Back before we moved to Northern NY State, my wife and I lived in Trafalgar, IN. We used to make wood arrows and set up a booth at all of the major traditional shoots in the Midwest and Eastern United States. We also came down to Hardy Lake for just about every ITBA shoot. Some of your member at that time had killed deer with our arrows or matched shafts and we have pictures of those kills in our photo album. The name of our business was "QUALITY CRAFTED ARROW WOOD"
When we moved away we got out of the traditional archery business. After nearly 21 years, my future son in law's interest in shooting a recurve bow prompted me to take inventory of my arrow making supplies stored in the barn. To my surprise, I found over $1,100 (today's prices) of unopened dipping lacquers with the factory seals still intact. I also have a stock of several thousand shafts as well as feathers, nocks, etc. I will be able to start up production again with a minimal cash outlay and I am thinking of doing so.
Anyone that remembers our product knows that we catalogued the material used and could fill orders for new arrows that would match the spine and mass weight perfectly for consistency from one dozen to the next. Our arrows were "seldom equaled and unsurpassed for quality, consistency and value". I am posting here to gauge interest in our product should I start up production again. If I do, I will sell on eBay as well as directly to IBHA members at a 10% discount to reflect saving eBay fees.
I am including a few pictures of our product and some success photos of people we met at your shoots in the old days before you moved the shoot from Hardy Lake to the Scottburgh Conservation Club.
If anyone recognizes the people in these pictures please post up here.
Also if any of you have any pictures of us, our product or game taken with our product, please post here.
Those deer were either killed with arrows we made or with arrows made from out matched shafts.
EDIT; I am including some pictures of my personal hunting arrows to illustrate to caliber of work we are capable of.
These would be a base grade "utility arrow" . They are still the same quality as the ones above, just less time spent on finish.
-- Edited by Wildcat Junkie on Friday 26th of April 2019 10:51:48 AM
-- Edited by Wildcat Junkie on Friday 26th of April 2019 10:52:38 AM
-- Edited by Wildcat Junkie on Friday 26th of April 2019 08:29:06 PM
Those are some bueatimus arrows. Old stock arrow supplies are much better than you can buy now days. If you buy a dozen Port Orford raw shafts you might get 10 that will make decent arrows. Full length feathers might be 8 to 10 inches long.
Old man Cowels has some Acme Premium PO shafts but he won't turn loose of any of them.
That first picture looks like a young Mike Hebner. I'll bet he was huntin on a youth license. If it was him that had to be sometime in the 50s.
Dan, how the heck are you? Me, Hebner and Tucker have brought you up numerous times over the years. You have a couple pictures of me in that album also.
Guys, if you don't remember Dan, he made the best...bar none...wooden arrows on the planet! Straight as aluminum and beautiful. That's mike Hebner on top, Ray Phipps in the middle and I'm not sure of the bottom pic...The arrows in the pic he calls basic grade, he used to call nocker blockers and they were basic for him but still better than any I've made. Man I miss the old days!
-- Edited by thunt on Sunday 28th of April 2019 09:38:33 PM
-- Edited by thunt on Sunday 28th of April 2019 09:49:31 PM
Dan, how the heck are you? Me, Hebner and Tucker have brought you up numerous times over the years. You have a couple pictures of me in that album also.
thunt wrote:
Guys, if you don't remember Dan, he made the best...bar none...wooden arrows on the planet! Straight as aluminum and beautiful. That's mike Hebner on top, Ray Phipps in the middle and I'm not sure of the bottom pic...The arrows in the pic he calls basic grade, he used to call nocker blockers and they were basic for him but still better than any I've made. Man I miss the old days!
-- Edited by thunt on Sunday 28th of April 2019 09:38:33 PM
-- Edited by thunt on Sunday 28th of April 2019 09:49:31 PM
OK Todd, I hate to admit it, but I can't put a face to the name. I went on your profile to find your name. Can you post some pictures from the old days to jog my memory?
I have about 4-5,000 shafts in the barn. I just found several factory sealed gallons of dipping lacquer in red, yellow that I just opened to check as well as a gallon white already thinned and ready for dipping., several quarts of flour yellow, flour pink and a quart of flour orange that still had the plastic seals in top. I have over a thousand full length feathers (left wing) including some natural barred and faux barred and a couple thousand nocks. I have my 12 Bitzenburger jigs all freed up and found my feather burners and ribbons for same. Only things I haven't located yet are my cresting motor and the 10 shaft dipping holders that hold a dozen shafts each.
I'm working on getting the barn cleared out and expect to find the missing tools shortly. When I get started up again I'll let you guys know.
Dan still have a dozen, still have the arrow I shot that deer with. Miss you guys at the shoots.
Hey Mike how are ya doin'? I didn't have your name written on the back of that picture but as soon as I heard your name I knew it was you. It's great to hear from you.
Diana's family still lives in Franklin, IN so maybe sometime when we visit I can catch one of your shoots in Scottburgh.
