Bear-ied Treasure *New Addition to the Treasure pg 9!!!*

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Wade   I've been pretty sure that those three KH's  belonged together, what a trifecta. Everytime I look at the Page in the 67 1/2 catalog that shows the Kodiak Hunter and the Grizzly side by side it makes me think the Bubinga KH looks like a really nice blend of them both.

Rich   thanks, with all this new info, it's easier for me to see its a man made patternand heavier (denser) feeling than the wood bows.

Steve  I agree with you.The Bubinga KH has the best feel and look to me also. The shelf is much more to my liking and the "Dogleg mag", look as Wade called it, looks sharp in the line-up. But, the camo with compass is sooooo nice too!

All the nice comments are appreciated you guys! My family and friends have been getting a ear full of this stuff for quite awile now, and even though they smile and nod real nice, I know they are thinking... nice old bows, yep,nice old bows, ya, old bows, hmmmm.. I wonder if we can medicate him for this problem?  
   I am so glad this forum is here, I've had a urgent feeling first to make sure this stuff stays together and then to make sure it gets seen, so it can be appreciated. Some of the pictures look nice but I sure wish everyone could see them in person.

While doing some of this research I found Bill Stewarts name listed in the Museum of Modern Art(Im not sure if thats the proper name, I'll find my note), and the 1961 Kodiak Special featured there. Note: It's a 1962 Special  

Here's the link  http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=7152


Now for a few EXP's that I need some help placing in into the right year, model, materials etc. for an accurate description.

I've had few PM's from some Kodiak nuts who saw this box in the first few pics of this post.

19?? Kodiak EXP. 44" 37#
Maple ?
Glass ?
Is this the shortest Kodiak that Bear ever built?


 

               

[Novaln1975]

Now what kind of fiberglass is that? Amaising!

Simon

[TimZeigler]

That glass looks like the early woven glass that they used on the late 40's grizz and kodiaks.  The profile of the Kodiak reminds me of a water buffalo looking at you head on, the way the bow deflexs and really curls on the end.

[Novaln1975]

the riser looks a lot like a Black Hawk Hornet.

 

(Pic taken off the internet on that auction site)

Simon

[Wade Phillips]

Greg -

The 44" with bi-directional glass is really unusual. Nice looking, sweeping limbs, small straight grip does not really fit in with the ever evolving pistol grips of the times on higher end bows.

At that length, and 37# and small riser, makes one wonder if they did not have an up-scale youth bow in mind.... The....

Little Kodiak... rather than or in addition to Little Bear

Hard to say what they were thinking. When everyone wants a short bow, you have to try to get to the shortest? Small riser would cut wood and labor finishing costs? Who knows.

Will be interesting to hear other ideas about this little bow...

Would be great to pinpoint the date that bow was made.

We have to keep in mind that some Exp bows are exactly that, truly experiments...

[Grant Young]

Wade, what do you think about the absence of tip overlays on the short Kodiak? It kind of leads me to believe that this might be an idea for a youth/starter type bow myself but I find the "Kodiak" screen to be in disagreement with the "Flagship" status normally associated with the Kodiak label. It really is a very interesting piece especially with the woven glass back. SNS-what glass is on the belly? Grant

[Novaln1975]

In what year started the Kodiak logo with the «R». On this one there is no «R» after the word «Kodiak». My 1966 Kodiak has an «R», My 1967 Kodiak Hunter has the «R» but my now sold 1958 Kodiak did not, my 1956 Kodiak Special does not either nor does my KSD (1960).

This might help dating the bow?

Simon

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Grant    Its the same glass on both sides. I'll post a pic of the other silkscreen  when I get home tonight.

Simon   Great eye!  That might be a really good clue for narrowing down the year. Greg

[Wade Phillips]

The R started in 1960 on the silk screens that I have on bows.

Grant. Yes, the Kodiak was the flagship, I don't believe this bow was intended to be a flagship.

The bow looks like a youth bow as both you and I mentioned.

The absence of tip overlays is a very good indicator.

The Little Bear started in 1965 (if my memory is correct). The Little Bear was 48". This bow is 44".

My guess is that the bow should say "Little Kodiak" but I don't believe a "Little" silk screen existed before the 1965 Little Bear. Thus the missing "Little" on this bow.

I'd speculate the bow was made in the 63-64 time frame.

