K-ZOO SHOW EYE OPENER!!

[barebow17]

I think what he was asking is. Two bows with the same design,same woods but one is priced 400 and the other is 900.And they both shot the same.Why the price difference. Its not a custom vs factory bow.

[kat]

As others have said, the price goes up as you pick your woods, accent stripes, and so on.
One thing that I take into consideration is how the bowyer/company stands behind their bows.  Customer service is worth a premium to me.

[FerretWYO]

Other have said it already and I will agree. DETAILS make a price worth paying. If you can hit the mark with you $450.00 bow then that is what you should shoot.

As kat said how they stand behind there work is worth a lot as well.

[amar911]

It is the same with many items including bows, arrows, quivers, guns, optics, tents, stereos, TVs, automobiles, and more items than I could ever list. Each product in a category does most of what you would need such an item to do. I can see out of a $200 pair of binoculars well enough to do most things, but I have paid $2000 for a great pair. What's the difference? I know the difference and to me it is worth paying far more, but I could have done about as well with the cheaper binoculars. Just about any car would get me from my house to work and back, so why would I pay tens of thousands of dollars more for a particular vehicle? I think we all know the answer to that. Same thing with a bow. There are very significant differences between most bows that cost $500 and those that cost double or triple that amount. I have found that the last 10% of benefits are usually more expensive than the first 90%, often by multiples. Only you can decide whether the cost is justified.

Some bows offer far more than what their price reflects. For example, I think Chad-Holm (Holm-Made bows) makes bows that are huge bargains for the money. I can't believe he can build such a nice bow and even make a profit. Most bowyers, even the ones selling their bows for the highest prices, are not making much in profit. The increased prices usually reflect more expensive materials, more labor, or higher equipment costs. All of the custom (or semi-custom) bows are bargains when you factor in what it takes to produce and market them.

The most expensive bow I own is the most beautiful, but it is not the one that I shoot the best. There are some people who think this make of bow is the best shooting one around. I wanted it because it looked the best to me, not because it shot the best for me, and I was willing to pay a lot to get it. Most of my bows are a combination of what I think shoots best and looks best. Those bows get expensive too.

Can a bow for under $500 satisfy a hard core hunter? Sure. If I had to hunt for the rest of my life with only a $450 Holm-Made Osprey, I would be happy. I know there are other bows out there that are huge bargains like the Holm-Made bows.

Allan

[PAPA BEAR]

YA GET WHAT YA PAY FOR  

[Orion]

To a new or average violinist, a fiddle looks and plays as well as a Stradivarius.  

[LimbLover]

Can a bow for under $500 satisfy a hard core hunter? Sure. If I had to hunt for the rest of my life with only a $450 Holm-Made Osprey, I would be happy. I know there are other bows out there that are huge bargains like the Holm-Made bows.

Well said. I feel the same about my Bamas. To say that you just get what you pay for is selling a lot of fellas short.

However, I also agree with T Folts and Orion. As you become more experienced and advance in skill your tastes change. You notice little things. I know I'm not anywhere near that point with archery yet. It took me at least 5 years of playing guitar to figure out what I preferred.

[NightHawk]

To many folks want to make it seem like some mystical thing.If the price of the bow dictated the preformance of the bow, then all the great shots would be shooting the highest priced bow on the market. That's the logic that is being thrown around here, even though it's far from the truth.

 Like I said shoot what makes you happy and what you can consistently hit with, if it's a 1500 dollar bow or a 150.00 bow doesn't matter. It's not the bow it's the shooter!!!

[Chris Shelton]

Originally posted by Orion:
To a new or average violinist, a fiddle looks and plays as well as a Stradivarius.      

bad example, I dont even know anyone that owns a stratavarious! lol, jk, actually a good example

[Dsturgisjr]

From what I hear, you aren't the only guy at Kzoo to experience STICKER SHOCK!  

[owlbait]

Yep, its the experience of the archer that makes one more likely to notice the subtle diffences between the bows, and they then decide if those differences equate to dollars and cents. I've been fortunate to travel with a bowyer to many shows, expos, rendevous, and gatherings and have shot thousands of different bows. I feel differences in bows. I look at how the bow is finished, and listen to how the bowyer treats his customers. Then I decide if it is worth the extra money or not. Two bows that are the same or close I might pay more just because the bowyer acts the way he does, and his reputation carries with the value of the bow.

