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Author Topic: Early Bear Polar Identification Guide 1950-1961  (Read 3132 times)

Offline Jeremy

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Early Bear Polar Identification Guide 1950-1961
« on: October 13, 2009, 11:14:00 AM »
The Polar was introduced in 1950 as a 62" sinple reflexed longbow with the woven glass and the aluminum lam.  Wedged leather shelf with a straight grip.

1951 - 62" bow with unidirectional blond glass and the aluminum lam, though that was stopped mid-year like the rest of the Bear line-up.  Same wedged leather shelf and straight grip.

1952 - Length increased to 64" with blond fiberglass front and back.  Same wedged shelf and straight grip.

1953 - 64" red glass, single cut in shelf with a saddle grip.

1954 - 64" and 68", red glass, dual shelves on a saddle grip.  This is the last year the Polar was a simple reflexed longbow.

I got this pic from Wade to show the glass colors.  Thanks Wade!
   

1955 - 64" 'semi-recurve' with brick red glass and dual shelves

1956 - 64" 'semi-recurve with the same brick red glass and dual shelves.  For most of the year, there were single white tip overlays and the riser was trimmed like the Kodiak and KSpecials, though none of the catalogs I've seen show this.  The '56 I've seen with a plain maple riser, no overlays and silkscreens may have been made in late '55 or early '56, but I've only seen one like that so far.

1957 - 64" semi-recurve, red glass, single shelf and white tip overlays.  There's an additional 1/2" of net reflex in this bow vs. the '56.  I have seen pics of a '57 with the riser trimmed like the Kodiaks (if you have one, shoot me a PM       :)      ) but the standard '57 just had a plain maple riser.

1958 - 64" semi-recurve, red glass, single shelf and white tip overlays.  Telling the difference between the '58 and the '57 is tough.  There's a full inch less net reflex than in the '57 and the sow belly riser is a little more pronounced.  I've seen one '58 with the rounded sight window, but most still have the scalloped window.  I haven't found a transitional Polar yet (sowbelly with the greater reflex of the '57) but I've only had my hands on a dozen '57-58 Polars at this point.

1959-60 - 64" recurve (though just barely), red glass, single shelf and deflexed I-beam riser.  Gorgeous bow and in the running of my favorite Bear.
From left to right, 1954-'59
     
As I said, the riser difference between the '57 and '58 is subtle, but easy to see when you have them on top of one another.

     

And here are the limb profiles
     

There is little difference in the '55 and '56 profile, but I hope the pic shows the differences between those and the '57 and '58 well enough.
 
And the tips (right to left this time)
     

The 1961 Polar started off as 64" with white glass and just a tad more recurve in the limbs than the '59.  At some point in the year Bear switched it over to 66" with more of a working recurve.

I have a small rack of '57 Polars left from figuring this stuff out and a few more on the way.  Some of those will be moving off the rack, but one of my personal bows will be getting new tip overlays and a low-stretch string       :)        They are a completely different bow set up that way       :D
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Offline jcar315

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Re: Early Bear Polar Identification Guide 1950-1961
« Reply #1 on: October 13, 2009, 11:36:00 AM »
Very nice to be able to compare them one next to another. Really like the looks of the 59' too.
Proud Dad to two awesome Kids and a very passionate pig hunter.

Right handed but left eye dominant.

Proud to be a Native TEXAN!!!!!

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Offline Wade Phillips

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Re: Early Bear Polar Identification Guide 1950-1961
« Reply #2 on: October 13, 2009, 01:14:00 PM »
Jeremy - Good job of identifying the Bear Polars. I don't collect Polars nor have I studied them much over the years, although I've had a few.

Most of the alum lam polars with woven glass that  I've seen, simply have the alum lam exposed on the belly with no wood lamination over the aluminum. This is unlike the alum lam Grizzly with woven glass, which usually has cherry or walnut over the alum lam and the Kodiak, which usually has maple over the alum lam.

