Val's 1959 Kodiak Special 62"

DLM · February 27, 2009, 02:11:00 PM

Thanks for the interesting info with pictures. Helped me. Information on '59 KS's I have & questions.
YA349 68" 45#@29" underlays 4 layers on tips
XE685 66" 47# L. L/H no underlays 3 layers on tips
XB054 66" 37# underlays 4 layers on tips
Why does 1 have 3 layers on tips?
Have a '60 KS ZA615 70" 41# no underlays 3 layers on tips like 1 of '59's
Where does KS Deluxe fit in this quest?
Hope you knowledgeable people do the same with pictures for '57 / '58 KS & '61 / 62' KS.

Hoof · February 27, 2009, 04:24:00 PM

Hello everyone,
I'm a fairly new member(first post)and have been just in awe of the great people in this group. I mostly read along and have been reading many of the past threads to catch up on a little history on here. So I felt I have something to contribute my 59 KS reads
XC 412 66"S #42 no underlays
Chris

Wade Phillips · February 27, 2009, 09:30:00 PM

Jermey - Dennis - Chris - Thanks for posting the data on your 59 Kodiak Specials. Will get an updated list here shortly.

Dennis - The thickness and number of overlays on the tip will vary. I don't have a precise explanation for every possibility. Generally heavier bows have taller overlays. Overlays are a cosmetic feature that will vary greatly.

Overlays are not used as a criteria to date bows, except in rare instances (only 1 that I can think of) with consecutive year bows are identical and there was an advertised difference in the treatment of the tips.

Wade Phillips · February 27, 2009, 09:31:00 PM

We are making progress guys....

We now have 29... some trends are beginning to show up... but this sample size is still too small for two variations of 5 different lengths of bows or 10 possible combinations...

Lets try to get at least 20 more added to this list... for all lengths.... For some lengths we have recorded only one example for a specific characteristic and for 70" we have not recorded any that did not originally have underlays...

This will be a very interesting discussion when we have a large enough sample size to analyze the data.

1959 62", 59# - VA105 - underlays - BowDoc
1959 62", 46# - VA 228 - no underlays - Chuck
1959 62", 50# - VA467L - no underlays - Wade
1959 62", 50# - VA558L - no underlays - Trap
1959 62", 55# - VA612L - no underlays - Wade
1959 62", 40-45# - 17HX12 - no underlays - Chuck

1959 64", 52# - WA139 - underlays - Wade
1959 64", 52# - WA749 - underlays - BowDoc
1959 64", 48# - WB504 - underlays - Trap
1959 64", 28# - WB934 - underlays - Bill
1959 64", 45# - WC020 - underlays - Chuck
1959 64", 53# - WC061 - no underlays - Jeremy
1959 64", 47# - WC365L - no underlays – Wade
1959 64", 50# - ?????? - no underlays – Wade

1959 66", 28# - XA844 - underlays - Wade
1959 66", 37# - XB05 - underlays - Dennis
1959 66", 42# - XC 412 - no underlays - Chris
1959 66", 40# - XE403L - no underlays - seboomook
1959 66", 47# - XE685 – no underlays Dennis
1959 66", 39# - XF090 – no underlays - Chuck
1959 66", 40# - XF877R - no underlays - Chuck

1959 68", 45#@29" - YA349 - underlays - Dennis
1959 68", 45# - YA367 - underlays - Wade
1959 68", 39# - YA456 - underlays - 2-26-08 Auction
1959 68", 32# - YB499A - no underlays – Chuck
1959 68", 47# - YB626L - no underlays - Jeff
1959 68", 38# - YB965 - no underlays - Wade

1959 70", 40# - ZA110 - underlays - Chuck
1959 70", 38# - ?????? - underlays removed - Wade

On 1959 Kodiak Specials, factory underlays are a layer of black marcata that was added to the belly side of the last 4" of the limb tips of some bows as shown below. The term, "underlays", is collector jargon to describe this cosmetic feature in a single word. The purpose of this list is to determine the order and frequency of this feature.

JavelinaHink · February 27, 2009, 09:37:00 PM

Wade.......change mine to no underlays.....Bill

Wade Phillips · February 27, 2009, 10:12:00 PM

Bill... Did the underlays fall off in the past day or did you just clean your glasses ??? LOL Tell us the story...

d. ward · March 02, 2009, 08:16:00 AM

I had no idea we had so many 1959 KS in our little gang here.Nice work Wade looks good.
Bill I changed over to contact lens and reading glasses a few years ago myself...ok just kidding Wade started it with the glasses joke...bd

JavelinaHink · March 02, 2009, 08:54:00 AM

Wade......not sure what happened there...I use a laptop and it might have been the keyboard not picking up the speed of these meat hooks passing by.........Bill..So my bow as no-underlays

Horney Toad · March 02, 2009, 02:59:00 PM

"Underlays removed". Still trying to figure out how and why someone would do that. Appears to me to be quite a task.

d. ward · March 02, 2009, 03:22:00 PM

Toad a very few may have fallen off do to glue failure.However for the most part removeing them is a pain in the neck.Lots and lots of sanding.Not sure to many guy's would have removed them unless one was missing like on Wade's bow.I removed the other to match..bd

Wade Phillips · March 02, 2009, 08:59:00 PM

Bill - I only said that because you now have a bow that is out of the neat little sequence that was going with the serial numbers and the underlays...

I changed your bow on the list on the Kodiak Special thread.

Nothing ever surprises me with exceptions to any rules that are established with Bear bows.

BowDoc - Yes is it surprising how many 59 Specials are in the hands of so few collectors. It is apparent from the list that some of the guys like Chuck and Bjorn have been hording them for a while...

rushlush · March 11, 2009, 03:53:00 PM

New to collecting. I just recieved a beautiful 1959 KS, SER# WC554L, 64", #50. Is there any way of tracing them to the original owner?

TRAP · March 11, 2009, 05:01:00 PM

That's a nice looking bow. I think we were all watching it on the big auction site.

I doubt there's any chance of tracing Bear recurves back to the original owners based on serial numbers. Did you ask the seller if he knew any of the bow's history?

Trap

rushlush · March 11, 2009, 05:14:00 PM

It shouldn't be on that site anymore, it is in my living room. What kind of stringer should I use to string it? I'm dying to see it strung.
Thank you.

Wade Phillips · March 11, 2009, 08:41:00 PM

rushlush - Very nice bow. You may not realize it, but the auction is still visible under completed auctions. The serial number of your bow was recorded on the other thread about Kodiak Specials...

http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=14;t=002059;p=3

TRAP · March 11, 2009, 11:17:00 PM

Pretty sure the seller's father was selling Bear recurves and representing Bear Archery in 1959. He may be aware of the history surrounding that particular bow. It's a long shot, but probably your only chance at knowing who the original owner was.

As for stringing it. A cord type bow stringer with a sleeve on each end or a selway type stringer with a sleeve on one end and a rubber block that sits on top of the limb on the other end should do the trick.

Good Luck, Trap

rushlush · March 12, 2009, 11:07:00 AM

Trap thanks for info.

Jesus

Migra Bill · May 31, 2009, 11:05:00 PM

WOw! The 1959 Kodiak Special 62" 59 pounds - serial number VA105 that Bow doc speaks about is now in my collection!!!

zepnut · June 01, 2009, 09:12:00 AM

VA575 62" 51# no underlays

d. ward · June 01, 2009, 09:45:00 AM

again I gotta say small world of collecters out there ahh ? bowdoc