Originally posted by CoastalHunter:
Charlie, I am sure I will love it. Ive only owned four other bows in the last twenty nine years. Three were Bear compounds that worked perfectly and the last was my first traditional style bow a hickory self bow. It only lasted about three hundred shots before the bottom limb broke at full draw, it wasn't a Bear. Lesson learned, stick with a high quality dependable product not a cheap poorly made product even if it does give the illusion of saving money. One good thing I can say about that cheap selfbow though is it helped me fall in love with archery all over again.
The thing to remember about self bows is they are usually made to only be drawn to a certain draw length. If you go over that, it will decrease the life of the bow. They are in a different category of bows per say because they require more knowledge of the wood, bow and can need more care. People who build and use them think of it as a labor of love. Fiberglass bows on the other hand are more tolerant of a variety of draw lengths, can be left strung and as Fred Bear shows us, can be used as a walking stick across Alaskan Rivers.
Once this trad bug bites you.... don't worry, you might find yourself with another recurve. Especially if you ever decide its time to move up in weight. I tend to go back to the 45 lb bows when I have not shot in a while. it helps with form and easing my muscles back into work mode.
The whole journey is fun. Enjoy and ask questions. this is a great web site full of knowledgeable people.