New Bear Archery Book

[Blackhawk]

Jorge,

Enjoying my copy a lot!

Now that the Bears are covered nicely, would you start your collection of Howatts?  That book is sorely needed as well.

[Wade Phillips]

Jorge -

Thanks so much for taking the time to write this book. I'm certain it will save us older Bear collectors countless hours of answering questions for years to come. As with everything, it is important that someone take the bull by the horns and write the initial book.

Having written 9 books about archery collectibles (not bows), I know first hand that regardless of how complete any book is about collectibles, there will always be something to add or change for the next edition.

It is always rewarding to finally have an edition finished. I have over 8,000 hours (4 man years) of work in one of my books. I'm certain that I never would have started it if I had known the project would have been that time consuming.

Hopefully your book will inspire some who have put together large groups of other manufacturers' bows, to write about their interests.

[Ardent Archer]

Hello Wade. What a great honor to hear from you!!
In the book when I wrote this (on page 19):

"There are several expert collectors out there that may fill in blanks more judiciously and present more detail about the chronological history and nuances of a particular bow model for which they have attained expertise and knowledge."

...I was thinking primarily of you, Bjorn, Gary Schoenberger (who started this thread) and other very knowledgable collectors.  Of course there are some mistakes and things to fix if I ever finds enough steam to do it.  The other thing is hoping to just break even on my expenses.

Mostly, I hope it is helpful to and fun for most folks sharing our passion as that is why I wrote it!

[Ardent Archer]

LOL, Lon...my expertise is more limited than you think! I do have another book idea lurking in my head but I'm gonna wait to recover my losses from this monster first.  

[Wade Phillips]

Jorge -

Your book should be a good seller for some time to come. You have the best archery topic of all. There might be about as much interest in vintage Bear bows as all other manufacturers' bows combined.

In my limited experience, writing books about archery collectibles has not a prolific way to make money. I started my first book 15 years ago when I retired, and just keep loosing money.

[Drywood]

I am so happy that you wrote the book,I haven't got it yet but I WILL SOON.I have been copying all the Numbers I see on line for 2 or 3 years . Only Grizzly,Kodiak,Polar and Cub(Alaskan) 1949 thru 1964.The numbers that I did not understand.
   I read all I could from Al Reader and Wade Phillips.Now I am going to get your book to help me.
I am looking forward to your input on 1960 to 1964 numbers.  Thanks.      

[Ardent Archer]

Howdy Drywood. I actually never focused on serial numbers of older vintage Bear bows much after I was told they would restart them every month at the factory and even Al Reader learned from interviewing Bear factory employees that they could not recall serial number system changes. I just focused on AMO length, riser material, medallion used, limb glass colors, handle overlay colors, limb tip colors and where applicable, the two-digit serial number prefix. I also looked at thousands and thousands of photos on the big auction site. Funny how "technology" helped me with learning about vintage traditional equipment! The book should help you narrow it down. Of course in consecutive years where there were no cosmetic changes  you can only narrow it down to a range of years. Thank you!

[Ardent Archer]

I hear you there Wade, I figured our relatively small community would limit sales of such a book. But of course I did not write it for the money  

[Wade Phillips]

Drywood -

I remember several years ago an experienced collector (not active now) told me he had the Bear serial numbers all figured out and could tell me the year of the bow just by the serial number.

I offered to have him come to my house and identify 10 Bear bows, just by the serial number and to bring $10,000 cash with him. For every bow he could date accurately from the serial number, I would give him $1,000 cash, and likewise for every bow he identified incorrectly, he would give me $1,000 cash.

He declined my offer using the excuse that he lived several hundred miles from me. I offered to send a taxi for him, because I knew his chances of correctly dating any of the bear bows was almost zero. He still declined, knowing he would never be able to identify the bows I selected. Simple put, there are lots of exceptions to most rules for using serial numbers to identify Bear bows.

For fun I gave him a couple of numbers for free. He missed both badly and was 10 years off on one.

If I remember correctly, at one point I identified 14 changes in Bear's serial number methodology. With all the changes and exceptions, the serial numbers are not 100% reliable.

