Old bows and pictures...

[lowell]

Was at a friends house today and he was showing me some bows his uncle had made in maybe the 40's or 50's. 
 
I enjoyed seeing them and thought maybe you would too. 

 The one that I'm showing the profile, back and belly is also the one being shot in the one picture.... I believe.  The other picture is also the uncle and maker of the bows.

 Not sure of the wood??  Sap wood on all of them???

 

 

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[lowell]

Here's another I found very interesting.  It was built to be shot with the feet straped to bow.

 This one was spliced at the handle.

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[shortarrow]

Those are some pretty cool old bows. I'm not so sure about that one you strap to your feet though..lol

[mullet]

  Those are cool pictures, Lowell. The bottom one is for Flight Shooting.

[Dano]

What was his name?? Those bows look great.

[burn em up chuck]

way cool, nothing like history. thank you for posting these.

                                                                    chuck

                                   

[lowell]

His last name was Weinand.  Don't know his first name.  He was one of the original founders of a local archery club.

[xin]

Thanks for the pics..  Really like to see old bows like these.. The oldtimers knew what they were doing.

[Knocker]

What is the general consensus on shooting old bows?  I was given a 50's recurve that a friend used in highschool.  I would like to shoot it, and am thinking about getting a new string and doing so.  It's 34#, so if it doesn't come to pieces, I want to give it to my wife who is frustrated as her 25# is bouncing arrows off of the target.  The recurve will just be temporary until I get a selfbow made for her...

Keith

[Pappy]

Cool pictures,thank for sharing.
   Pappy

[Pat B]

Keith, with old wood bows you have to re-teach them to bend first before you try to shoot them. Just like with a new bow, start with a slack string and gradually exercise the limbs with multiple short bends, graduating to longer and longer pulls but only to half draw or less. Then brace it low, 2" to 4" and let it rest like that for an hour or so before starting another exercising routine. All of this should take place over a few day period. Don't rush it at all.
   For me, I would rather have an old bow as a wall hanger and study guide than a pile of splinters so I don't string or shoot the old bows I have. They did their work before so now it is time for their retirement and stories.              Pat

[mullet]

  Keith, Shooting an old glass bow from the 50's should be know problem. But you need to string it and site down the string, N to N. And then pull back slowly and see if the limbs start to twist side to side.A common problem with old glass recurves is the majority of them were strung with the old step-through stringging method. It doesn't take much to twist a limb doing this. Another reason one make come apart is if it was stored in a hot car for a long period of time. But all in all you should be okay to shoot it.
   The advice Pat B gave you on old wooden bows is right on. I have hand rubbed linseed oil into some rather than try to seal them with Poly or another synthetic. Most of the old Lemon wood or Yew bows tend to suffer from being too dry. And I differ from Pat in my philosophy about bows. I'll shoot them till they break and then glue and hang them on the wall. Unless I bought it strickly to resale as a collectable. Right now I have a 45# yew ,72" longbow I love shooting that is over 80 years old. I treat my bows kinda like I want to be treated, If I can't funtion or play anymore please don't keep me on "Life Support". 

[Joe M]

Just my opinion, but I think I would keep them as a study in bow building if I wasn't sure about shooting them.

[1/2primitive]

Those are very neat, thanks for showing us. I find them quite interesting. On the first one, I'm surprised that it held together! It looks like the grain is cut through terribly!
    Sean