A bow survey - sort of!

[BAK]

OK, I admit I'm a bit of a bowaholic, have dozens hanging on the wall.  All that being said this is a question about appearance.

As I said I love bows, and have even made a few over the years, and I still enjoy the "eye candy" that seems to be all the rage now.  Paper thin lamination's under clear glass to give the limbs that unique beauty.  Risers and limb tips  all swirled and glued and tricked out to catch your eye..

I have come to the point where what I really am looking for in a bow is what it can do. Perform, perform, perform.  As a mater of fact my latest order is for one that has black glass limbs, with a black phenolic riser.  No bells, no whistles, no gaudy nick knacks, just a bow that does what a bow does best.

Just think about it, no worries about little scratches or dings, no babying, just a great tool.  And think how much easier for the bowyer to put it together.

Am I alone here or has anyone else become "Utilitarian"?

[fujimo]

i do love a utilitarian bow, we hunt in thick underbrush in a rainforest- it always rains- just the angle changes, and the rocks and stumps are wet, mossy, slimy and slippery. My go to bow is a kenny M longbow - pretty plain yew under clear glass with a straight osage riser- nothing fancy.
it shoots where i want and puts a lot of meat on the table- - (we get 15 tags a year )
But i dio have to say, i really do love the look of a pretty bow too- and maybe, just maybe one day i may get one of Randy's bows- just to have one- i have watched him grow as a bowyer right from the beginning here on the bench- and he is truly an accomplished bowyer today.

[David Mitchell]

You certainly are not alone.  Several months ago I started on Jim Casto's target panic program and needed a light draw weight to begin.  So I ordered a Galaxy Ember TD longbow from Lancaster Archery--a tad under $200.  I fell in love with that bow--it fits my hand better than any I have ever owned including many much more expensive customs.  It has a riser made from something like dymondwood that has a nice gray color (sort of a greenish tint in the right light), limbs are bamboo cored, black glass and very flat finish.  Those bows have been getting a lot of love on here and other sites recently and with good cause.  I now have two of them and three sets of limbs--all for less than the usual going price of a custom.  I plan to check out Lancaster's Galaxy Black Ridge 70" longbow at Baltimore next week.

I have had my share of eye candy bows and have enjoyed them, but at this stage of my life (75 years old) I have reverted to the look of the bows of yesteryear when we didn't care so much about fancy imported rain forest woods and swirls and gewgaws and that are more affordable on a retirement income.  In fact, many of us used to immediately spray paint a new bow.  I guess it's maybe one of the many phases some of us go through on this marvelous journey.  Sort of a back to basics thing.

[Sam McMichael]

A bow can be both eye candy and perform extremely well. Most Hill style bows that I have seen have been very attractive but, as a whole, are more simple than some of the recurves I've seen. However, there is a special beauty to a simple, well made bow that really speaks to me. Some of the longbow veneers are truly attractive as well.

[Yooper-traveler]

I have a WF19 ILF riser.  Best ILF I've owned (yet ).  It's beat up looking and has paint chips.  I can shoot lights out with it (and cheap to not so cheap curve limbs).  I don't worry about it in the least as it's a tank.  If needed, it's mass weight is useful for a variety of things- Boat anchor, chock-block, bludgeoning wounded game, fighting my way out of a biker bar etc... 

But, when I'm in a tree, or on the ground it's nice to hold a piece of beautiful wood.  Antler bolts, bone on the riser and tips, exotic woods.... You can't beat it.

So, while I do shoot/hunt with performance bows, my heart makes me hunt with beauty also.

[Wudstix]

You can see at the bottom of my post what I like.  Functional beauty, power and a bit of speed.  Heavy arrows that don't slow down for much!!!

[Pat B]

I find it odd that when folks show off their bows all they show is the wood and woodwork in the handle area, the limb surface and the tip overlays. Why not show the unbraced profile, the braced profile and full draw, the real workings of the bow. This also gives a view or the potential performance.   

[Fletcher]

Yeah, me too!  Wanting a Toelke Pika, if i have to order it, it will have plain riser and brown glass.

[M60gunner]

I have one “pretty” bow that I shoot now and agian. But my other bows are basic store bought bows like my Bear TD and SK. Fact is I may take a look at one of the SK blems Big Jim has if its still available when we pass by his place next month. This AM at range go to fondle one of those China imports, $179, shipped for the riser. It fit my hand perfect, nice work, no fancy finish but looks right. My thoughts are so what if I drop it? No biggy.

[Friend]

I have said to myself, for years, that functionality is my only objective. My resistance hasn't been so strong.