Hope some Bear documentation turns up to date it...

[Wade Phillips]

In addition to no tip overlay, the absence of riser overlays, is inconsistent with the Flagship Kodiak.

Has anyone ever seen a seam on a Kodiak where two pieces of glass were butted against each other and not covered with a leather grip?

The absence of a leather grip also would indicate a 1960s date.

The 44" length is also inconsistent with the whole concept of the Kodiak being the premier hunting bow.

A Trad Gang member from Wisconsin has an Expermintal Bear bow built on a Kodiak Special form, routed and finished like a Kodiak Special, but has a Kodiak Silk Screen...

[Grant Young]

Good synopsis Wade. From the few conversations I've had or eavesdropped on with Bear employees I'm surprised even more of these "one offs" haven't surfaced. I've never heard if Bear had any such program but at least at one time the Martin Guitar Company had a program in which an employee could build him or herself a guitar for the cost of the material. Some of those thing are incredible and some are dogs but they never appeared in catalogues or on the open market. I would imagine that Bear employees did a certain amount of that themselves whether or not it was sanctioned.   GY

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Wade - Grant  you guys must be right with the youth or "Little Kodiak". I was thinking Mr. Stewart was working on a small or mini Kodiak sometime before the Super Mag got the OK. It would be great if some records or maybe an old employee could confirm the Little Kodiak theory.

Wade I hope your 63-64 year speculation turns out to be 63 to fill one of the years in the collection with no EXP.

I hope this next one fills in the 1964 spot...

196? ?????? EXP/Proto 60" 61#  Bubinga
 
 
 The piece of wood he chose for this one flows so nice with this riser, I hope the pics can do it justice.

[TRAP]

 That's remarkable.

Trap

[rp65]

This is one of the best threads I have ever got  to see. The history!!! Thanks for letting see this stuff.

[johnnyrazorhead]

Unbelieveable stuff.Thanks for sharing!

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It's been a busy weekend here, I'll get the next one posted in the tomorrow. Until then, would you guys take a stab at the year and model the 60" Bubinga is the EXP/Prototype for?

My guess is that it is a 1964 Kodiak EXP/Proto

With no box for this bow and no other 64's or 65's around, I compared it with the catalog picks and any others I could find.

yes, no, other?  Thanks, Greg

[Wade Phillips]

Greg -

I'd say your guess of 1964 is right in the ball park on this one.  

Sure looks like Bill was trying to take the radical 1963 dogleg design and get glass along the entire back.

The glass color, Bubinga Riser, and shape of the handle all indicate the 1963 design being transformed into the 1964.  

The only real contradiction to 1964 is the 1962 Kodiak strike plate, but I personally place very little store in dating any bow by using any of the many easily replaced cosmetic features such as a strike plate or a coin.

From your photograph of the grip, that riser almost looks like it is close to 50/50 rather than the 60/40 of some 1964 Kodiaks. What is it, a true 50/50 or a 49/51...?              

That riser is a monster. Physically that bow has to weigh a lot more than a production 1964 Kodiak.

Your bow is really cool to look at as an experimental, but design wise, Bear was very wise to settle on the plain Jane design of the production 1964 Kodiak.

With so much mass in the riser, you have to ask yourself if it is a hunting bow or target bow.

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Wade   The seam on the grip looks like it's 50/50 to me. I'll post another pic this afternoon that may show it better.

I totally agree about the 64 production Kodiak. The way it was slimmed  down and brought it too points instead of rounded is much more appealing, but WOW is it a smooth shooter! I only shot it the first day I got it, a few times(gulp!), but of the hunting bows it was by far my favorite.

[Grant Young]

Okay- you got me. I've seen a bunch of stuff over the years but never anything like this one. How long is the riser section of this bow? It appears longer than the '64 production bow. I'll bet it's pretty dead in the hand also.Its hard to pick a favorite out of this bunch but this one is way up there for me because its so radically different than anything I ever associated with Bear bows. Very very nice. Thanks...GY

[Wade Phillips]

Greg - I'm sure it would be a good shooter. Sure makes for an interesting bow to look at.

The wood below the grip almost looks like the lower riser was designed to follow the grain of the wood. I know it wasn't and perhaps my imagination is a little to active seeing so many self bow being built this weekend at at the NTA Bow Building Workshop.