There were some great bowyers coming out in the 80's...Robertson, Schafer, Rocky Miller, Howard, Bighorn, Brackenbury, Fedora to name a few. Some bowyers were unheard or starting out like Kempf, Bruin, Guthrie etc....
Ken Beck of Black Widow did a tremendous job of marketing the BW line of bows. You couldn't open up a magazine cover or issue of PBS without seeing a full page Widow ad. They built a fine bow and stood behind it, and you didn't have to wait 6 months (back then).
They became the "Cadillac" of bows. Every bow seemed to be compared to them for looks and performance. Now, with all the excellent bowyers out there, the playing field is even when it comes to workmanship and performance. Their test drive program also helps in sales plus the short wait time.
Widow has a bunch of bows hanging on the wall waiting for a home...if the price is right. I firmly believe if you purchase a bow from a bowyer with a good reputation, you can't go wrong.