Ruh Row...Part IV

[Captainkirk]

Funny how the mind wanders...and this is one of the cool thing about these ol' vintage bows...I was wiping it down today and admiring the near-perfect finish and I noticed some tiny, almost invisible, white dots here and there. Tiny paint splatters from some other bygone era (they scraped off with a fingernail). When, I wondered? Was it a year ago? Five? Twenty, or even more? My mind drifted back further in the Wayback Machine, to when this bow was being built in Grayling, Michigan. We are reasonably certain it was a '64 by the fact that it does have a serial number and it doesn't begin with a 5, but WHEN in '64? What was happening in these U. Esses. of A. as this gem was being built? I would have been in Mrs. Kretzmann's first grade class struggling with learning how to read in my Dick and Jane reader if it were a school day, or rising way earlier than my parents would like so I could flip on the black and white console TV to watch Roy Rogers if it were a Saturday morn.
Or was it just coming out of the hot box in late '63, on that fateful day in Dallas when JFK was assassinated and everyone's world was turned upside down? Who first bought this bow, and where did it reside? Did it live a sedentary life in a dark closet or compete in national match tournaments? Or, was it somebody's Olympic dream machine? Is the original owner still with us? How many lives did it touch and paths did it meander down before coming to rest on my mantel? It's almost certain I will never know. But it doesn't stop me from pondering and reflecting as I wipe my fingerprints...and probably countless others...from the gleaming wood.
This, my friends, is the allure of the vintage bow. Something no high-tech custom can ever duplicate (no disrespect intended toward custom bowyers or their customers) or that many youngsters new to this sport would even care about. And while I'm sure to own a custom some day, made especially for me to start a whole new story, it's nice to play a part in someone else's story. After all, we are all just bit part actors on the stage of life...

[Captainkirk]

Hilarious write up Kirk! That HC limb tip is very unique, actually both are, but especially the HC being so blunt and wide. Looks like you'll have 2 of the finest collector bows out there, until there's 3.

Could happen at any given moment, Jim.

[Captainkirk]

A small brown box was wedged between the screen door and the front door today...whatever could it be?
Hmm...3 Rivers archery...why, it's my arrow supplies for my son's Christmas arrows and...my new string and stringer for the Tamerlane!
You guys are gonna think I done lost my mind, but I did not order this string from Stilldub. No, for a mid-sixties bow, I wanted a mid-sixties string. So I ordered an endless loop from 3R. Plus, a stringer that would allow me to keep my eyesight!
Well, that stringer reminds me of an English poet. No, not Wordsworth... Longfellow. Dang, when they say fits all longbows, they're talking like, AMAZON longbows! Yup, it fit, but I had to shorten the heck out of it. No matter; works like a charm with no danger of becoming a unicorn. The Selway is the best stringer on the market, IMHO.

So now I got my sixties bow all strung up and ready to party...I can almost hear Herb Alpert playing...I let it sit strung on the sofa for several hours to let things take a set. This bow still pulls marvelously, and super-quiet at that. The difference in draw weight is quite noticeable over the HC. This thing is gonna give me some workouts, boys. I still have to set brace height and nock point, but hoping to find time over the holidays to get to the Bass Pro range and try 'er out.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=414VaKKb9Hc

[Captainkirk]

OK, so set the brace height to the minimum recommended (8") and crimped on a nockset at 1/2"...we'll see how she shoots. I am finding this bow terribly exciting for some odd reason...more so than even the HC-300. It just feels right in the hand, and looks killer. I feel like it has secret stories to tell. We'll be going to the range...soon.

[Crazynate]

Nice looking bow Kirk. Throw some of the Meguires polish on there it'll look brand new. Bet she's a great shooter

[Captainkirk]

I have yet to shoot this thing...but it's quickly becoming the belle of the ball in my collection. Something about it; can't quite explain...
That being said, I'm itching to try it out. This bow deserves to be shot, even if by a schmuck like me. I'm going to craft up a half-dozen cedars just for this bow. This holiday week looks pretty busy but I'm going to MAKE time to get to the Bass Pro indoor range after the New Year and put it through it's paces. I can't tell you how many times I've pulled it down, strung it up and drawn it back already. 53 years old, this bow is...amazing.

[Graps]

This bow deserves to be shot,

I've heard the same thing about you.

[Captainkirk]

This bow deserves to be shot,

I've heard the same thing about you.

You been talking to my wife again?

[Graps]

Well my wife thinks the same of me too.