Louis Armbruster Zebra Longbow?

[Gil Verwey]

Does anyone have any information on the Zebra longbows and Louis Armbruster?

How do they compare to others such as a Hill longbow?

Do you know what models and limb laminations he used?

When did Louis stop making Longbows and how can you tell his original ones?

Thanks
Gil

[Orion]

Gil:  Louie's  longbows were definitely Hill style.  Had a fairly pronounced oval grip, a fair amount of setback and signature limb tip overlays.  Bottom limb tip was squared off, top was pointed.  Usually had some red and white micarta in them.  Find it hard to describe them, but I know them when I see them.  Very good quality bows. Certainly comparable to other Hills made back in the day and now. I believe Louie is still around, but stopped making bows about 15 years ago or so., maybe longer than that ago. Don't know what he used in the laminations, elm, I think, and maybe some bamboo, but I'm not sure on the latter.  Don't think he had a bunch of different models.  Most of his bows were in the 70-inch range give or take a couple of inches.  I'm still looking for one with my specs. You have your eye on one?

[Fletcher]

There is one hanging in my bow rack.  The Grevy was his top model.  It had different woods in the laminations.  Tom Mussatto knows them pretty well.

[Gil Verwey]

Jerry I have my eye on two right now. I am waiting for pictures and specs. What specs are you looking for? I will pass these on to you if I don't take them.  

Thanks Rick, I sure hope he used bamboo. That is my preference in a longbow. How is the hand shock and draw on your gravy?

When he stopped making them did someone else buy the company and keep it going?

Gil

We had several of Louis' bows and went to shoot with him a number of times.
Super Grevy was his top model and was made with purple heart lams. We still have one in use and it is a great bow, I personally have taken a number of deer with it.  Louis died of lymphoma last year I think in early august.

[2treks]

Orion and the others have it, I have a lefthanded Grevi in my hand right now that is a 70" and 72#@28
Dark grey glas with purple heart lams and shedua riser. TheBlack white and red tip overlays are shaped just as Orion decribed. Under one half inch at the tips and 1 1/8" at the fades.
They are a very cool looking bow.
My bow is used and for sale.

I looked for the thread on the passing of Louie but I can't find it.

CTT

[Orion]

Pavan:  I wasn't aware that Louie had passed.  Thanks for the information.

Gil:  Sent a pm. A fella by the name of Ducan (Dave may have been his first name) did take over Louie's business for a while.  Think he continued to build bows for a half-dozen years or so.  Don't know if he built them any differently.  Do know he made a take-down recurve with the takedown similar to that used in a Thunderhorn -- an s cut through the  grip area, which was bolted together from the sides.

[Ron LaClair]

I still have my Zebra longbow, 70" 83#@ 28". It was my target bow in 1980 when I won the Howard Hill shoot in Alabama.

Louie had his own idea how a Hill bow should be made and he wouldn't deviate from it. Louie would tell you If you didn't like it you could get a bow from someone else.

He was a character that was set in his ways. In 1980 he and his wife drove all the way to Illinois to the Archery Nationals. When they pulled in I told him to set up camp next to us. He said he wanted to walk around the dealer area first. He was back in less than 30min and said, "there's nothing here for me, I'm leaving" He got in his truck and drove away. I guess he didn't like all of the compound stuff that was there...        

Here's the purple heart Zebra in action at the HH shoot in Alabama in 1980 or 81. That's Bill Bagwell in the red T-shirt behind me and Dave Johnson is on the far left.    

   

[2treks]

Ron, The Grevi I have is a lefty that was bought at your shop many years ago,mid to late 80's I belive. The owner of the bow goes by the name Buck,and he bought the bow from you back then.
It has the word "Zepplin" on the side of the riser and the specs as well. No other makings.

CTT

[deaddoc4444]

NICE PIC      BILL Bagwell  Great Knife maker .  I took his broad-heads up to Canada with me for a Bear hunt in 1986 If I remember correctly .

[Gil Verwey]

Ron we are all telling our age here.

Maybe you should consider adding Longbow Magazine to your Shrew business. That used to be one of the only games in town back then in my area in regard to traditional archery.

It would be nice to see that magazine come back.

Gil

[Jack Shanks]

Louie's daughter posted on here or one of the other sites a year or two ago. She would enjoy hearing stories about her dad that anyone could share with her.

If I can only find that old thread there may be an Email address for her.

This is the only one I could find on Louie passing.

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=107351

[Barbara Madgett]

Thank you everyone for your kind condolences on the passing of my father Louie Armbruster.  He passed away on August 16, 2011 from lymphoma.  He fought it until the end.  He kept saying if only he could get back out in the woods to eat those weeds (like nettle tea) that he would never have gotten sick.  But at 86, that was not an option.  I love reading the stories on here about him.  To know whether or not you have an original Louie Armbruster Zebra Longbow, he signed each bow.  Someone mentioned Zepplin?  That may be a Doug Duncan bow?  I believe it was 1992 when my dad retired and Duncan purchased the business.  I'm so happy to hear that my dad's bows are treasured.  Thank you everyone!

[Gil Verwey]

I am going to pass on these two bows. I am partial to bamboo limbs in my longbows. If anyone is interested in Louis Armbruster longbows, PM me I will give you the email address of the seller.

Barbara my deepest sympathies in regard to the passing of your father.

Gil

Once when we were sipping nettle tea, Louis showed me how he sharpened his Zwickey broadheads.  He sharpened them much like one would expect on the right hand side and then he took the flat narrow side of the file with the file reversed and pulled a nasty ragged burr on the other side. I used that method for years and never lost a deer that I hit with his filing method.

[arrow flynn]

Iv got an armbruster 68 at28 the warrior model has mussatos name on it.with a heavy enough arrow it had that thump not bad at all.too heavy for me now.plus I shoot lefty now and much lighter bows

[Tom Mussatto]

That's a heck of a bow. Got to be too heavy for me too. Was the second all osage bow Louis made (at least that he sold). I thing Harry Elburg got the first one. I thought it was the "War Eagle" model.

The Grevys were made with 5 lams, 3 maple, 1 purple heart, and 1 bubinga.

The bow I always Louis to let go of was an 85 pound all ironwood lamination bow.  He said he wanted to test it for a year first and if worked out, he would take my Shulz Hunter in trade for one.  I moved out of the area before I could wrangle that deal, I would have done it, I really liked how that ironwood shot.

[mlmealey]

Louie was a GREAT guy when he lived in Bluegrass Iowa back in the late 70's early 80's i would drive over from Des Moines to his house and we would shoot. Louie loved the long shots, he would always have a rolled up stocking hat on and his pant legs rolled up a bit with a big bite of plow boy in his mouth. My friends and i had over 15 of Louies bows at one time. Those were awesome times. Rest in peace my friend.

[arrow flynn]

I checked it again tom it is the war eagle model. I wish I could still shoot it.