Bear A Wood Risers - Serial Numbers - 1969-1972

[CrookedStick]

Like many of you, I've always wanted a 'real bear takedown', especially since they were born about an hour or so north of me. By hunting and taking game with one in my area I really feel a circle is complete.

One of those 'real bear takedowns' really fires me up, the A Wood Riser. There were supposedly so few of them made, but there seem to be so many of them surviving - two new ones appeared on this forum just this week in fact.

So I am starting this thread to hopefully answer a few questions for folks, give us a place to keep track of the risers and their numbers, see if we can narrow down the years and series a little closer and give us a place to post pics of those beautiful risers.

Bernie

 

[CrookedStick]

Last Update: 1/8/2011

As you submit your risers/numbers to me I will add them to this list so it stays at the top. I will edit and order the list by number as we go. Please include finish notes such as 'Fred Bear' autograph, color of bears on t/d brackets, etc.

A-01007 - Bowdoc's ledger, there is a 0 in front
A-01064 - Bowdoc's ledger
A-01026 - Bowdoc's ledger 1999
*note bowdoc's ledger from '99 states the '0' numbers are 1969 A-Risers

A-1086 - LH, Original Finish, plastic bears, cacciatore's hungry finger prints all over it - Cacciatore
A-1145 - Refinished - Abear
A-1194 - No stab ins, Bowdoc's ledger 1999
A-1225 - Original Finish, RH, stab ins, “Floyd Eccleston” – Wade Phillips traded
A-1236 - RH No Bushing - Moooseran
A-1242 - Bowdoc's ledger
A-1262 - Original Finish,                       - johnnyrazorhead
A-1285 - RH, BD's note reads bow had 4 holes - via Bowdoc's ledger
A-1296 - Original Finish, Brown Bears - JavelinaHink
A-1319 - Refinished - Wade Phillips
A-1335 - Original Finish, RH, stab ins, spr side plt, BrBears, FB sig - Lamont Granger
A-1407 - Original Finish, LH, no stab ins, spr side plt, BrBears - Jim Stutesman
A-1419 - LH, Bowdoc's ledger, factory serial number on the right side of the riser
A-1431 - LH - Roddo on TG
A-1469 - Bowdoc's ledger
A-1490 - Original Finish - newell38
A-1493 - RH, had 3 holes in sight rail - via Bowdoc's ledger
A-1548 - Original Finish, Brown Bears - CrookedStick
A-1555 - Original Finish, RH, from ****, no other info
A-1576 - RH Has Bushing - Moooseran
A-1621 - Bowdoc's ledger
A-1633 - LH, has bushing, Brown Bears - Goosebuster46
A-1646 - Original Finish, latch bears, RH, side insert - Bill Sant
A-1677 - RH Has Bushing - Moooseran
A-1696 - RH - via Bowdoc's ledger
A-1749 - RH, Refinished - AALLFAB on TG
A-1760 - Bowdoc's ledger--now owned by ahandle70's brother Dwight
A-1831 - from **** RH, no stab ins.
A-1833 - Original Finish, RH, stab ins, “Fred Bear” sig – Wade Phillips sold
A-1860 - BD's notes indicate riser is messed up - via Bowdoc's ledger
A-1877 - Original Finish
A-1879 - Original Finish, 'missing the bears' - CrookedStick
A-1880 - Original Finish (for now)
A-1891 - refinished by Droptine, RH, stab ins., latch bears brown - MikenMN
A-1893 - Bowdoc's ledger 1999
A-1937 - Original except for two filled holes - Danny Rowan - New owner is 69RECURVE on TG
A-1938 RH - Roddo on TG
A-1945 - Original Finish, 'Fred Bear' sig in 1982 - johnnyrazorhead
A-1983 - RH - via Bowdoc's ledger
A-2001 - RH - once owned by TimberlineX
A-2023 - LH, Original Finish, New in Box with limbs and papers - classicbowman on TG
A-2038 - Original Finish, 'Fred Bear' sig in 1987 - Wade Phillips
A-2044 - RH, Checkering on grip - Jack Shanks
A-2054 - RH - JimG on TradGang
A-2078 - Original Finish, with all paperwork, latch bears - tippit
A-2090 - Bowdoc's ledger 2000

  Type 2  
A-2098 - Original Finish, RH, stab ins, spr side plt, Br Bears - Auction #7142296642, Mar-20-05
A-2104 - RH Has Bushing - Moooseran
A-2108 - RH Has Bushing - Moooseran
A-2141 - Last serial number for 1970 according to Frank Scott's s.n. ledger
A-2211 - no details - Alaskabowhunter
A-2277 - Last serial number for 1971 according to Frank Scott's s.n. ledger

A-No # - Refinished, RH, stab ins, “Charlie Kroll” sig – Wade Phillips sold

E-101 H - Original, non-standard #- Abear
*looks like an original number...conclusion is it could be experimental

[JavelinaHink]

Bernie...PM sent.

