Hi, Mike! So glad to see your post on several levels. I still think very fondly of the day I spent with you guys last year, but in shifting stuff from my Ohio friend's computer back to my lap top back to my home computer, I lost your email. I'll be PM'ing you.
Beautiful bow, and a great story. You've got a lucky bow. That's James all over.
Last July I was at the Medical Lake shoot and I had my Berry Yahweh on my sale table. Guy walks up and asks what's the matter, didn't I like the bow? I explained that I loved the bow, it was one of two I had had, but due to medical problems I couldn't draw it any more. Guy says, "What can you draw?" I said, "about 35#", and he says, "Well, then that's what I'll build you."
Of course, it was James. I bought both of my Berry's used and had never contacted him. I knew he lived in WA but didn't know it was in Medical Lake. He built me a gorgeous 33# Viper. It's typically Berry beautiful and it's one of the fastest bows I've ever shot, hitting consistant high 180's shot through a chrono from my machine, and 150's hand released from my 25" draw.
While the bow was being built, I spent a lot of time on the phone with JD, and told him my tale of woe about trying to get a laminated version of the old York and Pearson wide limbed flat bows built. I'd had several built but they just weren't exactly what I was looking for. I mentioned that I had had the thought that maybe I'd have to learn to build them myself, but it was a pretty daunting prospect. His response, "If you've got some time, bring the bow you want copied out here. I'll build you a form and teach you how to lay up a bow and you can take it from there." I was at his place a couple of weeks later and came home with a double form for my style of bow and a Hill style, and a new wide limbed flatbow that had exactly the look I was after. We had to guess at several features and the layup formula, because he'd never done one quite like this before, but it all worked out.
I came home, equipped my shop, and have built two more flatbows and five Hill styles. I'm about to start work on grinding the lams for the next one. I'll never build bows like he does, but thanks to his generosity, I'm working in my shop again after an 8 year lapse and having more fun than I've had in years.
I'm looking forward to seeing James and shooting with him again at Medical Lake this year. He's one great guy.
Topic: Bowyer Teaches My Son a good lesson (Read 452 times)
