Well, I had my turn, and now it's on it's journey to the next lucky participant. I was sad to see her leave!
Let me begin with the fact that I prefer longbows. I have shot a few different recurves, and own a shrew scout, but I have never shot a static tip before now. I have nothing against recurves, and I shoot them fine, but I've always preferred the feel, and ease of care and stringing of longbows over recurves.
Until now! Am I a complete convert? No, but I now have a desire to own and shoot a static tip recurve. There is a lot of hype around the statics, and this Tuktu is a prime example of why.
I have always been a fan of Abe's work. His bows are beautiful, and masterfully crafted. And this bow is no exception. The wood choices contrast nicely, and flow together around the shape and design of the bow well. His attention to detail, and fit and finish are excellent.
I found the two piece design to be very well made, and with a perfect fit. Once the bow is together and strung, you'll forget that it was cut in half. Truely a great design. The functionality of a take down, with the look and feel of a beautiful one piece. The beaver tail grip and shelf/strike feel great, and are also very functional. Arrows are quiet on the draw, and upon release.
I shot a variety of arrows through this bow, and it replied "is that all you got?" Lol. It shot everything well, with very little difference in flight. This is a very forgiving design!
I was also quite impressed with the cast of this bow. It is a very flat shooter, and I think one could extend their effective range with this bow as it hits very hard!
The draw is a little different than what I'm used to, as you experience more weight earlier in the draw cycle, and then it smooths out nicely for the last few inches of my 28" draw.
Now on to the details everyone wants to know. I've already alluded to how fast it is (very!). Pound for pound, it's probably the fastest trad bow I've ever shot. Most recurves that I've shot, I've been very aware of the added limb mass twards the tips. All through the draw, and especially upon release. With the Tuktu, it's different. The bow is balanced very well, and as soon as I started putting tension on the string, I didn't feel that mass at the tips. The most noticeable difference is at release. The bow is smooth, with almost non existant residual vibrations. It is indeed smoother than some very high end longbows, and I doubt that you will find a recurve that would come close.
All of the above factors also lend themselves to the noise level. With the masterfully timed (tillered) and balanced limbs, there comes no sound. That includes ZERO string slap on the tips! This is by far and away the quitest and smoothest recurve I have ever shot, or heard being shot. In fact, I have only heard a very few and very special longbows that were quieter. This is truely a fantastic bow!
Almost forgot the grip! I've heard the term "fits like a glove" used to describe bow grips in the past. Now I understand what that feels like! The grip was very comfortable, natural, and repeatable for me. Something I have struggled with on a lot of bows. It's shape and feel also lends itself to good pointability and accuracy.
In summary, this bow is very well mannered, tunes easily, shoots extraordinary, is fast, very quiet, feels great, and looks amazing! And the two piece, is a great and functional feature.
What more is there to ask for from a bowyer and a bow?
Thanks again Abe! I really am greatfull for this opportunity, and look forward to doing business with you in the future.
Paul
Topic: Pass around Tuktu Ex TD (Read 5480 times)
