Let the grip dry once completely removed. Then soak it in water and lay it flat and put a heavy object over it to flatten it out. When dry you have a perfect template to make a new one from. This works and I have many grips from many models if someone needs a template.

[damascusdave]

I pulled the leather grip off one of my 60's because there was a crack in the riser running under it...I keep thinking I might try replacing the leather until I realize that I am just a disaster at that sort of thing...just gonna put some finish on it and shoot it the way it is...like you Trap, I kind of like the feel of it without the leather...and I have three other ones with the leather if I really want that feel...oh for the old days when I could actually figure out how to post pictures with photobucket...just not willing to mess with it any more

DDave

DDave