why is it so hard?

[ozy clint]

just recieved a new set of limbs for a bow. not made according to written instructions. different limb veneers back and belly when they should be the same. and the core is green when the last limbs i got from them was grey. i'm in the process of contacting the bowyer and hopefully it can be made right. they are a nice set of limbs but for $1000 i want and i'm sure you'll agree that one should get exactly what one ordered.

this adds to the trouble i've had with other bowyers sending limbs of lengths other than ordered and or buying new limbs and having to claim warranty for some defect after not long.

of the the 2 bows i've had and the 4 or 5 sets of limbs i've ordered for different risers, i've had one that set that i haven't had to return for some problem.
getting a new bow or limbs is always a 12 month ordeal by the time i wait for it to be built then return it and have it built again.

feel like i'm doing this-    

am i the only guy who seems to have bad luck with new to me bows and limbs?

sorry, rant over.

[McDave]

Unless you're ordering from within Australia, I'm sure the added time having to deal with things internationally, and import duties making it hard to return things and get all your money back adds to the frustration?  One time I sold a bow to someone in Australia, and it turned out not to be what he expected. If he had been in the US, I would have gladly taken it back and we would have worked out whatever minor shipping charges might have been involved.  Australian import duties were a significant part of the total price to him of my used bow, so it wasn't feasible to send it back, and the compromise we reached probably didn't leave either of us feeling great about the deal.  Frankly, the feeling I was left with was a reluctance to sell used bows internationally, because of the inability to make things right if the bow wasn't what the buyer expected.

[OBXarcher]

Wow that sucks.  I have had several bows made not to my specs.  It is very frustrating. Find a good bowyer and stick with them.

[nineworlds9]

Slip ups happen- bowyer contacted me about a set of limbs I ordered...I wanted a light red stain on a back veneer...well because of the properties of the wood the stain never colored it and it just made the wood a little darker...bowyer offered to upgrade me to a tempered bamboo core vs the maple I had ordered free of charge (was a $120 option).  He felt bad it didnt turn out how he/I wanted so he threw me the upgrade.  I was more than satisfied.  

That's a happy ending.

Another happy ending for was a bow where the bowyer missed weight...he said only option was to shorten the bow...luckily for both of us by the time this issue came up I had decided I wanted less draw weight anyway..haha...we ended up going for middle ground...I had him shorten the bow by a measly 1" and that way the weight ended up heavier than what it would have been at the original length, but lighter than I had originally requested.  

Both happy endings for me.

I agree that when its more than one thing incorrect its time to speak up.  

One thing that has caused me to turn my back on a particular bowyer was a bow that I initially paid a decent sum of money for...was thrilled with when I first took delivery, but once I had it for a little while and really studied it closely realized how many small imperfections it had, tool marks etc.  That sorta thing irks me.  Now I'm not talking one or two little ghosts of a sand scratch here and there...we are talking about handmade items and I've seen even some of the best bows have an indicator or two of being handmade...but when your nock grooves look like they were rat tail filed on a Lowe's board bow...and the fadeouts are ragged and splintery looking, well...

Generally mistakes like these get corrected in the long run or you find yourself out of business...

[Bjorn]

Generally I am pretty tolerant and understanding; but wrong length and wrong veneers-no way! Perhaps someone is thinking you will not ship stuff back from Australia?  

[ozy clint]

i'm sure the problem will be rectified, it's just frustrating that it seems like everytime i order something to do with a bow it turns out not right or i have a warranty issue and 12 months later i finally end up with want i wanted at the start.

[Auzoutdoor]

I bought a new recurve from America some years ago and when it got here it had a sizable crack in the shelf on the edge. I contacted the bowyer and he said if I was there he would "just run a little super glue in there" to fix it. I payed more for this bow than my first car so sent it back to get repaired. It came back about the same I was very unhappy and would do things differently now.
Cheers KIM

[duncan idaho]

I have had this problem, one of the reasons I have stopped ordering custom limbs and simply buy from the bowyers "already made" stock. Lot less stress that way, and still have a quality bow from the bowyer you selected. no wait time either, which is a giant pain in the $$$.

[Bladepeek]

It sounds like there is a huge opportunity for a good bowyer in Australia.

[calgarychef]

I think it's the way of the world nowadays, contractors don't do what they're supposed to do, mechanics charge for work not satisfactory etc.  I feel your pain Clint.  If you send the limbs back for warranty and mark the customs forms as such I think you can avoid paying duty.  If I was the bowyer I'd offer you a substantial discount to  keep the limbs you already have.

[Shane C]

I haven't had any trouble. I've had three bows custom made for me. 2 from Wes Wallace, and 1 from a friend of mine. I know both will make any issue right. In fact, my first set of limbs from my Wes Wallace were really loud. I tried everything from heavy arrows and lots of string silencers and nothing really worked. After about a year I called him up and told him about it to see if he had any thoughts. He told me to send it back and he built me all new limbs free of charge, and put me at the top of the list when he was building them so I only had to wait a couple weeks.

I would consider ordering from a different bowyer if those are consistent issues that you're facing.

[Sixby]

Originally posted by calgarychef:
I think it's the way of the world nowadays, contractors don't do what they're supposed to do, mechanics charge for work not satisfactory etc.  I feel your pain Clint.  If you send the limbs back for warranty and mark the customs forms as such I think you can avoid paying duty.  If I was the bowyer I'd offer you a substantial discount to  keep the limbs you already have.

Not in my world!!!!!
If you order a thousand dollar set of limbs from me they will be exactly what you ordered.

God bless, Steve

[SuperK]

I'm sorry you are going through this.  I haven't dealt with many bowyers but the ones that I have had dealings with have been GREAT!  Ron and Mike at Hunters Niche (Predator bows) have treated me like royalty!  Maybe you can get a refund and buy a bow from somebody that treats you like they want to be treated.

[njloco]

I wouldn't have excepted any crazy glue fix, on a new bow or anything else. The bowyer should be paying the shipping both ways on a repair or something supposedly custom made and ends up not what the customer ordered, as the bowyer never should have shipped it out in the first place if it was less than 100 percent !
I wouldn't except it !

[ISP 5353]

WOW!  That stinks!  I only have two customs, and I have never had any of those problems.  Hope it gets worked out soon!

[ozy clint]

been offered a refund. i'm hoping to return them and have a new set made. not sure on the shipping side of things yet. i'd be happy to send them back if they send the new ones to me at their cost. though i agree that they should pay both ways since it wasn't made as asked.

hopefully all will be good. just a pain in the butt having to return it and then wait again and then hope it's what i wanted. then hope i don't have a waranty issue with the new ones

if it was a cheap bow i wouldn't be so worried. but buying the top end and paying big money you should get your moneys worth.

Not sure why you would have to wait again Clint.  If your bowyer is worth his salt, your limbs should be the very next set in the form.  You ALREADY waited your turn, and you should get what you paid for before he moves on to someone else.

[gringol]

What a hassle.  Sounds like it might be time for a new bowyer.  I'm all for forgive and forget, but when you're half way round the globe and this is the third or forth time...

[BWD]

I know the feeling. Sold a bow because every time I looked at it I said to myself, this is not what I ordered. Should have sent it back to begin with.

[Jim Wright]

I am always somewhat amazed when I read about some of the problems people have with custom bowyers products/services. I have dealt with Dan Toelke through more than a dozen bows now. The longest I've waited for a bow from order to delivery has been less than 1 month. Problems have been non-existent and he bends over backwards in his commitment to customer satisfaction. I know Dan is certainly not the only good reputable bowyer out there but again I wonder how some of these other guys stay in business.