MANLAW - My new "Swinehart" Inspired Craig Ekin and Nate Steen Collaboration Longbow named "Sagittarius", Commemorative Bob Swinehart

This post will introduce everyone to a very special longbow I was blessed to receive last week upon my return from work travel.

I purchased a heavy 78# Howard Hill Big-Five longbow from a fellow left-handed archer for a good price.  It was identical to my "White Eagle" hunting bow (that I received from the same gentleman) and my thought was to have it reduced to around 65-68 pounds and use it as a workout / training bow.  I had it shipped from the seller directly to Idaho and Nate Steen agreed to rework the bow and reduce it.  There was a crack in the belly glass on the handle fade area that ran lengthwise, and Nate said that shouldn't be a problem.  Halfway through completion Nate informed me that the bow was too good looking to be relegated to a workout bow and that this bow "Needed to Hunt", and if it was ok to reduce her down more. That sounded reasonable. He also asked what I wanted it to be named, and he remembered that I was a Sagittarius.  I told him, "bowyers choice" on the name. 

Nate was able to catch up on some bow shop work after the hunting season, and in late February he sent me a text with a bow tube ready to ship.  I waited...then waited...then Nate asked if the bow had arrived, and I started to get nervous.  By March 15th I was all but resigned that the bow was "lost in the mail".  I was heading to New Orleans for a work trip, and I sent Nate a note that it was still MIA. While I was on travel, my wife texted me that I had a bow arrive!  Whoo-hoo, but now the waiting felt even longer.  

Arriving home to unpack the container, I started to realize what a special bow this really was.  The first thing that struck me was the re-shaped handle making it more in the style of Swinehart as can be seen from the photos below.  The flatter handle section that may have been from the glass running through completely under the handle grip on the models he shot.  

 

Here is the handle before rework, showing the thicker and much more rounded handle:

The second item was the inscribed name, "Sagittarius", that was an obvious reference to the Swinehart book.  Also, I happen to also be a Sagittarius, and I own an older John Schulz made right-handed Tembo by the same name. Some kind of cosmic linkage?

Next, the bow will not sport a side plate, whose lack is customary to Nate's bows as well as what Swinehart shot as seen in the photo below.

The inlay in this case is Alaskan moose that was donated by a fellow longbowman.  I am hoping it will bring some luck of "moose proportions" to my hunting.

The reason I like to go without a side plate is that the bow will give me feedback and "speak" if I have a bad release or form problem.  I need the feedback to improve by listening to what the bow is telling me.

If we compare the bow side-by-side to its brother (both Ekin made Big-Five models) you can see what was done.

Part of the work was a major reduction in draw weight to the tune of 15 pounds.  You can see the belly now has considerable trap and less glass width. 

 

You can also see the thinness of the glass compared to a similar weight and model, and the original that was much heavier, thus changing the wood to glass ratio.

This is a photo of the bow before the reduction and rework:

Nate of course puts on a super glossy and durable finish which I love.  Very classy and I've never spooked an animal that I could attribute to glare, even with the white backed bow I used to own.  You can see there is still a good setback to it unstrung.

Shooting both bows there is a noticeable difference in feel.  These two bows are within 3 pounds of one another, yet to my eye Nate's bow seems faster shooting the same arrow.  There is a different feel upon release I can only attribute to the tiller differences as the limbs return to brace.  There appears to be less vibration and quieter shot.  

Now, looking at the serial number and specs, I'll let Nate describe what he did in his own words, "There was no Big Five model back when Bob hunted,  so I didn't want that model name on the bow, but I wanted a reference to Swinehart's original model...so the Schulz-induced model for Tembo on the specs was "T - ...."   So, I copied that.  T-001.  You have the first Tembo model named Sagittarius, in Schulz's Howard Hill font, built by Ekin and reworked by Steen.  An all around original."

We know a Tembo has only 3 bamboo laminations, but this bow is about more about tribute than anything.  The bow is a unique combination of Ekin and Steen. A "Steekin" made bow.

I plan to take this on many "Safari's" as I hunt with it.