Yesterday I spent the day in southeast Ohio at the OSTA's annual state shoot in Jackson, Ohio. I ran into a fella that I met on another site and we got to talking "vintage bows". One thing led to another and it turned out that we both had bows that had serial numbers that were only 15 numbers apart.

He was sure that his was a 1959 Kodiak Special and I was sure that mine was a 1960 Kodiak Special. We had every "vintage bow expert" in attendance scratching their heads in the comparison of the two bows. The ONLY difference in the two bows was that his had a "greenish" glass on the back of the limbs and mine was an off white color. Both of them had "copper coins", and mines serial number was WD415, his was WD430.

It seems that there is a "gray area" that at the end of one year and the beginning of another where there is some uncertainty as to exactly which color of coin that they used at the Grayling facility.

I couldn't think of any better place than right here to show the picture and ask your opinions. Yesterday there were no definitive answer to our question as to "which year" the bows were born.

What think ye ?????????

Winterhawk1960

By the crescent shape of the insets on the belly-side of the risers, I vote for 1960.

Ray

I will post pictures in a bit.  I have one that I am told is a 1959.  As Ray states, the inset on the belly-side of the riser is a different shape than the two shown here.  The sight window material is also darker.  Serial # on mine is XB263, but it's also 66".  The belly on mine is a light cream color (off white).

Got the pictures quicker than I thought I would.  The intent of the first picture is to show how the inset is not a crescent like the ones above.  It fades back.  The second picture is just for fun.  This is my fall hunting set up.

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Don, I think the glass on the belly of the risers in the sight window area makes the two bows in your pic  1960 Kodiak Specials, while the lack of glass on the belly of the riser on Colin's bow make his a 1959 KS.

Coins, serial numbers and even glass color variations arent as reliable an indicator of manufacture date as are other features.

Trap

I just saw this post and Colin I myself have one that has the same accent swoop near the belly side like yours in the riser... Mine has more black&white overlays on the back as well ...

I think I remember Wade showing in a previous thread the crescent shaped inset is a distinct difference in the '60 from the '59.
Greenish tint in glass can also be in the finish from more sun exposure too.
Ditto Traps comments.

http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=14;t=002059#000000


Can't let Wade's hard work go to waste!!

Thanks guys, I am "tickled pink" that my bow turned out being a 1960 model. Now the other fella that owned the one laying beside mine in the first picture still isn't convinced that "his" isn't a 1959 model.

Kenny, THANK-YOU for the link to Wade's thread. There is a LOT of information there. I saw Roman and his son up there Saturday and they said you didn't make the trip with them. That was an excellent place to have a shoot. I'm planning on making it an "annual" trip.

Winterhawk1960