Do your woven glass Polars have a wood over the aluminum lamination? There is always something to learn about Bear bows...

 
"Real Sportsmanship is Fair Play" - Art Young

"Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects." - Will Rogers

Offline d. ward

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Re: Early Bear Polar Identification Guide 1950-1961
« Reply #3 on: October 13, 2009, 01:22:00 PM »
OUTSTANDING JOB.bd

Offline Jeremy

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Re: Early Bear Polar Identification Guide 1950-1961
« Reply #4 on: October 13, 2009, 01:38:00 PM »
Wade, I knew I forgot to add something!  The ones I've seen just had the aluminum lam on the belly like in your pic.   I haven't seen any with a veneer over the alum - have you??
I don't own any of them; I started off collecting by telling myself if I wasn't going to hunt with it I didn't want it in the house!
>>>-TGMM Family Of The Bow-->
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"Death is not the greatest loss in life.  The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live." - Norman Cousins

Offline Wade Phillips

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Re: Early Bear Polar Identification Guide 1950-1961
« Reply #5 on: October 13, 2009, 03:53:00 PM »
Jeremy - I have seen one Polar with wood over the alum lam, but can not remember if it was a woven glass Polar or a blond glass.

Wise man to only own bows that you shoot.

Let me know if you want me to make you up a replacement for the first photograph in the thread... so it would be just for Polars. I think I still have the unmolested original and can just add different text unique to the Polar.  It wouldn't take long to make it up.
"Real Sportsmanship is Fair Play" - Art Young

"Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects." - Will Rogers

Offline Jeremy

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Re: Early Bear Polar Identification Guide 1950-1961
« Reply #6 on: October 13, 2009, 04:01:00 PM »
Wade, if you have the time and inclination that'd be great!  Thanks!
>>>-TGMM Family Of The Bow-->
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"Death is not the greatest loss in life.  The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live." - Norman Cousins

Offline Wade Phillips

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Re: Early Bear Polar Identification Guide 1950-1961
« Reply #7 on: October 13, 2009, 04:39:00 PM »
Jeremy - She's looking good. Lots of great information in your text.

Just checked around and found three Polars 1950, 1952 and 1954. The 1954 is an odd duck with a rearwardly extended shelf. Bought it off of an auction some time back. Guy claimed it was factory. I'm certain I got taken, but a good lesson for all. Some sellers never let the truth get in the way of telling a good story in hopes of driving up the price of an item...

 
"Real Sportsmanship is Fair Play" - Art Young

"Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects." - Will Rogers

Offline Jeremy

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Re: Early Bear Polar Identification Guide 1950-1961
« Reply #8 on: October 13, 2009, 07:07:00 PM »
Thanks Wade!  Looks great.

Here's a nice pic of the 50# '59 Polar in the sun (my camera doesn't take pics inside too well)
 
>>>-TGMM Family Of The Bow-->
CT CE/FS Chief Instructor
"Death is not the greatest loss in life.  The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live." - Norman Cousins

Offline CrookedStick

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Re: Early Bear Polar Identification Guide 1950-1961
« Reply #9 on: October 13, 2009, 07:40:00 PM »
Well guys, I guess mine's a 1950? I think this is an example of the aluminum as a second laminate layer on the face of the bow rather than being the belly itself.

I'm obviously not an expert, but I didn't find a reference to anything other than this being a Polar.

The guy that I bought it from said he shot it for years until it delaminated, then the local archery dealer told him to epoxy it back together and keep shooting it...so he did!   :eek:  

The only real wall hanger I own.

Bernie

 

 

 

 

Offline CrookedStick

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Re: Early Bear Polar Identification Guide 1950-1961
« Reply #10 on: October 13, 2009, 07:43:00 PM »
By the way Jeremy, great job starting this thread.

Before ya know it we'll have the most detailed reference material available covering many of the Bear Archery lineup through the years!

