Hello Ian -
Congratulations on acquiring one of the finest shooting traditional "D" shaped longbows ever made. The "FORWARD" (Jeff says forward is the correct term because the riser or handle is forward of the limbs and not reversed on the limbs) design was the first that Jeff Massie made. I bought my first one from Jeff (actually two)forward handle bows in April 1992. The forward handle design seems to make the bow get on target quicker and gives it a slight overdraw effect. The Black Widow bows with their limbs attached to back side of the riser gives the same over draw effect only to a much greater degree than the forward handle longbow.
Jeff always made his limb tips very trim and delicate looking but they were also "bombproof" as he always used and recommended any of the high performance strings on his bows.Can you advise what woods are in the bow, any pics and what are the specs?
BTW there is a preferred way to grip Jeff's forward handle bows. Don't get a death grip on the handle when you shoot. Instead, let the heel of your hand rest on the grip; curl your fingers around the side on the handle and just let the pads of your finger tips lightly touch the laces on the back of the bow. This allows the bow free movement when you release the arrow. Try it a few times and if you have trouble, send me a PM and I'll call you. You've got a great bow there.
Take care,
Danny