Favorite Longbow from the early years?

[flint kemper]

Ok by early years I am talking about the 80's or so give or take a few years. I know alot of bowyers have come and gone so for those of you that have been shooting along time what is or was your favorite longbows that we do not hear about anymore or are not being built now? Schulz,Kramer,Maulding(Bighorn),Oldtimer(Tom Cole),Thunderbird(RIP Dave Johnson),Jerry Hill, and a host of others that may not have been popular or well heard about. If you have pictures please post as well. Thanks for replies and Happy Holiday's Flint  :D

[SpankyNeal]

Flint I bet you can guess what mine are.    :D  

John Shultz
 
 

Pete George
 
 

Lot's of other really nice shooters, but so far these are my favorites! Happy Holiday's bud!

Regards...Ken    

[Irish Archer]

Nice bows Ken. What's that riser wood on the George?

[SCATTERSHOT]

Had some Elburgs over the years that were pretty nice bows.

[SpankyNeal]

Thanks Randy, the info I have is that it is a dark piece of Bocote. I've never seen another this dark before, but the grain patterns are similar.

[shick]

My favorite from the 80's and now is the early GFred Bighorn Ramhunter.  Plain Jane brown ramwood riser maple or red elm limb core under brown glass with sheephorn limbtips.  I still have my '88 and I judge all mild r/d longbows to the Ramhunter.  My Robertson Purist is there also.  Excellent shooters.
Shick

[Curtis Haden]

I can't quite hark back to the whole 80's stickbow thingy, but in 1991 -- IIRC, I bought a new Shawnee Traditions 64" 50@28 mild r/d longbow.  It had red elm limbs and a shedua handle.  It was a thing of simple beauty.  And although the mists of time have probably faded any negative memories, it seems to have a been a very smooth and quick bow.

Shawnee Traditions was a partnership between a couple of fellows from central(?) Illinois, but I can't recall their names.  Don't know if they had much of a following or not, but I REALLY wish I had that bow back.

[Don Batten]

My first trad bow was a Saxon straight limb longbow. shot a bunch of stuff with it. Got to meet and shoot some of Dave Guthrie's bows (Appalacian Archery) Real nice bows. and a great guy too. DB

[BOHO]

2 of my favorites were Lonetree from Ron Castoe and Fredericks longbow from Fritz Johnk I think was his last name. Those were the 2 biggest ones I wish I had kept.

[Kevin L.]

Appalachian Archery by Dave Guthrie. My first trad bow was a Middle Mountain Longbow that I got used from a friend. I still have it and hunt with it, plus I've added an Elk Mountain '50 style recurve and a 64" flatbow to the lineup. I'm still looking for a Savage River T/D recurve and a Little Laurel hybrid to finish out the set. Great bows that are great shooters.

[joe skipp]

Ron Maulding's Tamarack Longbow was a nice bow as was Dave Guthries Appalachian longbow.

[Kevin L.]

Yeah Joe, I picked up a Tamarack this summer. Very nice bow, shoots just like my Appy.

[dnovo]

I had a nice Skookum longbow from Fred Anderson that I constantly wish I had back. Fred made some outstanding bows

[tippit]

I started bow hunting in 1980.  My Dad was moving back to Wisconsin where his side of the family originated.  We decided to bow hunt with his brother & all my cousins.  I was pumped as I could really shoot my Darton compound    

My first bowhunting deer camp and my cousin invites a friend from college who shows up with a Dave Johnson longbow...Not the Thunderbird Dave Johnson.  Well I fell in love with longbows from that day on.

Right after that hunt I purchased my first longbow (a Tim Meigs longbow) from a guy who was just starting up a traditional business...Ron La Clair  

Long story short:

Probably 10-15 years later I bought a Dave Johnson longbow on flea bay.  The guy tells me he's so glad to see it go to another doctor as the owner was one of the original starting members of the Michigan traditional bowhunters.  Yep, it was indeed that fellows bow that got me into traditional archery so many years ago.  

Ed Sanifer was in optometry school at the time of our fist meeting and He was the one who inadvertently got me into traditional archery.  I still shoot and hunt that very special Dave Johnson bow...Doc

[centaur]

Heritage Archery, Rocky Miller out of Bozeman, Mt. I had a recurve and a longbow of his, which were both great shooters.

[Fletcher]

My Robertson Stykbows are probably still my favorites.  Others high up on the list inlcude Chuck Jones Okaw, Dave Johnson (Bethany, OK, like Tippit's; it's the bow in my avatar pic), John Schulz and Great Northern.

[LongStick64]

Never had one, but I've heard great things about Green Mountain longbows.

[SpankyNeal]

Great story Doc! My how things seem to work out sometimes.

Regards...Ken

[kbertsch]

my skookum long bows from fred anderson (all to heavy now )wish I would have ordered a lighter one before he retired. the elbergs  where good shooters to.

[ka]

Two Rocky Miller "Mountainbows" and a Fred Asbell Recurve.