1937 Chester Stevenson take-down Osage Static Recurve.

[Carson (CMB)]

I was at the Pope & Young bow shoot this weekend and got to inspect a Chet Stevenson static recurve of osage.  It had an amazingly nice fitting metal take down sleeves.  It was approximately 54" (straight line length, not accounting for recurved tips). It had an overall length of 58" when including the recurved tips.  It was a very nice piece of osage with almost no early wood.  The limbs were narrow, about an inch in the fades, very slightly wider through the working limbs, then tapering back down to an inch through the recurve to a 3/8" nock.  It was marked Stevenson 1937.  Most of his bows were heavy draw weights of 60-75#, and I am guessing this one is in that range, though I did not string the bow.  It was backed with a thin layer of rawhide, that ran the entire length of the bow.  It was pretty neat to see this bow in person (thanks Bob Marshall), and to think that it likely shot at the second annual Pope & Young shoot back in 1937!

[Lee Slikkers]

Wow, that is so excellent...what a great piece of Archery History!

[mullet]

That's a nice piece of history. I wonder if the reflex was intensional or from the heavy bow weight?

[Carson (CMB)]

Yeah, I felt pretty lucky to hold it.  Mullet, I assume you mean the deflex...I wondered the same thing, it seams a reoccuring discussion on this forum, when looking at older bows, and when making our own. 

here are some more pics. 

[blackhawk]

Dang..that's priceless.....those short sharp 90 degree statics are sweeeeeet  .  Its in great shape too

[Keenan]

Love seeing that kind of history. Thanks for sharing Carson. Wish I could have made it over for that shoot. We had relatives in town from Kentucky

[coaster500]

Very, very cool... That's a tribute to a Bowyers skills...  I wonder what it would be like to shoot

[tom sawyer]

Does look like a real nice piece of hedge, growth rings not too tight and even.  I just did my first rawhide backing and I am loving that stuff.

[PEARL DRUMS]

M-O-J-O CITY

[Badly Bent]

75 year old gem there and the history behind it is to cool, thanks for posting.

[hunterbob]

Wow that is something special right there.
I can see Blackhawks wheels turning 8>)

[osage outlaw]

Look at the color on that thing.  Thanks for posting.

[Carson (CMB)]

Thanks to everyone for checking this out.  I am glad to share it, as I knew this was a place where such a thing would really be appreciated.  I would like to replicate that design as well.  Let me know if anyone takes a stab at it, I would like to hear how it turns out.  I too would love to know how that thing shoots.  I asked if it had ever been strung in recent times, and the owner said, Ohh no.   Keenan, I was hoping to see you there, but I understand, family is family. 

[blackhawk]

Even though its a dense piece of osage I think its underbuilt a little for the draw lentgh,bow length and draw weight. And that's why we see the set in the working limbs. Unless whoever had it a long time ago left it braced for too long of a time. But maybe it was designed that way so the working limbs wood have a deflex profile for better accuracy. The only recurve I've ever been able to shoot well is that yew deflex recurve I just made and I believe its because of the profile. Back then they were waaaaay more into accuracy than we are and not as much about performance as we are today. A lot of unknowns with this,and wish we knew.

And yes my wheels are turning,and I am being tempted to give it a whirl. Id prob do it as a one piece tho,and I wood have to scroll thru all my wood for a piece that could take being one inch wide. Interesting its width maintains all the way to the curves. Maybe it was a slim split and that's all he had to work with so he carried the width all the way out? Who knows.

[turtle]

Thanks for sharing. I realy love those tight curves.