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Timberpoint Kraken Initial Review and Impressions

13K views 50 replies 21 participants last post by  Jinkster  
#1 ·
I've owned several D-Shape (when strung) Longbows and even shot a few that weren't mine and being D-Longbows?...they were all sweet shooting and quiet as one might expect of such but?...after the pink cloud of newness dissipated?...the honeymoon was over and despite the drop dead beauty of a few of them?...they'd all leave me "wanting" in one way or another.

With a couple?...I had developed a serious dislike for the grip where others suffered performance issues over the combination of me selecting very low draw weights and the fact that they were D-longbows and I can only endure a dogged performing bow for so long no matter how sweet and quiet it shoots or how stunning it may be too my eye and with that said?....enter Jaco Wessels...

"TIMBERPOINT KRAKEN!!!"

I had heard enough about these D-Longbows from Archers far more skilled and experienced than I to safely presume that this was one D-Longbow that wouldn't leave me "wanting" and to know that if I didn't like this one?...D-Longbows would be off my future shopping lists for keeps.

Just opening the bow was an uplifting experience as I looked inside and realized it was a..."Custom Fit Box"...with cool little blocks of wood registering areas where the bow wasn't and locking the bow into position within the box...extra effort on Jaco's part and a great idea since originally it was Internationally shipped.

The next thing I was taken with was the quality of the bow sock the Kraken resided in...extremely heavy duty cloth lined with some real thick, soft and plush feeling felt along with an embroidered "TIMBERPOINT" patch...I know...seems silly to get all jeeped up about a bow sock but me this ain't your average bow sock and screamed "Pride & Quality" too me and I have an appreciation for such because this was just a taste of things to come and what came out of that super high quality bow sock?...left me in a moment of awe as I gazed upon a D-Longbow the likes of I've never seen before where the only thing that snapped me out of it was the thought of...

"WOW THIS THING IS HEAVY!"

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tipping the scale at a whopping 3lbs 3.7ozs (or 1,465grams)...Just under 3 1/4LBS worth of beautifully figured Madagascar Ebony and Golden Osage hiding the riser sections massive Dark Timber (I-Beam Like) Core.

I attempted to use a Borders Pocket & Hoop Stringer where despite the hoop being rubber lined?...it persistently slipped as I attempted stringing several times and had to hold the hoop in place cause it kept sliding up what I now believe is the limbs UD CF Backing with it's shimmering black/gray CF strands leading to tips accented with Osage with the string nocks cut in a fashion that seemingly acts as BH indicators...it's right when the base of the nock grooves are nearly straight up and down maybe?...

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I'm of the opinion that if you are anywhere within eye shot of this bow?..."It's Presence"...is undeniable if not impossible to ignore...

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some take pause at the sight of the Kraken's grip as it appears tiny and painful but I'm here to tell you it isn't...it's an optical illusion where it "Only Looks Small" as it's raised from but back dropped by the Kraken's Massive Riser...if you will?....think of is as a grip that grew out of...and keeps you from torquing what is a King Sized riser...

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However I will admit there's not much there.....but?...enough to be more than comfy where if it hurts?...you ain't doing it right cause this bow flat out shoots and does so remarkably well!!!...I just got the bow today....zero tuning...one nocking point...and from 15, 18 and 20yds?...baseball sized groups with 2 different types of wood arrows were the "easy to come by" norm...

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Matter fact?...I was all giggly inside tonight thinking this is the first wood chucking longbow I've ever owned where I'm just as confident with it as any top quality target recurve I've owned...and I'm not exaggerating.

Also?...I don't think "Dogged Performance" will ever be an issue with this Kraken...imnsho?....it's also the first D-Longbow I've owned that preforms dang close to many older recurves I've shot...and please dismiss my.."Old Man Trembles"...they are highly exaggerated at the magnification I used to zoom in on the chrono...so it's like your eyes are 12"s from my bow hand...


I miss spoke in the Vid...I've looked at so many bows recently for some reason I thought this one was 51#@31"...it's not...it's 51#@30" which means I'm holding about 46#s at 27 1/2"s...but between the long limbs and the massive riser?...it's feels like I'm holding about 42#s.

More to come as I get to know the bow...Hope you enjoyed so far. Bill.
 
#14 ·
Release the kraken! !!!
 
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#16 ·
Thank you Jinkster! After I put up my post about wanting a Kraken, Jinkster went way above and beyond the call of duty. He found a 68" 38 pound bow for sale and sent me a PM. I connected with the seller and it will be on its way to me on Monday. Jinkster, you are a special guy. Thanks again.

Bill G
 
#21 ·
What a Chunk of Furniture!...Took a pic for those who've not handled a Timberpoint yet cause it's hard to wrap your head around how massive they are with words...so here's a pic with tape measures....

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The riser section is 25"s long from end of fade too end of fade and 2 3/4" at it's widest part of the window just above the very well radiused shelf.

Reminds me of the scene from Crocodile Dundee when he proclaimed..."This Is A Knife"....well?..."This Is A Longbow"! LOL!

I'm just happy to have a longbow again that's long enough to be hung from it's string on my armoire....things was looking naked up there for awhile! LOL!

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I shot this beast again tonight and now that the initial excitement is over I got to focus on the draw which is real nice...maybe because it was made for a 30" draw and I'm just 28"s?....or maybe because those riser fades extend into the actionboo cores a good ways?...but whatever it is?...the 46/47#s or so I have on my fingers feels more like 42/43#s...zero stack...just a very smooth and steady increase in DW.

Another amazing feature I observed tonight is the behavior of this bow at the shot...I'm used to having at least a few inches of rearward travel from the upper limb tip but this thing is real dead at the shot where it maintains it's straight up and down position with like zero rock and then the string just slowly rolls outward away from my bow arm where it sort of acted like a longbow version of my Gillo G1 in BB configuration.

I'm in for a fun weekend of tuning and from what I'm seeing out of the box?...my expectations are high. :)
 
#30 ·
Despite taking ownership of a Stolid Bull riser last weekend?.... (as amazing as that riser is)...it's been left hanging as I wait for it's new limbs to arrive where I've chosen to shoot this Kraken instead...almost every night this week...and yes....what an amazing bow...a D-Longbow that has a strong for me but silky smooth draw where it shoots as well (or better) than most single piece wooden recurves I've owned and ends with a sugar sweet finish....awesome...I'm really enjoying this bow. :)
 
#39 ·
How can it be the wrong label? It's the description of the shape the bow has to form when strung, nothing to do with the limb profile. I prefer the term Flatbow anyway, an English longbow is a proper longbow [emoji41]

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#41 ·
Then you should know that throughout history, including ELB's they are flat on the back, and rounded on the belly. A cross section looks like a D. The D shaped moniker was adopted to refer to recent tournament legal bows that did not allow the string to touch the limbs at either end, and show no reflex in the limbs. A true American Flatbow like the Howard Hill Style has no Reflex/deflex and when not braced is...well flat. Reflex deflex has been around for thousands of years..just thought I'd throw that out there.
 
#42 ·
I agree Moose but as you say, in the wording we have now, D shaped refers to strung profile. I have a couple of D profile limb longbows, they are fun to shoot. I thought "Flatbow" came from the limb profile itself, not the old fashioned Benny Hill style widow makers.


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