Bear Polar

[Bigjackfish]

I have a 1962 Polar ,excellent condition except the finish on the wood is crackled .Do you think I would hurt the value refinishing it.What would the value be approximately on the bow ,the glass is near perfect.

[Blackhawk]

In my opinion, you would most likely not hurt the value and would most likely increase the value.  This is not one of Bears more collectible models even though they perform well and those '62 Bears are some of the best they ever made.  

As to value, it's hard to say since there are just not enough of these models selling on a regular basis.  With that said, and if bow is right hand and in a good weight, my guess is $150-200.

[Larry m]

I've done some riser touch up on a few with Birchwood Casey True Oil. It could be a very light sanding and a few coats will work wonders!

[mangonboat]

I found the 62 Polar to be a fantastic shooter...great cast and best grip ever. The glass on that year seems to have held up much better than the 61. I sold my lefty  for $250,  the only bow I regret selling.  Seen them in hunting weights go for as low as $150, as high as  $425.
 

[damascusdave]

Once again the question of which bows Bear used the 3M Scotchply glass for in 1962 comes up...it is known that glass was used for the Kodiak and the Kodiak Magnum...it would seem reasonable it was used for all of the Bear models that year but is difficult to confirm

DDave

[D.Sheppard]

damn I love zebrawood

[rb61]

How does one differentiate a 1962 Polar from a 1961 Polar?
Are the grips different?
Thanks

[mangonboat]

The 62 Polar risers were all zebrawood, the 61's are all stained maple ( at least every one I've seen or seen photos of). The grips and risers between 61 and 62 are quite different and also very different from 62 to 63. The 62 Polar grip and riser geometry is very similar to the 62 Kodiak Special riser and grip. both have a somewhat rounded low pistol grip similar to the Howatt Hunter or  what Browning did years later with the Nomad II. On the 62 Polar and K Special  the more rounded back side  has a bulbous area created by another oval of fiberglass for the 3rd, 4th and 5th fingers to naturally curl over.  Look on the left side of this side-view.
 

Here is a link to photo of the same view of a 1961 Polar that is on the auctionsite.http://i.****img.com/00/s/MTYwMFg0NzE=/z/SF8AAOSwMmBVmsp1/$_57.JPG. I have seen nothing to support the description of a rosewood riser in the 1961 Polar.

[rb61]

Thanks for the detailed description regarding the differences in 61 -62  Polar grips. I look forward to trying a 62.


"The 62 Polar risers were all zebrawood, the 61's are all stained maple."

 The original advertising for the 1961 Polar states that it was made with Bubinga.

[mangonboat]

I guess the 61's could be bubinga. Very straight-grained bubinga.

[warpedarrow]

That fellow with the '61 listed has several bows listed.  He certainly needs to finds a different camera.  The photos remind me of color t.v.s of yesteryear when the kids had been adjusting the tint.  

I would appreciate seeing some good photographs of the '61 Polars, especially the glass colors if any of you have one.

[rb61]

I have been told that this is a 61 Polar.If you would like additional images, let me know.

Looks as if I should be using a gray card for exposures


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[warpedarrow]

Thanks RB.
That looks pretty much how I expected it to.  I have a '61 (I think) that has white glass.  I started a thread on here three or four months ago about the bow and my inability to put a definite year of manufacture on it.  I would like to have one with the ice blue or whatever they called that color.  Ever since I restored the Kodiak Special with the light green glass, I have had an interest in the oddball colors that were popular in the 1960s.  Not just on Bear bows but on furniture, appliances, sinks and tolets, etc.

[warpedarrow]

I went back and reread my post on Polars. It is truly amazing how quickly my mind dumps information.  Old age is setting in and it is not pretty.
I had forgotten that you posted pictures of your '61 in that thread R.B.  I had also forgotten what Wade said about my bow.  I think that the conversation got dropped as I was waiting for Wade to post photos and teach a lesson on semi recurve and full recurve bows.  Did I miss that lesson or do we need to nudge Wade a bit?

[rb61]

I don't know if it is possible to date some of these bows accurately.

Rick Rappe was pretty sure it was a 61.

On the other hand, I have heard that all 62 Polars were made with Zebrawood. In Rick's Vintage Bows-II, page 28, there is a Polar that is labeled as a 62 and it doesn't appear to resemble Zebrawood. It could be a typo  or a bow made during a transition period?