It is hard to tell if it is a 59 or 60 but reading that the early 59's had 1/4" Maple layers under a Brazilian Rosewood cap on the belly of the bow (facing the archer),leads me to beleive it is a 59.
Re: Begining in 1959 exotic hardwords were used in bear bows for the first time. The earliest 1959's had a 1/4" lamination of maple sandwiched between the two rosewood laminations in the riser.
Handle riser wood from 1948 to 1958 was mostly Michigan maple with some walnut. In 1959 Brazilian rosewood started along with the African hardwoods of Shedua, Bubinga, Tigerwood, Pau-Ferro and Zebrawood. 1964 we find East Indian Rosewood in the top of the line models. In 1965 appears H.C. or high compression material. This is formica, a paper and resin laminate (not ebony wood). It is also used on the Super Magnum and Super Kodiak in the late 60's (I call these the Black Beauties) and parts of the HC 30, HC300 and Tamerlane target bows. By 1973 all model Bear bows are made of futurewood. (A colored polymer plastic impregnated maple) some models as early as 1970.
Topic: Bear Kodiak Specials 1955-1967 Identification Guide (Read 28161 times)
