What is an expected life of a wood bow

[Kingstaken]

With the circulation of so many older bows 30, 40 and even 50+ years and older what is their life expectancy of a wood longbow/recurve being they are just wood, of course combined with some other materials made to build them.

I understand proper storage is very important.

I know as long is there are no visual flaws, cracks, twists, splits etc etc etc to prevent one from shooting they can be shot.

But is there an age we need to take a closer look at them to insure they are safe and shootable?

[Pat B]

As long as the bow is sound it should be god to shoot. If it hasn't been shot in a while a little re-education is necessary for safety sake.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

It's hard to put a life expectancy on a bow.  they could last a day or the rest of your life and the next owners.  

Being they are made of wood and by people, you never know for sure.

[PEARL DRUMS]

If the person that built the bow knew what they were doing and did it right, a bow will very RARELY break. On the other hand, I've seen lots and lots and lots and lots of auction site garbage self bows sold. I'd suggest goggles and a helmet for most of them.

[damascusdave]

I have a 1960 Bear Kodiak Deluxe that neither of the last two owners would shoot because of their reputation for delaminating...I shoot that bow regularly and with a BCY-X string...I think that bow was simply put together by an exceptional bowyer

DDave

[wingnut]

Is it an all wood bow or a fiberglass bow with wood core and handle?

Mike

[PEARL DRUMS]

Self bow Mike. All wood he mentioned.

[eidsvolling]

I'll let you know when the osage selfbow made for my father in 1943 fails. Meanwhile, I just bought a couple dozen shafts to make new arrows for it.

The only concession I make to its age is to leave it inside when the outside temperature drops to 25 ºF. It is an exceptional bow, made by an exceptional bowyer at a time when all bows were handmade. If I had a chance to buy another like it after examining and drawing it, I wouldn't hesitate. But I would avoid all old lemonwood bows.

(BTW, I also shoot my De Luxe as well, as Dave will probably remember, as well as my '58 Kodiak and '66 Kodiak Magnum. These are of course all fiberglass laminates in construction.)

[PEARL DRUMS]

Charles they can all be replicated. Do you have pic's of the special bow you refer to?

[Bladepeek]

I don't believe the OP was too clear as to whether we are talking about all-wood self bows or bows with "other materials made to build them."

That could describe a modern laminate bow or a self bow with a different backing material. I had one of two old lemon wood bows break in half when I drew it. I think a laminate-construction bow would have to de-laminate before it could break.

I sort of think the quality of the adhesive used in the construction of the laminate bow is the crucial factor.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Lemonwood isn't very good bow wood, never was. But it was dirt cheap, easy to import, easy to build in regards to the grain structure and easy to sell. That's why so many folks have one from grandpa hanging around. Most either explode into pieces, or last a good while. That's lemonwood in a nutshell  

You are correct, quality glue starts it all. But they can break in a lot more ways than a de-lam. The backer can pop a splinter and that will cause the belly to work too hard causing a collapse. Or the opposite, the belly can give way causing the back to work to hard and explode.

[Kingstaken]

Ron fair enough-

I'm talking more specifically about custom wood recurves and longbows. I'm sure they all need some other materials to keep their lams together.

To name a few bows.
(PS- these bows below are all no doubt on the list of so many top of the line bows. They're what comes to my mind.)
Bears (I have a few over 50+ yrs old)
Berrys (I have two for about 20 years)
Proghorns, Flipper Sticks
Hills
Miegs
White Wolf
Arcadian
shrews
McColloughs
etc.

I don't think I should put a bow such as a BW on the list. The demo I saw on a video with a limb being bent backwards scared the crap out me. lol

My sons as many do play baseball. We buy bats of alum and after a period they sound dead and have lost their intended "pop". Bowling balls go thru the same.

Besides being safe for shooting I should have added lost their performance as well.

And as for an age "we" need to take a look, maybe I should have said what "generation" of ours will need to take a look.

So know I guess this is a multi question.
- Years to physically last.
- Years where performance is where it was designed to be begins to loss it.

A bow being properly stored and maintained etc, how long can we say that these bows will last to shoot- 75yrs, 100 yrs, 200 or more yrs?

[dragonheart]

Here today, or gone tomorrow.  No way to predict the life of an all wood bow.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Or, any bow for that matter.

[njloco]

A little while ago, just before it started to rain, I was out shooting a 1965 Bear Grizzly. It's still mint condition and shoots just as good as my new bows. So I guess like everything else, it depends on how there taken care of.

[wingnut]

All of those bows listed are fiberglass bows with wood core and not "wood bows".  There is a huge difference in expected life span.  Heck there are 1000s of old Bears still in use.

The glass bows can last a lifetime.  An all wood bow can last a day or longer.  LOL

Mike

[eidsvolling]

Originally posted by PEARL DRUMS:
Charles they can all be replicated. Do you have pic's of the special bow you refer to?

Thanks, but not interested in a replica of this one. Another from the same era would be of interest. Here's a pic of the 1943 bow:
   [/url]  Doran Bow  by  googletops , on Flickr[/IMG]

(Not philosophically opposed to the notion of replicas per se. As you'll see in my signature block, there's one in the stable here, which I am very fond of for its shooting qualities and craftsmanship.)

[PEARL DRUMS]

Slender, sexy, little stick you have there. I like that bow. When I say replicate, I mean build the same style. i.e. static recurve, flat bow, ALB and such.

[Fritz]

I've seen alot of Pearlie's work. He could replicate that one no problem!    

[Burnsie]

Probably all a matter of how much use the bows receive.  An old original Bear '59 Kodiak would have tons of life left in it today, if it had sat in its original box under grandpa's bed.  But if it has been used continually the past 50+ years and has 1000's upon 1000's of shots through it, I'm guessing it's life is much closer to the end.