[Supraspinatus]

I'm returning to archery after 20+ years away. I decided to pick it up again with ILF equipment, due to an ILF bow's simplicity, quick assembly, traveltravelability, diversity of excellent limb options, etc. When I made that decision I did not realize that super recurve limbs would be part of the deal.

I've learned a bit about curves and super curves incidentally throughreading posts here and on AT, but I find that I'd like to know what limb came first, who made it, what the other guy did with the next variation of the them, what historical bows they were inspired by etc.

Is there anything like a brief history of 21st century super recurves?

 

[pipcount]

Do google search on "Super recurve" and choose to look at older threads

first "super recurve" - Google Search

Ex: Super Recurve?

I like them, let me shoot relatively heavy arrows further/flatter with a light draw weight and without excessive stacking on my ~32" draw length. I also like Uukha, which are "curvier than normal", although they dont store as much energy, they have a very smooth back end. I own Border and Backwoods, would like to try Morrison someday... but likely have all I need for a while now.

 

[Bowmania]

The current issue of TBM has a story about Bruin and Mike Steliga. I believe he made a SR in the '80's. It did not sell, because of materials. You could shoot off the string with a little torque of the riser. I believe Savage 1 bought one from Mike. I'll text him for a date.

Bowmania

 

[Jinkster]

To this day I don't think there's been a carved in stone definition of "What a Supercurve Is" or where the line blurs and crosses over from a bow limb of a conventional profile and progresses into what has loosely been termed as "Super Recurves" but if I were to define it?...I would say when the limb tips (braced/strung at static) line up with and/or reside forward of the limb base fades?...now the bows limbs are venturing into what I'd term as a "Super Recurve" limb profile.

As far as discussing who the innovators were of what was until recent years a somewhat niche product?...would be to open up a very large and ugly can of worms so I think it best that we don't even go there but suffice it to say there are gains to be had at prices to be paid as Bowyers do their best to increase per pound energy storage while maintaining stability and durability as the added composition of CF has been a game changer where limb profile design is concerned.

Pix for attn...

 

[Sam Dunham]

Mongols/Asiatic

 

[Phil]

They've been around for at least 2000 years the Persians and the Turks had them so did the Chin and the Mauryan Empire in India .... so they're not a new thing

 

[DDD]

In fairness static tip vs non-static?

 

[Sam Dunham]

In fairness static tip vs non-static?

Yep. I wanted a set of Mikes static tip ILF's. Never did get a set but is it true (not to change the subject) that they do not have as pronounced stacking once you lift the string out of the curves?

 

[Sam Dunham]

They've been around for at least 2000 years the Persians and the Turks had them so did the Chin and the Mauryan Empire in India .... so they're not a new thing

Hope you are better👍

 

[Phil]

Hope you are better👍

Yes I'm back to normal .... Thank you Sam

 

[wstrayer]

Bill,
Do you still have that CH?

 

[Carboniac]

They have been around forever. Whats actually changed is modern materials. In addition to greater speed modern material can afford greater torsional stability which seems to matter more when you have long lever arms as found on super curves.

 

[Bowmania]

Savage 1 said it was in the '90's.

Bowmania

 

[Hank D Thoreau]

While there may have been large curves on bows throughout history, you can trace the modern super recurve to Border. Border continuously evolved the limb profile until they were able to create a limb that achieved let-off. Companies that make super recurves today followed in the footsteps of Border. This link posted by Pipcount shows my photo of the history of Border super recurves. That history started well before the for first released version, the HEX4. A key technological advance was the use of cross weave carbon which first appeared in the Border XP10 limbs, which were a conventional recurve. Cross weave carbon provided the means to stabilize the limbs. It is the continuous improvement or advancement of the super recurve that distinguishes Border.

The slide below shows the history of Border ILF limbs through HEX6. This was actually used as part of a contest a few years ago, which explains the title on the picture.

 

[Hank D Thoreau]

Here is a timeline for the early Border limbs. You can compare this to the picture above. The XP10 Evolutions are from 1998.

This is my original post on the Border website. Border ILF limbs - family tree | Archery Interchange

Sid Ball continued to update the list for a few years.

2007 HEX5 - WCXC (Wood core, CXC laminate, extra high energy recurve ratio)
2007 HEX5 - HCXC ( Hyperflex synthetic core, CXC laminate, extra high energy recurve ratio)
2007 HEX4-WCXC Plus (Wood core, CXC laminate, high energy recurve ratio)
2007 HEX4 - HCXC (Hyperflex synthetic core, CXC laminate, high energy recurve ratio)
2007 CXG (Hyperflex synthetic core, CXC laminate)
2007 CXB (Wood core, CXC laminate)
2004 TXG (Hyperflex synthetic core, TX40 laminate)
2004 TXS (Superflex core, TX40 laminate)
2004 TXB (Wood core, TX40 laminate)
2001 Talisman TX40 Gold (MK2 Hyperflex synthetic core, TX38 laminate)
2001 Talisman TX40 Silver (Superflex synthetic core, TX38 laminate)
2001 Talisman TX40 Bronze (Wood core, TX38 laminate)
1999 ML2 (MK1 Hyperflex synthetic core, glass power structure)
1999 SM Carbon (Wood core, glass power structure)
( ) Carbon (Similar to SM Carbon)
( ) Carbon Premier (Carbons made for Wales Archery)
( ) Merlin Elites (ML2 made for Merlin Archery)
( ) Merlin Classics (Border Carbon)
( ) Carbofast (Similar to SM Carbon)
1998 XP10 Evolution (Synthetic core, glass power structure, stabilization)
1998 XP10 (Wood core, glass power structure, stabilization)
1992 Vision Carbon (Wood core, glass power structure, carbon support)

 

[Jinkster]

Bill,
Do you still have that CH?

No…it blew up at full draw…The Sids replaced the limbs and I sold it

 

[KPinWI]

Hank, do not believe I have seen a recurve draw force curve showing a peak draw force achieved and a reduction in that value as drawn further. For example a bow is 50 # draw at 25", 45# at 28", 40# @ 30". Something I have only seen compounds achieve. Do you have an example curve from an actual measurement?

 

[Carboniac]

The Border "profiles" are greatly over rated. they are well laid out Im sure - but the major evolution is "more."

Borders much bigger contribution than profiles is in materials construction that allowed them use those profiles.

 

[HedgeHunter]

Harry Drake made short super Recurves. He did alot of things back before he killed himself at Bonneville. Far as glass bows go Harry did a bunch. Some his target bows are hard to find and very great rigs.

HH~

 

[Hank D Thoreau]

Hank, do not believe I have seen a recurve draw force curve showing a peak draw force achieved and a reduction in that value as drawn further. For example a bow is 50 # draw at 25", 45# at 28", 40# @ 30". Something I have only seen compounds achieve. Do you have an example curve from an actual measurement?

Attached are performance curves for a few HEX8 version and an experimental bow that Border was working on.

The second chart is the first derivative of the draw force curve, which shows pounds/inch at each point in the draw cycle. This is the best way to see let off which occurs when pounds/inch is negative.

The last chart is a close up of the low point in the feet/inch. Notice the bows going negative, which is let off.

Let off is very small. Not like a compound. Still, it is pretty remarkable that Border was able to achieve it.