[GCook]

That's why I just got my bow from Randy dipped instead of nice laminates and overlays.  Dirt and scuffs are hid well and it doesn't stand out in he stand.  It does stand out in performance in my hand however.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[BAK]

I have a custom made bow hanging on my wall that I've only shot twice.  It does shoot like a dream, and was made for me by an old bowyer friend as his last effort.  It is beautiful, has a highly polished finish, and can never be replaced.  I am deathly afraid of getting a mark on it hence it is pure art work now.

[Daniel G. Banting]

An interesting "survey". I expect the question will attract a broad spectrum of thoughts and perspectives in response.

Me, I've spent my life immersed in the shooting sports, Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun and my first and last love archery/bowhunting. My point of view is as a result all of my experiences not just those specifically archery related.

As with many of you my first bows were spray painted but as utiltarian as that may have been in concept, I noticed that on the first bow that I actualy took the time and did up in a snake skin pattern many of the members of my club were asking if I would either show them how to do it or do it for them. So I do believe that for even those who claim to be of the opinion "plain and simple" says it best might not be entirely honest with themselves. With that said one of my best friends and the best bowhunter I know bought a pair of "Hokoleska" bows from Jim Emmerson years ago. They have remained his goto bows for all of those years. He is a true minamilist.

Me, I appreciate the concept and will point out that when I bought my Black Widow MA when they first came out many years ago it got spray painted and stayed that way for the 20 plus years I shot and hunted with it. Then it broke!!

When it broke, I had met Ken R and asked him to make me a bow to replace it. Although Ken is no longer making bows he produced some of the most efficient best looking bows available. As I recall the difference between his plain jane bow and one where I got to pick the woods was about $250 at the time. I now own a bow that is one of the most beautiful performance bows I have ever seen. It also gave an extremely talented artisan the opportunity to showcase his abilities not only from a performance aspect but from an astetic view as well. I considered the addition of well figured beautiful wood as one of the best values I have ever purchased. I know that not everyone can justify fancy wood but to my way of thinking by comparison to many other sporting pursuits "custom hand crafted bows" are incredibley cheap. think about it; Golf clubs 2-3 grand, Hockey sticks 3 Hundred dollars!, the made in China hi tech clothing we opt for, $600 for a pair of Russell boots. You might even look at the price of a dozen arrows by comparison and if they happen to have broadheads on them, check your bank balance.

I don't buy a new bow very often and most are owned for decades or until they break but by virtue of the fact that they remain such a small premium to plain and simple, give me the high powered exquisite, Thank You.

Regards to all,
dgb

[Todd Cook]

While I appreciate the beauty of exotic woods and such, most of mine are black or brown glass. To me a perfect bow has a grip that fits, wears a bow quiver, is about 64" long, has a dull finish, and puts arrows in the middle of the lungs every time. Good enough for me.

[pavan]

A plain change Big5 that i picked up cheap reminds me of this.  It was too light and too long for my draw, so I gave it to a taller newbie.  It is magic for him.  Every time he kills another deer or any other game, it gets more beautiful to him.  He bought a new bow for a back-up, but when he refers to "my bow" he is talking about that 40 year old big 5.

[MnFn]

Like many of you, I have owned a few pretty ones.  Most have been sold in search of the perfect bow.  One of the bows I liked the best was also the prettiest in my estimation. I would like that one back, but won’t pay what the current owner wants for it.

For some reason the Hill style bows keep drawing me to them, I have a JD Berry Morning Star that I painted- it was red glass on the back. I really like that one when I am shooting well, and a Liberty Contender, and a Helms Deep, and a Tall Tines...just love bows, I guess. But they have to perform. Mostly in low to mid fifty pounds.

[TDHunter]

This would include anyone with a Samick Sage, Black Hunter or ILF set up. I would include myself as I have a few ILF rigs none of which I consider pretty. How a bow shoots is and will always be number one for me. But in saying that, like many have mentioned, I'm always looking for that perfect feeling bow.
Honestly my search is over, the Toelke Whistler is my perfect bow and it happens to be gorgeous but more importantly is quick, ridiculously smooth, an absolute joy to shoot.

[blacktailbob]

  Being an artist and sculptor myself I fully understand the "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". That said I love pretty wood grains in my bows and dug deep to buy a custom made functional work of art. AND it does shoot for me.

  Over a period of five years it'll work out to be less than a dollar a day to own. Besides the bowyers who make all these gorgeous bows built them to be hunted and hunted hard.

   I have pretty paintings on my walls ( some I painted, some others ) and that's where they were designed to hang. Not my bows though.

My Sitka is pretty, natually camouflaged and shoots great. The group was 20 yards.

[JohnV]

To me, a bow is a tool designed to do a specific job.  That said, I like a tool that looks nice in addition to being functional.

[acedoc]

I am tough on gear and all of mine collects dings and dents. That makes all of mine dipped or black utilitarian bows.