Star Trek killed the Recurve Bow

Captain Kirk in 1969 Jennings Compound AD

Bill Shatner using a recurve before he turned to the "Dark Side"

William Shatner with a Shakespeare Recurve

Captain Kirk Killed the Recurve!

by Larry Vienneau

I know what you are thinking…what the heck does Captain Kirk have to do with Shakespeare Archery? Well, believe it or not, he has a lot to do with it. OK, I admit it, I might be a bit of a Star Trek nerd but William Shatner using his Star Trek fame helped end traditional archery (for a while anyway). Jennings was the first manufacturer of the compound bow. They used William Shatner of Star Trek fame to promote a new “Space Age” bow design.  It was a clever use of celebrity and technology which ultimately lead to the decline of the recurve and the birth of the compound. William Shatner owned several Shakespeare recurves and was friends with Shakespeare Archery Executive and Pro Dick Wilson and Shatner also knew Ernie Root.

 

Holless Wilbur Allen changed the direction of archery forever when he discovered that he could make a new, faster bow by sawing off part of the limbs of a recurve bow and attaching pulleys to the new ends.  In the early 1960s, he decided to try improving the current design of bows by using the pulley’s mechanical advantage to pull more weight than normally possible.

As Holless was exploring different ways of using the pulleys, he discovered that by using one with an offset axle (eccentrics), he created one of the biggest advantages of compound bows, “let-off”.  When coupled with a cam shape instead of a round pulley, the draw length, weight, and force curve could be changed and improved.

On June 23, 1966, Holless applied for a patent “Archery bow with draw-force multiplying attachments”; in December of 1969, it was granted.  He teamed with Tom Jennings, and the first compound bows began to be manufactured.

William Shatner in one of the first ads for a compound bow in 1968

Shatner with Recurve 1967

Bill Shatner with his (Shakespeare Model X-15 ?) recurved in 1967 and
 today as he reminisces about how he killed the recurve
recent photo© 2012 by Jeff Greenwald

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© Copyright, Larry Vienneau Jr.

All rights reserved.

Shakespeare Wonderbow Cascade X-29

Shakespeare Catalog May 1969

Shakespeare Cascade X29

by Larry Vienneau

  

Like all Shakespeare Hunting “X” bows, The Cascade was named after a National Forest area. The former Cascade National Forest was established by the U.S. Forest Service in Oregon on March 2, 1907, it is now part of the North Cascades National Park Complex in Washington State. Rich in bio-diversity, it has been a favorite hunting region and has yielded a wealth of data about human activity spanning the last 9,600 years.

Cascade X29 1969 – 1972

•  50” AMO
•  2 ½ wide limbs
• Pistol grip Riser, Resin/ wood composite
• Draw weights - 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 lbs.
• Originally it had a 45" string. 
• Chronograph Avg. 174.6 feet per second
• Brace height is rather high at 9 inches
• 4 1/2 inch shooting window
• Wood and white glass tip overlays

         The Cascade was nicknamed BLACK BEAUTY and was marketed as the "Broad Bow.”  In the late 1960s, there was a trend toward ever-shorter hunting bows. Shakespeare was pushing the envelope of technology. It introduced the Cascade which was one of the shortest bows of the era The Cascade was one the only two bows ever made with 2 1/2" limbs, the other 2 1/2 wide limbed bow was the 52" Root Hunt Master. The theory was the wide limb requires a thinner limb and would allow for better weight distribution and result in a smoother draw. A 1969 Shakespeare Ad claimed it could “handle 25% more stress and deliver 33% more speed than other short bows.” Its riser is a tournament pistol grip made with “Jet Age” Phenolic laminate Black Formica impregnated with phenolic thermosetting resins.  English translation: the riser material is made by combining resins and wood particles which were compressed under high pressure and temperature into dense, uniform material which resembles Ebony. This was one of the first composite resin risers. I have read that there were problems with the riser cracking in the first productions but they worked out the technical issues.

a beautiful Cascade thanks to Jim Luby

Some people are reluctant to try a short bow because they worry about “stacking”. A limb should increase tension at about 2-3 pounds per inch steadily to be considered smooth. If a limb produces peak weight too fast it is referred to as stacking. A bow that “stacks” may draw smoothly at 27- 28 inches, but the tension dramatically increases over 28”. A short bow stacking results quickly because the limbs reach their peak quicker at a short draw length.

My 45# Cascade Wonderbow

I have a beautiful #47 Cascade which has no noticeable stacking at all. My draw is 27 ½ inches. I attempted to extend my draw to 30+” by pulling the string past my ear. I did feel some mild stacking at about 31 inches. I think the Cascade design has effectively diminished the stacking problem. The bow also has very little hand shock. Some short bows also have problems with string pinch. This has to do with the steep angle created by a short bow. I did not experience excessive string pinch. This bow is very fast; I shot it with my Bear 45# Kodiak Super Magnum and it seemed to deliver the arrows quicker. I also shot the Cascade with my other Shakespeare bows and it was sending arrows through the target while the other bows were not showing as much penetration. I tested its speed and it shoots at nearly 175 FPS. I also tested all of my forty-five vintage bows by shooting three 300 rounds at 20 yards from each bow. The Cascade tied my Pecos X23 as the most accurate shooter. Pecos shot more "X bulls-eyes" so it finished first. Cascade has everything you need from a hunting bow to, a compact design with speed and accuracy!! I think the 1969 Shakespeare Ad wasn’t advertising hype, the bow does handle the strain of short limbs very well and it does push arrows at higher velocity. If your draw length is 29 inches I think this bow will be very comfortable for you to shoot. Tuning the bow is tricky. It has a high brace height of 8 1/2 - 9 inches and can be loud until you find your sweet spot. Mine is set at 8 3/4 inches.  I also suggest strung silencers to dampen the sound.  I think this will soon be my new favorite tree stand or blind bow!

"NEWS / NEW PRODUCT" Archery World May 1969 pp. 79 & 80

a screenshot of a Cascade Ad