Herter's Itasca Longbow oddball new acquisition! [MORE PICS!!]

[nineworlds9]

So been scaling back the little bow collection, selling some, adding/trading some, looking to find keepers, trying out Hill bows, and generally realizing I like bows minimum of 64" best, preferably longer.  Well I discovered this bow on the bargain site and MAN what an oddball, to me at least!  COOL!  70"/64# Herter's Perfection Itasca Longbow!  I've become all longbow in the last couple months and I saw this one and was like MINE MINE MINE!  I always in some small way regretted selling my Bear Tigercat, it was the first trad bow I ever owned/shot, got it in my teens and its what got me back into trad again after 15 years...this baby is vintage, 99.9% perfect, and was the right price, which was to say at least to me, cheap!  I just couldn't get past the crazy cool look/ longbow w/ recurve handle and the fact that its collectible.  Whatcha think??!

 
 
 
 

[kill shot]

This bow is cool to say the least. If your left handed (you probably are) it was a very lucky find. What a treasure. I'm right handed and I may have bought it.

[nineworlds9]

Yup!  LEFTY all the way  

[nineworlds9]

Originally posted by kill shot:
This bow is cool to say the least. If your left handed (you probably are) it was a very lucky find. What a treasure. I'm right handed and I may have bought it.

kill- i don't want to be a jerk but the guy i bought it from is in...Michigan.         crazy!

[nineworlds9]

I knew Herter's bows were collected and had a good following, what I didn't know was anything at all about George Herter, the guy who founded the company.  Just learned a good bit, what a character!  Now even more stoked to have gotten my hands on this baby! LOL

[nineworlds9]

Been researching what little info I can find on these bows...seems split between 'gonna be a handshock monster' and 'gonna be smooth as silk', LOL, so excited.  Thankfully I'm a Hill shooter anyway, so handshock is not a problem.  This bow just looks bad#ss if you ask me! lol

[chanumpa]

Herters made great bows.You got a cool one there!You just dont see these everyday.I agree that shes going to be bad to the bone,and would be surprised if that bow would be an elbow ringer at all,with a good heavy arrow.Thanks for posting,its cool.

[Mark 507]

The Herters Itasca longbow (right hand) is at the top of my bow "wish list". I live/grew up 35 miles from herters in Waseca Minnesota and have many fond memories going there as a child with my parents. Owning an Itasca would be the perfect combination of my love for longbows and my childhood memories. Congratulations on your find, I hope to be as lucky someday!

[nineworlds9]

chanumpa- those were the 'stock' photos from the ad i purchased it under, i am stoked to post photos of the real deal in my hand once it arrives!


Mark-  wow!  that's so cool, I really hope you find a righty for sure!  

the more I read about Herter's/ George Herter the more I feel lucky I happened upon that bow.  I was laughing out loud like a madman when I read about his self-authored self-help books like "How to live with a b#tch" and various other tomes.  What a crazy Americano he was.  It was a random find for me, I was just cruising longbows and there it was.

[nineworlds9]

Hey what do you guys think?  this bow doesn't come with a string..the markings say 64 1/2" string on the riser of this bow...should i have a 64 1/2" custom made or should i get an off the shelf 64 or 65?

[nineworlds9]

The Herter's longbow arrived also.  NEATO!  What a weirdo!  Absolutely minty, this thing looks like it just sat on a rack since 1975 or in the box.  I'm still waiting on the new string I commissioned for it from Steve at flemishstrings.com, but I had the proper length fastflight string off my Redman to string it up and draw it back just to check it out (don't worry didn't shoot it!)  Can't wait for the new string to arrive!  

Pics!:

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

[Brianlocal3]

Absolutly gorgeous.

[nineworlds9]

Thanks Brian, it's just DIFFERENT, like a recurve and a Hill bow mated, hahaha.  If it doesn't work out I can always sharpen one end and use it as a spear!!              
J/K! J/K!!