Miller is likely the inventor of the Modern Fiberglass Bow
W.l. Miller, was a chemist and physicist working with plastics in a laboratory for many years as well as flight shooter. He held a patent on plastic faced bows since 1943.Toxglass is a woven fiberglass backing. Toxwood is a plastic impregnated wood used for both backing and facing. Toxhorn is a high pressure phenolic type plastic with a cellulose filler used for facing. The pistol grip riser/handle with shelf and sight window originated in the 1940s by Earl Hoyt. Before that they had what some called a "locator" grip. Slight "dish" with palm swells in the Hill type grip. Small shelves go back farther. Synthetic backings (Toxhorn, Lamacoid, Fortisan, Bakelite) into the 1920s or earlier. Fred Bear got a patent for his method in Canada in 1953, but it was done other ways by others long before that. Some of the early pioneers were Gordon, Eicholtz, and Miller.
Archery was popular before the Great Depression. Hill mainstreamed it via Hollywood. Archery made it's Great Leap Forward in the USA with Ben Peasron and Fred Bear in the 50s who brought mass production to it, and popularized bowhunting (where most of the market is in the USA, which is half the worldwide market).
Thanks for Michael for a lot of this research!
W.l. Miller, was a chemist and physicist working with plastics in a laboratory for many years as well as flight shooter. He held a patent on plastic faced bows since 1943.Toxglass is a woven fiberglass backing. Toxwood is a plastic impregnated wood used for both backing and facing. Toxhorn is a high pressure phenolic type plastic with a cellulose filler used for facing. The pistol grip riser/handle with shelf and sight window originated in the 1940s by Earl Hoyt. Before that they had what some called a "locator" grip. Slight "dish" with palm swells in the Hill type grip. Small shelves go back farther. Synthetic backings (Toxhorn, Lamacoid, Fortisan, Bakelite) into the 1920s or earlier. Fred Bear got a patent for his method in Canada in 1953, but it was done other ways by others long before that. Some of the early pioneers were Gordon, Eicholtz, and Miller.
Archery was popular before the Great Depression. Hill mainstreamed it via Hollywood. Archery made it's Great Leap Forward in the USA with Ben Peasron and Fred Bear in the 50s who brought mass production to it, and popularized bowhunting (where most of the market is in the USA, which is half the worldwide market).
Thanks for Michael for a lot of this research!
