"Wolf Archery" bows (decent?)

[M_Kanzler]

Let me start with - I'm new here & don't know where else to ask this.

I saw a bow on ****... after some research I figured out it's most likely
bought unfinished from a small company (one guy?) named "Wolf Archery"
It's reasonably priced, but I want to make sure it would at least be usable.

In the **** sellers reviews, people seem happy with them most of the time.
One buyer commented that it needed a few finishing touches
(like fine tuning the shape of the string notches at the ends of the limbs).
I could easily rework the notches and the arrow rest using pictures of
what they are supposed to look like.

So... has anyone here heard anything about Wolf Archery?

The one I'm looking at is described as "BACK PLATED Walnut Cherry Striped
Wolf hickory long bow
with a cherry walnut grip"

I would post a link to Wolf Archery, but don't want to violate forum rules.
Here is a picture:

   

[John Scifres]

No firsthand knowledge so take this for what it's worth.

Is this the maker of the blanks, ie. Wolf Archery?  They look decent but are a little high for a second string wood bow blank.

Or is someone who bought and finished them and is now selling them?  I'd steer away from that.

[ChristopherO]

I have an older Lone Wolf Archery supply cataloge out of Illinois that sells R/D longbows but am not sure if this is the same company you are referring to.  It is is they sold in 2007 for about $550.

[M_Kanzler]

It's a guy selling them at auction.

I don't know if he is buying them wholesale already finished, buying unfinished & finishing then selling, or may even be the same person as the maker of the bows with a different ID (He lives in the same town as the builder... Russellville, Alabama).

There's another seller on the auction site who goes by Coyote Archery selling them too... also from the same town.

I'm quite sure these are not of the quality Lone Wolf is... but for about $85 incl shipping it might be worth buying to play around with.

BTW, I also know of a local classified ad selling a Hickory & Bamboo bow with one limb failing - for only $20. I considered buying it and trying to repair it. It has a weak section in the lower limb... I think I could impregnate the wood using CPES to restore the strength & structural integrity. If not, for $20 I could hang it an the wall. The bow case (cloth sleeve) is almost worth that much.

[John Scifres]

$85 is a good price.  You really can't lose if it's a shooter.

Buy the $20 bow and post some pics here.  We'll help you fix it.

[horseapple]

Sounds like the bows Jim Taylor used to build and sell.

[M_Kanzler]

If I post a link to Wolf Archery, will I get into trouble for linking
to a competitor of the sponsors?
I doubt most of the people here would be interested in bows
as primitive as they are, but I don't want to violate forum rules.

The proprietor's name is Keith Latham, BTW

I'll see if I am still in the hunt for the auction.

The $20 bow is about an hour and a half from here.
I'll be heading
within half an hour of there on Tuesday, and might go look
at it if the seller still has it.

[M_Kanzler]

Well, I won the auction. With shipping it cost me $87.99. It's 72" long, 40 Lb at 28" draw.

I'll post some pictures when it arrives to find out what y'all think I should do to fine tune things like the shape of the arrow rest and the grooves at the ends of the limbs for the string.

Don't tell my wife... now I need to find some traditional looking arrows (Aluminium or CF with woodgrain so I can do my own cresting & vintage looking feathers).

I already said I'd let her put ceramic tile in the bathrooms in exchange for letting me buy the bow (She got 2 tile saws for her birthday because they were on clearance). I don't want her to do too many projects at once!

[M_Kanzler]

Well, I think I have my answer about the quality of Wolf Archery (Russelville, AL) bows:

 http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=003986