I have a friend who is a bit clueless about Traditional archery. We have recently worked together on a project I'm doing, he's an electrician. I've been chatting about my passion with bows and he seemed to have some interest in it. He shoots compounds and has a neighbor kid who brings an old painted Pearson over and shoots with him.

Dan, my friend, found out his Grandpa had an old Bear up in the attic. He gets it out and without talking to me about it tries to unstring it. Apparently, it's been put away for a long time strung.

Here are the sad results.
 
 
 
 

She was a looker too!
 
 
 
 

angel breaks ????? no bow stringer ???? what a loss..........bd

Ohhhh-no! That's way too bad Trap.         Grant

Before he brought it over he asked if it's possible to fix the tip because it had a little problem. I said sure, bowdoc fixes tips all the time. When he pulled her out of the truck, I saw the good end and my heart fluttered a bit when I saw the riser. Then I saw the other end and my heart jumped to my throat.

I said, "You didn't use a stringer did you?"

He said "Whatz a stringer"

An old Bear bow...

Just about one of the most desirable "old Bear bows" there is.

Tell him "no worries"  BowDoc can fix it.

I can spot them no stringer guy's pretty easy..Saw those limbs off and she will make a great handle for his suitcase......sad day.bd

What beautiful bow,that's sad.

Terry

I might have a better plan than a suitcase handle,but my daughter left our camera at college.
I hope to post pics soon.
      Kurt

Looking forward to the pics Kurt. I told him the repair was hopeless, but I would think about how to preserve the riser for memories. Not neccessarily the rememberance of his mistake, but his GP's bow.

Looks like kindling wood now!!! what a bummer. Must have been dried out like balsa wood. Hey Bd what would you have done with that one? Would there have been a way to get some humidity back into the bow before unsringing it? Jim

Just wondering...........could a riser like that somehow be converted into a takedown?

Sad story.

Hope this will not add credibility to the bad reputation of the KSDs delamination problem. I string mine and pull at full draw with no ill effect. I plan on shooting it this summer regardless of what some say.

-Simon

I'm afraid that bow was lost long before your friend unstrung it. The heat of an attic had done its work long ago. I believe even using a stringer it would have de-laminated.
Bob

actually I'am a bit more inclined to think maybe he just wanted to draw it a few times and did not look or maybe did not know the bottom string loop was only in one noc.When full force draw is added to that the result is one dead ass Bear Kodiak Special Deluxe.The clear glass is broken at an angle step through or loop not in both nocs.sad sad day.I would say she's dead...bd

I know the stories regarding the structural integrity of these bows are way overblow; however, I've seen way too many of them in this condition to think there wasn't a problem with a good percentage of them. I have two down in the basement that I bought in similar condition. The attic surely did the worst of the damage to that one, though. CKruse

oh no    looks like lamp material now. I feel sick.

Just get Bowdoc to put some takedown clamps on it and get a new set of limbs

Looks like an "Organ Donor", Save the coin,, Knife scales out of the riser a key fob out of the tip.. Keep the spirit alive.

I'm a little surprised that it wasnr already delaminated if it was stored in an attic strung.

I agree with Ken, salvage the good stuff, burn the rest.

Trap

You only need to find two more for a stool.