What do you guys that refinish old bows use when writing on the bow and the finish over it?

I have an old Bear grizzly  static recurve,  35#.  I checked it over good and found no cracks.  Are these older bows safe to shoot?

I have a second Grizzly static recurve also but it has an aluminum lamination and I have no intentions of stringing that bow.

I use a ultrafine point sharpie.the aluminum lamination no,the other grizzly if it looks good shoot it.

I made a self bow and put many coats of tru Oil on the bow.  the Ultra fine sharpee just wipes right off and does cover good on the finish.

http://www.sharpie.com/enUS/Pages/industrial-fine-marker.aspx

I put it on the bare wood never had it wipe off,on at least 10 bows.

Jon...do you know what year the Grizzly static recurve with the aluminum lamination is?

Let the sharpie dry overnight and then it won't wipe off

India Ink is better, the Sharpie is more translucent. India INk will be a solid black like the originals. The key is to either spray or dab with your fingers (the finish), otherwise as you have seen it  will wipe off.

Not an expert by any means but I've had good luck with a paint marker sharpie they are available in a very fine point and I got mine from Michaels craft store.Let me add that I'm dissapointed in myself that I know this.(LOL)

I was shooting my #58 Static this afternoon.  Fast and quiet, just the way I like a hunting bow to shoot.

Mr Wakeman
The little info I have shows the aluminum lamination in the 1950 and 51 static tipped Grizzleys. Apparentely the process was developed in 49 and introduced shortly after only to be discontinued due to problems. There was even a patent # of 157,213. Perhaps Jon could post us a picture. Safe to shoot without the aluminum? See Burt's picture in the Grizzly thread....
As far as the Sharpie goes I would shy away from it's useage as it fades with time. India Ink has worked well for me and then lightly sprayed with a water base poly.

Now that the wife is home for a few days maybe I can get her to post a photo.  The bow does not have a Bear sticker on it but does have Grizzly written in longhand on the inside limb and a small sticker on the bottom limb with a number 1353 on it along with 53# and length 62".

The bow was given to dad by Fred Bear to try out when dad shot for Bear in tournaments.  I remember dad telling me that Bear asked for the bow back a few times because of the breaking problems they had with th bow with aluminum laminations in them. Dad  just hung on to it for a keep sake.  Now I have it. I showed it to Mr. Phillips at Comptons one year.  He did jump up and down an do flip flops over it so I just assume it's an old bow with some personal history to it.