[Gene Hall]

When I first got into trad equipment I was loaned a high dollar custom recurve to try.  I couldn't afford one then and shot the loaner for several months.  Then I purchased an inexpensive, but name brand production line recurve as my own.  The difference was amazing and immediately discernible.  Now I shoot custom bows made by true artists and craftsmen and I won't go back.  Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if the engineering skills of a traditional bowyer rival those that design all the contrivances that go into a compound device.  Takes a ton of ciphering to get the proper results for the individual's particular design.  Lot's of wasted time and material, too.  In my mind a custom bow from a reputable artisan is worth every penny.

[Flt Rck Shtr]

I'll have to agree 100% with Biggie's first post. Right on the money !!!

[todd smith]

It's OK...  Buy the one you like and be happy.  We all have a different shade of happy.  Some have a top-shelf happy index and some are just happy...

todd

[Burnsie]

I like Orion's violin analogy. And amar911 is right on the mark - you can make the same comparison with almost any piece of merchandise. Knives, custom pool cues, custom golf putters.  I have what I think is a nice hunting knife, it has gut many a deer, it holds a good edge and does what I need it to do. I suspect I'll have it until I loose it or die.  Would a high dollar Randall knife be any better for my use?  Probably not, I'm not into knives and the subtle differences in weight and balance and all the other custom features would be lost in my inexperienced hands. Someone into high quality custom knives would be able to see and feel the differences right away and be willing to pay it.  I can't be an aficionado in everything, I choose custom traditional bows.

[Mike Bolin]

Another point to consider is that some of the bowyers are rather new and somewhat unknow. Not saying that they don't make a high quality product, just that they are relativley new to the industry. If I am looking for a new recurve and Jim Bob Bows has their recurve for sale at $1000 and Bob Morrison and Black Widow are selling their bows for $1000, I am buyin' a Morrison or a Widow. Now once ole Jim Bob has made and sold a boxcar load of bows and his bows and customer service have been proven, I might consider a Jim Bob. Most anyone starting in business has to sell their product at an extremely competitive price to get their product "out there". Once it has proven itself and the orders begin to back up, the price will raise. My take on it anyway!!!! Mike

[doctari]

Now I'm new to all this trad stuff, but I just couldn't see the difference between a plain jane $900 bow and a $450.

Like you said your new to this. The range was only ten yards at the show.    

[gregg dudley]

The reason that bowyers consistently sell bows for $900, $1000, $1500 or more is because they can!  They have earned the right to do so.  Their product has earned s reputation as a solid performer, they back their product, they use quality materials, they have great resale value, etc.  

If you are starting out and can't justify the investment in a new custom bow, I would recommend that you buy a used custom.  You will get the noticeable performance improvement at the price you are looking for.  If you get a fair deal, you will probably get your money back if you choose to upgrade.

[patvro]

I think one of the biggest problems IMO is that alot of the bows at the show are just strung up and you go shoot some close to right arrows and it can be very misleading when you shoot a untuned bow with the wrong setup .I have over  the years learned how much better a bow can shoot tuned in right. I think with the right setup you would see a huge difference in preformance.

[Autumnarcher]

I remember wondering the same thing when I was new at this traditional archery thing. I was shooting a few different bows, still didnt know much about tuning and arrows, and thought, a bow is a bow is a bow.

That was until I shot my first custom longbow. I went to Kazoo and flung arrows out of a bunch of 'em. Most felt similar to my untrained hand, but I looked for the one that really fit my hand the way I liked. I also noticed that there was no hand shock, or vibration. The bowyer took the time to make sure the bow was set up right, and gave me some good arrows to shoot out of it.

I didnt buy one then, but bought one from him later that summer.

Bows are like wine. Sure, you can grab a couple bottles of Boones Farm, and get the desired results cheap enough, and may find you're perfectly happy with that. But then you may try some of that higher end wine up on the top shelf. Its smoother, pleasing to the palate, and you never look back at that Boones Farm the same.

Bow making, like good wine is an art. A finely honed craft. The name speaks for itself. The reputation, the look, feel and confidence.

Your question is a good one, one that many often wonder.