Bear Grizzly Identification Guide 1949-1969

[johnnyrazorhead]

Here's an oddball '58 Kodiak I thought I would show y'all.Not sure if I should post it on this thread about the tennis wrapped grip or the odd length thread of the 64" 1959 Grizzly.Got this bow awhile ago,turns out it's a 1958 Kodiak with a tennis wrapped grip and in the odd length(for a '58 Kodiak)of 62".I showed it with another '58 Kodiak I got years ago.It's a 56" Kodiak that I got from a former employee of Bear.It originally had the same type tennis wrap grip on it when I got it but I sold it and eventually got it back.The guy I sold it to took off the tennis grip and found a quiver insert underneath.He re-wrapped it more like most Kodiaks are found with a single,large piece of leather wrapped around the grip.Notice too that both these bows are missing the dark laminate stripe on both sides of the riser that is usually found on most all other '58 Kodiaks I have seen.I don't have one to show,maybe someone else does.Just some more oddball bows from Grayling.
 
   
   

[450 marlin]

1963 Dogleg Grizzly's
 
 
 
 

[seboomook]

Love that bubinga sight window !

[4runr]

Is there a chance that a '60 would have the 2 chevrons. I just recieved what I was told was a '60, with glass tips and 2 chevron riser.

Do I now have 2 '59's?      

[sticshooter]

come on kenny no pics?    <><

[Wade Phillips]

Kenny - My guess is that you have two 1959s. The riser shape, laminations and wood type should be used to age bows, rather then the easily changed cosmetic features such as coins, silk screens, tip overlays, etc,

In addition to the 1959 having two chevrons vs only one chevron for the 1960..., the 1959 Grizzly usually has a thin grip. The 1960 Grizzly usually has a noticeably fater grip, that almost feels like a tennis ball under the leather.

 

 

[4runr]

Thanks for your outstanding input Wade.
Here are some pics.
 
My '59 is the one with the quiver.
 
Heavier handle and riser on the ?'60.
 
Both are sweet shooting and very similar in cast. My '59 is 48@28 my ?60' is 43@28.

[Wade Phillips]

Kenny,

I would have to guess that your Grizzly with the fat grip is a transition from 1959 to the 1960 model.

We need to remember that there are many of these transition bows from many years, where some features from both years are present. All features did not just change at the same day, hour, minute and second on the assembly line. Sometimes, it was an evolution over several days or more.

As I have said before, the criteria that I use to establish a year is first and foremost the riser shape, simply put the riser shape can not change, but everything else can be changed.

If we use Riser Shape as the #1 determining factor, your Grizzly would be a 1960.

If you use a different criteria as the #1 determining factor in this example, you will have to always use that same criteria in every other example for every other bow.

Laminations or wood type would not be an accurate #1 criteria to determine the year for many Bear bows.

Perhaps someone else has thought out this process in more detail and has a more accurate method of assigning a year to bows, and in particular those that transition from one year to the next...

[4runr]

All makes sense to me Wade. I appreciate your input.

Makes the bow more collectable in my mind because it's unique.

[Wade Phillips]

Kenny - You could probably build a collection of well over a dozen different configurations and transitional variations of the 1959 and 1960 Grizzly bows.

Some guys like the standard Bear Kodiak or Grizzly bows, some guys like the unusual configurations, mistakes or transitional bows, I like them all.

[4runr]

Yep, the sickness has hit me too!

[BobT]

Originally posted by Wade Phillips:

The 1958 Grizzly on page 7 has a wedge sight window, but we accept the rounded sight window as being the "Typical" 1958 Grizzly.

While most are "Typical", at least one "Non-Typical" was made and featured in the 1958 Catalog...

If anyone has a "Non-Typical" 1958 Grizzly as shown in the 1958 Catalog, please post photographs of it both un-strung and strung...

Here you go Wade,

My '58 is identical to the one in the catalog.

       

   

     

     

Sorry, I got in on this one a little late!

[Wade Phillips]

Bob - Nice Grizzly, the first model of the 1958. Thanks for posting the photographs.

We'll call it Gray Glass, Wedge Sight Window.

Will add your last photograph to the first page when we get a good shot of the second 1958 Grizzly with the rounded sight window... The text for both had been added to the first page...

[BobT]

Thanks Wade,

The glass is actually green, it only looks gray due to my poor photography!

It is really a nice little bow, the grip and strike plate show some age but otherwise it's pretty much mint and a great shooter.

[Jeremy]

Bob, now that's something I didn't think I'd get to see!  It does look like it's the standard gray glass though.  The yellowing in the finish makes it look green

[d. ward]

gray and yellow = light green.My next mission will be to make a take down from the 1958 Grizzly cool bows great shooters.bd

[BobT]

Jeremy,
 I'll try to get some better pictures, I hadn't thought about the gray + yellow thing I will have to look a little closer though.

bowdoc,
 That sounds like something I need, a '58 Grizzly take down. I do think I'll keep this one as is though. If I can find another one that needs a face lift hmmm...

[Cody Roiter]

BobT, Nice looking 1958 Grizzly.

[Wade Phillips]

Just added this very poor composite photograph  to the first page with the text explanations of characteristics for each of these years... a work in progress...

   

[cacciatore]

Very istructional,so how must be, a 57 Grizzly string, long?£" less like in a longbow or 4" like a recurve?