Bernie

Offline Wade Phillips

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Re: Early Bear Polar Identification Guide 1950-1961
« Reply #11 on: October 13, 2009, 08:17:00 PM »
Bernie, Great photographs of the 1950 Polar! Glad you have one of those. The serial number is gone off that 1950 I have, so we can't really compare to see which was first...

Let me know if you want to trade some new unused Deadheads for that Polar...
"Real Sportsmanship is Fair Play" - Art Young

"Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects." - Will Rogers

Offline Wade Phillips

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Re: Early Bear Polar Identification Guide 1950-1961
« Reply #12 on: October 13, 2009, 09:05:00 PM »
Jeremy - Finally found the photograph of the Polar with wood over the alum lam... unfortunately I never took a shot of the back of the bow to tell if it had woven glass. But judging from the serial number,  P1710, it was made before Bernie's P2708, so would speculate that it has a woven glass back...

 
"Real Sportsmanship is Fair Play" - Art Young

"Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects." - Will Rogers

Offline Bjorn

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Re: Early Bear Polar Identification Guide 1950-1961
« Reply #13 on: October 14, 2009, 01:37:00 AM »
Nice work Jeremy!! Good to see someone seriously collecting something other than the obvious.

Offline Jeremy

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Re: Early Bear Polar Identification Guide 1950-1961
« Reply #14 on: October 14, 2009, 08:13:00 AM »
Nice wall hanger Bernie   :)  

I wonder at what point during the year Bear started putting the wood lam over the alum?  I've only seen a few of the 50's

Bjorn - the Polars are the only ones I can afford to collect!  The Kodiaks (you remember, the bows I said I wasn't going to collect) damn near broke me and have been slowly moving off my rack.  I'm still loving that '59 Grizz I bought from you!  I just finished redoing the tips and am replacing the strikeplate for this season (what did you glue that last one on with?!)

I'd love to see some pictures (OK, get my hands on) some of the transitional Polars.  The '57 with a trimmed riser is high up on that list.  Also the rounded sight window '58.  I need someone with one of those to either a. sell it to me  :)  or b. measure the amount of reflex to make sure it's the same as what I've described the '58 being.
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Offline Bjorn

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Re: Early Bear Polar Identification Guide 1950-1961
« Reply #15 on: October 14, 2009, 10:27:00 AM »
You have been shooting that Griz a lot!! Jeremy, when you have replaced the tips please post a pic. The strike plate was likely glued on with Barge cement.

Offline NJWoodsman

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Re: Early Bear Polar Identification Guide 1950-1961
« Reply #16 on: October 19, 2009, 01:33:00 PM »
Jeremy, nice collection. I usually just lurk here, but I have a 57-58 Polar, LH, 42# if you're interested. I replaced the leather grip, shelf, and wall. It has some stress cracks and is missing a tip overlay, but it shoots well. PM me, I'll send pics if you like.

Offline Jeremy

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Re: Early Bear Polar Identification Guide 1950-1961
« Reply #17 on: December 29, 2009, 09:12:00 PM »
ttt
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"Death is not the greatest loss in life.  The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live." - Norman Cousins

Offline Jeremy

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Re: Early Bear Polar Identification Guide 1950-1961
« Reply #18 on: December 29, 2009, 09:16:00 PM »
Since I first posted this I've seen/had my hands on a few more '57-58 Polars.  Of note, I've seen a lot more '58s with red and white tip overlays.  Most of them have had the rounded site window, but Wade has shown a few pics of scalloped windows.

Serial numbers are a good indicator too... from '55 to '57 the serial number started with "M"... everything I'd consider calling a '58 starts with an "N"
>>>-TGMM Family Of The Bow-->
CT CE/FS Chief Instructor
"Death is not the greatest loss in life.  The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live." - Norman Cousins

Offline Tdog

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Re: Early Bear Polar Identification Guide 1950-1961
« Reply #19 on: December 30, 2009, 06:25:00 AM »
Jeremy mine looks to be a 59.Which is really cool cause thats the year my parent got married. Thanks for all your help. Good job..She a really good shooter.

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