A-1296-Original Finish, Brown Bears-Hink

[d. ward]

if the owner of this one wants to post his name I know he knows who's riser this is.It's at my shop and in original condition for now.I will try and look up several A riser numbers I have listed in my restoration ledger later today.bd  

[Wade Phillips]

Bernie -

Glad to see you started this thread. Will be a real treat to see photographs of all of these great old original A Wood Risers.

Note Signed Type I, Original Finish with 2000 series serial number...

     

[d. ward]

I found two A riser numbers in my ledger which are A-1145 in 1997 bowdoc was the owner of 1145 and A-1469 Chris I better not give his last name without his OK was the owner of 1469 you could add those 2 to the list.bd

[d. ward]

another one I found  is A-1760 owner in 1998 was Phil ? .bd

[d. ward]

here's a note from 1990's I have I was with Joe and looking at 2 A risers of which 1 is in the P&Y mus.and the guy shot a buffalo with it ??? I do not have that serial number but I have the one off the other riser and that is A-01007 please note there is a 0 before  ??? I will keep looking but I also have about 4-5 others I've seen or worked on that were numbered the same way with the 0 before ??? bd

[johnnyrazorhead]

Bernie-Here's my two A-risers.
 (1)A-1262 all original
 (2)A-1945 all original signed by Fred in 1982
   
 
 

[Cody Roiter]

Man-sweet looking risers guys..... I want one...

[CrookedStick]

Thanks guys, I added them to the list.

Bowdoc, I assume all those in your ledger are restored condition, right?  Also, you now have the bow I wanted--consecutive serial number to mine--but I couldn't afford it. Please pass along my contact info to the owner, I'd like to keep in touch--would be nice to get them both in a pic someday.

John, great pics!  Before hunting season can I rub my shooting glove all over your signature bow, and maybe put mine in a box together with it for a few hours!?

Here's a winter pic of A-1879:

 

[CrookedStick]

Wade,

Cool, I already have a study question from the data. Your A-2038 looks like it has no stabilizer insert. What gives? That's theoretically a later-numbered bow so it should come standard, no?

Bernie

[mwmwmb]

I want one BAAADDD!! nice wood fellas.

[Wade Phillips]

Bernie -

First I want to say, I'm no expert on the Wood Risers and I do not seriously collect them. I just have a few. Years ago I had quite a few others but sold them to invest in more rusted pieces of steel (broadheads). I will try to get serial numbers and photographs of those risers that have passed through my hands and post them for the list.

In the past, if I ever had a question about Wood Risers, I asked the late Al Reader. Unfortunately, we can't ask The Wood Riser Expert now. I only wish this thread would have been started a year ago so Al could have passed on all the information that we may never be able to discover now.

If you notice the refinished riser in my photograph A-1319 also does not have the bushing you asked about.

Maybe that should be our first study question...

Note John's A-1262 does not have a bushing but his A-1945 does have one...

After we have seen a larger sample size, we can begin to establish a better pattern and perhaps draw some conclusions...

Years of collecting and studying Bear bows has taught me that regardless of any rule that is established about Bear bows, it seems there will be exceptions...

[johnnyrazorhead]

Wade- Take good care of my A-riser that Fred signed to me.I need to get that one from you somehow.Need a Nels Grumley arrow?Just kidding.And you are not getting anymore of my heavyweight Kodiaks.

[johnnyrazorhead]

Bernie-You can rub whatever you want all over my signed riser.Well,almost anything.I have some alcohol wipes here for just such an occasion.And by all means put your riser in a box with mine,maybe they will produce more signed risers! LOL

[Wade Phillips]

John - Yes, if you had A-2038 that Fred signed

"Happy Hunting John Fred Bear 1987"

Everyone would assume that Fred signed it to you rather than to John Grumley.

Maybe I should change my name to John Wade Phillips...

   

[johnnyrazorhead]

Wade-Yes,I would tell everyone he signed it to me.It would be our little secret.But knowing the bow was signed to  John Grumley wouldn't be so bad either.Don't change your name to John either,it would get way to confusing.Then everyone would be bugging me thinking I had all those Grumleys and broadheads.Hey,Wade Kabisa,now that's got a good ring to it.LOL

[bowhunterfrompast]

Beautiful risers    

Rick

[Wade Phillips]

John - I'm sure we will have a lot of fun in the future talking about the possibility of a trade for A-2038...

Since John Grumley passed away recently, the significance of this riser has greatly deepened to me personally. I really have no intention of trading it.