Griffin verses Shrew handle..is there a difference?

[L. E. Carroll]

Well, since my last post here I have sold my last Super Shrew [one that John made] so that I could pick up a Griffin 59'r to and to my 1 piece and 2 piece bows.  I just can't seem to get enough of them.  Carried my 1 piece 21 days elk hunting and had no desire to pick up any of the many customs I have.

 
Gene

[Lost Creek Bows]

funny one.

[tippit]

They are so close you can close your eyes and shoot...usually you'll even hit with eyes closed     Both John & Greg are superb bowyers so you can't go wrong...that is if you can get one!  Doc

[buckster]

I'm in line for a bow bolt Griffin some time in 2010.  But, I am thinking about switching it to more of a recurve style, something that might be close to the Li'l Favorite.

In line with previous conversations on this thread; can anyone comment on whether or no John is making anything close to the Li'l Favorite by Shrew??

I find that I just seem to shoot my recurves better,for the most part.  Thanks for your thoughts and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

[Ragnarok Forge]

Ron designed them, John made them and now makes the same bow with minor differences under his own name.  Seems to me like trying to judge between the two types of bows would be tough.  As usual it seems to come down to personal preference.  

I have a solution to finding the answer which is the better bow.  Send me all your shrews and McCullough's and I will perform a non biased test run of each against the other for accuracy, finish, speed, etc...  It should take about a year.  I will make sure to post kill picks with the various bows as well.  I will make sure to post a scientific report here at the end of the year and the issue will be settled.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Buckster, if you want a Li'l Favorite, call Ron. That model is my absolute favorite bow, ever.

[vermonster13]

Both are excellent bows with great bowyers building them. Ron has sponsored here since the beginning which helps make it possible for you to ask that question here, that kind of thing always pushes me in a bowyers favor.    

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I bet the Shrew vs John McCullough comparison will cease soon. John hasn't made a Shrew bow for years. Ron's  bowyer, Trad Gang favorite Gregg Coffey has helped make the Shrew a better (not better quality wise...Johns bows are great, but better to MY hand)in my opinion.

Getting John to make a Li'l Favorite would be like calling some other random bowyer and asking them to build one. Doesn't make sense to me.

My McCullough made Shrew (we need to all keep in mind even those bows are Ron's design) was my first bow from Ron. It is and always will be one of my favorites. Quality is second to none.

But my Li'l Favorite (3rd season, I think) has changed my mindset from "which bow should I buy next" to "Lord I hope this bow never breaks". Not to sound corny, but it is the ONLY bow I ever thought about naming.    

[buckster]

Thanks gentlemen.  Since I'm already on John's list for a Griffin, I think that I may change it to a 59'r @60".

I also want to have Ron LaClair and his team make me a 54" 2-piece Li'l Fav, perhaps the Bumblebee version.  This should cover my bases.    
 
BTW, Roger I don't think naming your Li'l Favorite is "corny", I actually think that is kinda cool, since it denotes a special connection that you have with that particular bow, that you don't feel with any of your other one's.  You may have to get yourself another Li'l Favorite as a back-up huh?

I am fixing to give Mr. Laclair a call this morning to explore this a bit further.

[Builder]

After owning a lot of bows, my Griffin is my favorite bow of all time. I suspect if and when I purchase a Shrew it will be tied for my all time favorite bow.
I really enjoy Ron's post, especially of the good ol days.
Thanks Ron for a great design.

[joe ashton]

I don'tknow how you could get any better than a SHREW...my $.02

[Stealth Man]

Is there a web site for Griffin bows?  I cannot find one

[Ron LaClair]

I knew John long before he started making Shrews bows for me. It was because of our friendship that he agreed to make them. John was making Nels  Grumley replica bows at the time and his work was outstanding. When I showed him my design for the Super Shrew he was excited and up for the challenge of making a glass laminated bow.

After a few years of making Shrews, he wanted to make a line of bows for himself. When I saw the first Griffen I said to him, "it looks like a Super Shrew, why don't you design another bow that doesn't look like a Shrew?" To which John said, "because THIS is the best design."

John's 59'er recurve is his version of a bow he made for me for awhile that I called  the "Grayling Spirit" We used my own 1959 Bear Kodiak to copy and make the form. It is a good shooting recurve but I dropped it from my line after a few years.

When Gregg Coffey came on board and started working on the Shrews, John gave him a lot of help and advice. I was a hard Task Master and I'm sure Gregg got tired of hearing my criticism but he being the craftsman that he is was turning out excellent bows in a very short time.

When John wanted to stop making the Shrews I was sorry to see him leave but we have remained good friends and John is now working at his own pace without me pestering him to keep busy...   :D

Because our handles are formed by hand and not machined they may vary slightly from bow to bow. Although I designed the ergonomic grip on the Shrew bows, there is a slight difference between the Shrew's and the Griffens. Is one better than the other? No!...it's like comparing a Rembrandt to a Picasso...  

Since Gregg has become the #1 Shrew Bowyer we have added more Models to our line, The Shrew Scout recurve in 58 and 60" and the Lil' Favorite RC in 54 and 56". The Shrew Classic Hunter in 52,54, and 56" lengths has been a big success and we are now working on the new Shrew Model-T which will be available in 62,64, and 66" lengths.

I hope I've helped answer the questions that some may have about the differences between the Griffens and the Shrews.

[TNstickn]

   

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Thats what you call "straight from the horses mouth"!!