Red Glass Kodiak - A Real One...

[Wade Phillips]

Although it is April Fools Day, this bow is a for real, red glass 1955 Kodiak. With all the talk about a red Kodiak, it just seems like a good time to show one. It is simply a standard double shelf 1955 Kodiak with a serial number etc., and a cool signature buy a great old guy who we all wish was still around.

   

[yellow bow]

That is real cool! Thanks for that pic Wade.

[vtmtnman]

Very cool.

[Bjorn]

I knew you'd have it!

[seboomook]

(Another) amazing bow Wade, is there a story behind the red glass?

[Horney Toad]

The guy making polars got drunk one day and wandered into the kodiak assembly area.  

[seboomook]

That 'splains it then. Good story. 4 years early for the red polars though. But now its on the internet it's gotta be true!  

[Hoof]

Thanks Wade for sharing and contributing as you do ...

[Wade Phillips]

Bjorn - This is not the Red Bow several guys have been talking about over the past few weeks, and the one we have not seen an image of yet.

This red glass 1955 Kodiak has been in the collecting community for perhaps 5 years or more before I was finally able to trade for it in 2004. It was well known among the more active collectors 10 years ago. But like many things, as time passes and players change, some information just doesn't get passed on to the next generation.

seboomook - I don't know who the original owner was, nor do I know the reason for the red glass.

However, I know enough about factories and humans to know that any bow could have been built with any color glass either as a screw up or on purpose.

It is my favorite 1955 Kodiak, not just for the red glass, but because Charlie signed it for me the last time I saw him.

If you never met Charlie, he was really a cool old guy.  One of Bear's last of the old school, cut from a cloth that simply does not exist in this day and age.

Great down to earth people like Charlie are the Bear employees who made the Bear Archery Company what it was in its golden era. We have guys like Charlie to thank for the old equipment and great stories that we all enjoy today.

Charlie Kroll at age 84 with his signature rag tag camo cap, amusing the peanut gallery with one of his many great stories.  

 

[Jeremy]

seboomook, the Polars had red glass from '55 through '60.  I'm not sure about the '54 Polar.  I really like the look of the red glass... blends right in to the fall woods.  That red glass Kodiak is very nice, but I think you already knew that.

[Tom I.]

Wade Wrote:
"However, I know enough about factories and humans to know that any bow could have been built with any color glass either as a screw up or on purpose."

Wade, I can imagine an employee wanting distinct bow of his own, making that one up....I saw things like this happen while I worked for Savage Arms....rifles that had non-cataloged features or calibers...
It would be interesting tho, to know more about the bow's origin.  It's a shame we'll probably never know.
Tom I.

[Wade Phillips]

Jeremy - Yes, this is the red glass used on the Bear Polar. Why, I don't know. It could have been one of a hundred different reasons.


Tom I. - Yes, it would be interesting to know of the bow's origin and it's complete pedigree. As collectors and temporary keepers of these artifacts, we have do everything possible to accurately catalog them.

Unfortunately, we have to accept some items at face value, and resist the temptation to let speculation become an accepted fact. With your experience in a factory environment, you know some things do not get documented.