Well,
have a long weekend off and the wife and kid left this a.m. to travel to the in-laws out of state...so I've been in yard work/home improvement/peace and quiet mode LOL. Almost as good as hunting
well...not quite.
Anyway, the mailman delivered the Toelke SS I had on the way from Dan and co. a day early. So, put down the weed whacker and hammer long enough to unpack the new stick and give her a whirl!
The bow in question is a new 64" Super Static, 50 1/2#@28", with Mora (Argentine Osage) riser and Myrtle veneers. I also had Dan put a beavertail grip on it because I love the way they feel and I thought it would look great on this bow with this particular wood combination. The bow features a standard Toelke grip with thumb rest...these usually don't get a wrap. I asked Dan if he could purdy please do it because last year I saw pics of a custom Toelke Kestrel that had the same thing done to it. Dan obliged and said 'let the soaking and stretching' begin LOL. I told Dan if it was too much trouble just do black leather as its easier to work, but he would have none of it- I would get what I wanted. That's customer service. The bow was paid for last Friday, a week ago. The grip was on Monday, bow shipped Tuesday, and was in my hands today. THAT is service.
This is one of the best things to see on a package:
Up to this point I have owned several Whips, 1 and 2pc, one Kestrel, and 1 Super D, all within 3-5# of each other. I highly anticipated the "SS" when Dan and Jared first announced it. It looked to be a winning design, combining traits of the Whip on a static recurve platform. Just like the Tuktu EX I just reviewed, I hoped I'd see a lefty on the classifieds at some point. No such luck, but I did get to handle one and draw it back last year courtesy of a friend (Florida Lime). I knew right then I'd have to get my hands on one. The grip seemed a more beefy version of the Whip's brilliant shape, and the smoothness of the draw was choice.
Well, how bout pics first eh?
More on the way (there's a limit to how many per post)
There will also be comparison pics showing the SS, Whip, and Cari-bow Tuktu EX side by side.
Ok, got her unpacked earlier today and strung up. Set brace midway in the range like I usually do for testing at 7.5". There wasn't even a nock point on installed on the string yet...I just nocked an arrow and "eyeballed" it. Pulled her back to test pull...yup butter smooth. I had the Whip on hand to compare. Honestly to 30" just past my draw length of 29 its hard to feel a difference. Past 30" though the SS still keeps going whereas the Whip is getting close to its range as far as I can tell. The SS does for sure have less string angle at full draw. Strung side by side the SS is also about 1" shorter which is neat since my Whip is also 64".
Ok first shot at ~20 yds. Result? Arrow in the bull on my bag target. No problem. Wow this SS is dang quiet too. Sounds about the same as the Whip for sure. Neato!
'Biathlonman' mentioned in the other current Super Static thread that he felt the SS had more bump in the hand than the Whip, so he sent it packing. What is my conclusion? I shot the SS back to back with a 64" Whip and to me, they feel largely the same..perhaps the SS bumps a bit more. To me it certainly is nothing unpleasant...shoot any Hill bow next to these Toelkes and then talk to me about 'bump' on the shot LOL. I have two insights here: A. this SS is a 50's style recurve and so has a slim riser...this bow doesn't have the same riser mass as a typical 1 or 3pc recurve and so there is less material to dampen the shot. B. the SS has a slightly beefier grip and riser than the Whip, but has limbs that are wider/heavier overall being that it is a recurve, so that would explain why they feel largely the same on the shot, with the SS slightly edging out the Whip in strength of the shot sensation. Again, it doesn't feel unpleasant to me at all. The Super D to me had more bump than either of the others...again, this makes sense to me because the Super D has an even slimmer riser and limbs than the Whip, so less mass, and hence less dampening.
Ok, next what about perceived cast/speed? Well the SS is a gem here. It's a screamer and definitely seems quick for the draw weight. The Whip I have to compare is 2# lighter in draw weight, so not 100% fair comparo, but I can tell the SS has a nice speed advantage. I'm very very satisfied with the speed and I have shot some incredibly powerful bows.
Overall I'm excited to report that the SS is my favorite Toelke model to date. I have zero regret that I just sold my Whip to Florida Lime (thanks for letting me test these two back to back before you take delivery!) The only other models I have not tried are the Chinook and the Lynx. But I think its safe to say this SS is a keeper and my favorite Toelke for sure. Overall it feels like a Whip that morphed into a recurve!! How cool is that!?
I also got to compare it to the Cari-bow Tuktu EX I just received the other day (yes I'm a static recurve junkie now!! :p ) Again, not an entirely fair comparo, as the Tuk' is only 60" and is 55@28. Physically the differences are interesting. The SS is 64" and the Tuktu is 60"...yet when both are strung the Tuk' is roughly 6.25" shorter! Quite compact. The Tuk' has slightly wider and thinner cored limbs than the SS, but the limb tips are more slender. Grip wise the SS is definitely a low grip, like a Whip, while the Tuktu is medium wrist with a deeper throat and a shelf that comes back onto your hand more. Both grips fill my hand beautifully, albeit they just feel a bit different. The Tuk's narrower side to side, but deeper, whereas the SS feels thicker left to right but shallower. They both work wonderfully and with the beavertail on both feel rock solid. Both bows become and extension of your arm. The SS has a shorter riser section fade to fade and longer working limbs than the Tuktu, its that Whip DNA again. That would explain why with its larger riser the Tuktu feels more dead in the hand. Also, while they're both static tipped, the Tuktu has much deeper hooks to the limb tips. Both bows are buttery smooth and the only perceived difference is the Tuk' being shorter you feel a bit more string on your fingers. Yes, the Tuk' seems faster on the shot but hey it's also 5 more # in draw weight.
I love both of these Statics! They are each different enough to be fun and effective in their own way and were obviously designed by masters. You can't go wrong with either. If you love the Whip and are more of a longbow guy I think you will love the SS. If you want a more compact bow and perhaps a slightly more 'recurve' feeling recurve the Tuktu EX is a great choice. Man what a pair of great bows!
Loving my new SS! Toelke will be getting more of my business someday, that's a fact.
Stand by for a lot more pics...
Topic: Toelke "SS" Super Static ride in the saddle (and Whip/Tuktu comparo!) PIC HEAVY (Read 3386 times)
