Bear Kodiak id

[JDinPA]

Hello.
I'm hoping someone can tell what year this kodiak is.
I picked it up at a flea market. I'm finally one of those guys that finds something good!

It's needs a string, the medallion is missing and it could use a refinishing but to be honest it looks pretty good.

The serial number is hard to read maybe B4191

60"
50#

What do you guys think?


       
       
       
       
   
   

[R. W. Mackey]

Looks like a 59/60 to me but I'm no expert.

RW

[Whip]

That is a '59.  One of the most desirable and best shooting bows Bear ever built.  From the pictures it looks to be in very good shape and if it's as good as it looks I wouldn't recommend a refinsih.  The coin can be replaced with an original if you can find one, or reproductions are available.  
I don't even know if I want to know what you paid for it, but I'm guessing you stumbled onto a bargain!

[JDinPA]

Thanks guys, I thought it might be a 59 but wasn't sure.

Any idea what wood is in the sight window?

[Whip]

It looks to be purpleheart, which was the most common for the '59's.

[JDinPA]

Whip - your signature is a great quote.
It inspired my first solo back country archery trip for elk years ago.

[PaulDeadringer29]

Yep, I'm not too sharp on Bears that were made before 65, but I think Whip is right on. Those are great shooting bows and somewhat desirable. If it were me, I would have it professionally refinished....unless you're capable of it yourself. Very nice find.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

59 You did Good!!!!! I'm Jealous.

I agree with Joe, It looks to be in great shape. I wouldn't refinish it.

There are a lot of guys who look for exactly what you found every day and it takes years to stumble upon one.

[4runr]

If you plan on keeping it and hunting it, and the finish is exposing raw wood, refinish it. If you want it as an investment/resale item, don't refinish it. It looks to be in amazing condition.

You are a very lucky man to find that bow at a flea market.

[damascusdave]

The serial number is more than likely BA191..serial numbers back then started with two letters...A* for the 56 inch bows, B* for the 60 inch and D* for the 64 inch version...you might enjoy going to the History/Collecting forum and reading from my thread about BH prefix 1960 Kodiaks...the 1959 and 1960 bows are very similar...they are also the template for the current Kodiak

DDave

[damascusdave]

I shoot modern low stretch strings on all of my 60's but would never consider that on a 59...those limb tips are micarta and have been known to have issues with separating or even coming right off...that bow will be a great shooter with a refinish and some tip work and then a good BCY-X string...the collectible market is far enough in the toilet right now I just regard my 60's as great shooting bows that I paid more for than is reasonable...as Chuck says they are "meant to be bent"..even if the collectible market does come back you will still have a good shooter

DDave

[JDinPA]

I put a 56" B-55 string on it this morning with a stringer. I set the brace height to 7.5".  I let it sit for an hour, gave it a few half draws, then a 3/4 draw. Then walked outside in the drizzle and shot two arrows with my eyes closed at a deer target at 10 yards. I probably didn't go to full draw but she shot fine. It hit hard and felt tight, if that makes sense.


There is a slight surface blem on the top limb (it's cloudy).
   

Here's a pic of the bow strung.
   


I didn't even think to check out the collector forum, there's some good info there. The serial number could be BA191. So that would put the sight wood at dark rosewood?

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Was that cloud in the glass before you strung and shot it?

[Danny Rowan]

Do not know if that is a cloud in the glass, the glass on those bows was not clear, brown on back and orange on belly. Could be in the finish.

[JDinPA]

Originally posted by Cyclic-Rivers:
Was that cloud in the glass before you strung and shot it?

Yes, it was there before I strung the bow.

[JDinPA]

Originally posted by Danny Rowan:
Do not know if that is a cloud in the glass, the glass on those bows was not clear, brown on back and orange on belly. Could be in the finish.

It looks to be on the surface.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Good to hear. I agree with Danny.

[damascusdave]

Joe if you look through my BH series thread you will see that there are bows beginning with BH that are both 1959 and 1960 configuration...we speculate that is because Bear simply did not serial number and final finish a bow until someone ordered it...for that reason the serial number tells little about the materials in the bow and in fact, as you will see from the pictures, sometimes nothing about the year of manufacture...the world of "mass" production back then was vastly different from what we are used to today...the best illustration I have ever seen of that is the picture Wade Phillips posted of 10 1960 Kodiaks side by side

DDave

[JDinPA]

Ok, that makes sense.

Just trying to figure out the wood in the sight window.

[TRAP]

You'll find lots of advice about refinnishing collectibles in the Trad/ History forum also. Please read some of that before refinnishing your find.  The bow appears to be in great original condition. I

DD