Buying a Black Widow Greybark 1 piece Recurve.....

[highpoint forge]

62# @28 60AMO & the seller says the only markings on the limbs say Greybark GB60 and the original owner's name.

From the photos I cannot tell if the riser profile indicates a model or style denoting age. My father's BW bows are 1987-2002 in production and the older riser had a rounded profile above and below the handle i notice, as opposed to the 1 piece bows on the BW website featuring sharper profiles.

Short of calling BW, does anyone have some guidance for me and better questions I can ask the seller?

[Scott J. Williams]

I think you will find that this bow is a cut above.  I have a BW recurve and two long bows.

I would ask the seller for the serial number, then I would call Black Widow, they will give you the history on the bow.  

You know things like , the year, month it was built.  I have only two widows purchased from Widow.  The other, purchased on ****.  I checked with Widow when I obtained the serial number.  

Request additional photos of the bow, and stipulate which areas you want to be photographed.  I guess it is just the cop in me.....

[highpoint forge]

I am in accord with your observations. I asked for ALL the info on the limbs and all I was given was this by said seller.
The bow says:

"Gray Bark"- GB 60"-Handcrafted by Black Widow-USA-for Brandon J. Williams

Are they holding something back? I'll call BW since I have the guy;s name on it I guess...

[Big'n]

I'll just second what Scott told you. If you can get a serial# ,BW will tell you when it was made, if the limbs were reduced, and if any repairs were done by them.

You can't go wrong with a widow. They are the yard stick of traditional bows for a reason. Awesome customer service and an even better product.

I'm sure there are other bowyers as good but I've got no reason to go looking. I will caution you though, they are like potato chips...You can't have just one!  GOD Bless, DAVE

[highpoint forge]

BW says later 80s bow.

[buckracks7]

There should be a number on it, and you want to ask Black Widow if it can use high performance strings. There may be a number stamped at the top of the bottom limb, below the grip.

[Big'n]

I just talked to Roger at BW and he said the serial # is under the Shelf rest material on the GB 60. He said it is definitely one of their bows though. Hope this helps. Good Luck, DAVE

[highpoint forge]

Any risk of buying an older bow for me?

[Big'n]

I would find out whether it is fast flight compatible as suggested . Some of the widows from the early 80's and even into the 90's are going for more than they cost when they were new. I don't think your gonna get hurt on the deal depending on the condition of the bow. For one, it's a Black Widow and two, one piece bows are pretty popular right now with the intro of the new "PA" model. I don't know what he's asking but I'm sure you'll get your money back.

[highpoint forge]

FF compatible.....

[LV2HUNT]

I would keep a close eye on the price. Some of those bows on **** are not that great a bargain once people bid them up. You can often do better in the classifieds.

[Joey Ward]

My bow is almost identical. 62" 65#@28. Made in '89. It's the only bow I use. For everthing. Bowfishing included. I've never shot a better bow. I hope to spend another 30 years hunting with it.

Came with a FF string. I use a 450+ on it. The string is over 10 years old.    

I think I paid $380 new. Or maybe it was $340. I can't remember. I think I still have some of the old BW catalogs from those days.

May I ask the price they're asking?

[highpoint forge]

375 now.....i think its not that good of a deal considering 600+ gets me a new USED one, as LV2HUNT pointed out. I'm gonna pass this round.

[Labs4me]

Whatever you are buying that bow for, you can conservatively add another $3,500-$5,500 to the purchase price to determine the true cost of this investment. I know of very few people who have been able to own just one Widow. Most end up with several before they end up in rehab. Incidently, the dollar amount mentioned above is just to cover the cost of future Widows. The expense of attending rehab is not reflected in that amount.