[Ardent Archer]

That is one great story, Wade.  Who needs a lousy book when we have Wade around! I am burning my copy today. I would like to meet you some day, Wade and maybe have you sign my book as strange as that sounds.

[Wade Phillips]

Jorge -

Why don't you just come to Nebraska for a few days. After spending a couple of days here, we could drive out to Dick Mauch's place and you could get a signature in your book from the last surviving original Bear Archery Stockholder... It's probably the most historically significant Bear Archery Company related signature that there is left to get at this late date after the passing of the Golden Years of Archery.

[Ardent Archer]

Wade, what a kind offer! How could I turn that opportunity down...staying in the "Fred Bear room!"  To date, I only have met Frank Scott from the "great ones."  I possibly could have even met Fred Bear but was too shy as a boy to pursue it. Fred Bear is my top lifetime hero gong on 50 years now and he was larger than life to me. You'd think after 8 visits to the Fred Bear Museum between 1975 and about 1999 I'd get up the nerve to ask!

If I can come to Nebraska for a few days maybe this spring or early summer, a tour of the Antique Archery Arsenal would be more than enough.

Meeting Dick Mauch would be way over the top. I am actually featuring Dick Mauch in my next TANJ Magazine coming out this spring (will be posted on tradnj.com). I could  bring him a copy. I'll send you a private message...I really should do this for myself. Who cares about Ted Nugent...LOL!

[stagetek]

I'm almost halfway through mine. Great read.

[Ardent Archer]

Thank you stagetek! Glad you're enjoying it!

[Larry m]

OK, so mine arrived today!
Very nicely done. Laid out in a "chronological", easy to research, useful manner.
Certainly better then using the CD catalogs and poking around for additional info in order to dial in the year of production and history of a specific model.....
I think you'll have no problem getting your initial investment back and perhaps that new bow!!  

[Ardent Archer]

Thank you, that's great feedback Larry! I intended it to be the comprehensive one-stop, easy to use reference for all Bear trad bow dating.  Hope you enjoy using it frequently as your collection mushrooms  

[TonyW]

Got it today, been perusing for a few hours.

[Ardent Archer]

Fellow archers: I pasted an image here containing corrections to some errors in the book following another discussion thread. Most deal with issues around the use of Nickel-Silver coins in some high end bow models. Keep in mind I tried to generalize in the tables. The only error that really haunts me is the data for overlay color in the Kodiak magnum table for 1970 and 1971-72. These errors were commited by Page Design editors and I did not catch all of those. I suggest you print this out, cut it to 6"X9" size and slide it under the inside front cover for your reference.

Apologies for any confusion these errors may have caused.


 

[TonyW]

Using your book, I was checking out my first bow, a 1972 Super Grizzly (serial KD 3722 with a Canadian patent)
A couple of years ago I added another one, KD 9408 without the Canadian patent.
Both bows have the Victor logo, and I bought my bow in the fall of 1972.
So should we consider the Bear Super Grizzly as introduced in 1972 or 1973?
Makes me wonder if 3,722 were available in late 1972, or if the KD 3722 follows some other code. I also remember a bunch of gaudy Bear Futurewood "greenies" in the shop when I was picking out my blackened maple Super Grizzly. The red stripe sealed the deal, perhaps because my high school colors were black and red, our mascot was a Native American warrior, and Fred Bear just had to be more of an "Indian" than Ben Pearson or Montgomery Ward.

[Ardent Archer]

Hi TonyW, In 1973, Bear Archery first introduced the 58” Victor Super Grizzly in the Bear Archery Catalog. They do not apear in the 1972 catalog. The Futurewood handle came in random colors, but that amounted to three options: midnight black, forest green, and big sky blue. Since the factory production year ran from Sept. to Sept., so some were made between Sept. and Dec. 1972 and these will have the canadian patent. You are technically corect that it was "intordiuced in '72" but not in the catalog.

From the book on page 150:

"While by 1973, all Bear bows carried the US Patent logo on the lower limb face and the stabilizer bushing and button medallion were standard equipment, I have seen a Super Grizzly carrying a low serial number and Canadian patent,
which puts it into late-1972. This makes sense when one realizes that factory runs ran September to September."

I'm pretty sure I read that Fred's father had some native blood in him.