# First Generation Jennings Compound Bow



## bear-of-grayling

This is a Jennings Compound bow made by the master himself Tom Jennings. The bow was ordered in the summer of 1968 and picked up the same day actor William Shatner picked up his new bow. The bow is made of Brazilian Rosewood. It cost $300.00. It has all the original paperwork, a green canvas, fur lined case, a warrantee card, and a letter from Tom Jennings. There is no serial number on it as the early bows were not numbered. It was used very little then stored for 40 years. This bow was one of the first compounds made. It has a " Patent Pending " stamped in ink under the finish on each limb and the " Jennings Compound Bow " logo on the face of each limb. Hope you find this interesting. Dan


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## TWO SWITCHBACKS

wow !! thats an original treasure right there!.


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## Darton01

300 bucks in 1968 was alot of bread.:shade:


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## Longtimearcher

Darton01 said:


> 300 bucks in 1968 was alot of bread.:shade:


Yes, especially when you consider that a 68 Chevy P/U long bed, 307 motor, three speed on the column, sold for about 2500 bucks brand new.


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## bear-of-grayling

Longtimearcher said:


> Yes, especially when you consider that a 68 Chevy P/U long bed, 307 motor, three speed on the column, sold for about 2500 bucks brand new.


That is the truth. If anyone has one like it please post it. Thanks Dan


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## c&carchery

hey dan can u tell me string length for a jennings one star


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## c&carchery

pm me please


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## bear-of-grayling

I am not sure what lenght you need. Sorry. Dan


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## bear-of-grayling

Has anyone found a "pre-patent" Jennings or Allen?


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## rock monkey

you wont. most bows before the patent was issued or even applied for were proof of concept and experiments. there werent any mass manufactured compounds before the Allen patent.

H.W. Allen was the first to apply for a patent on the compound mechanical advantage bows.

Tom Jennings was a writer for a magazine and I think, but am not sure, the first to do technical reports on bows for a magazine, much like Norb Mullany (sp?) does now.

Tom did build recurves and when he reviewed the first Allen compound, he applied for a license to build a like item....the birth of Jennings Compound Bows.



Dan Dintaman said:


> Has anyone found a "pre-patent" Jennings or Allen?


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## TWO SWITCHBACKS

rock monkey said:


> you wont. most bows before the patent was issued or even applied for were proof of concept and experiments. there werent any mass manufactured compounds before the Allen patent.
> 
> H.W. Allen was the first to apply for a patent on the compound mechanical advantage bows.
> 
> Tom Jennings was a writer for a magazine and I think, but am not sure, the first to do technical reports on bows for a magazine, much like Norb Mullany (sp?) does now.
> 
> Tom did build recurves and when he reviewed the first Allen compound, he applied for a license to build a like item....the birth of Jennings Compound Bows.


thus allen got the patent and jennings& others got the licence from allen to build the compound bow?.


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## rock monkey

correct.



later on, there was a patent suit between jennings and allen. jennings eventually lost in 1980 and was forced to go out of business. bear archery bought the name and assets left over and jennings became a subsidiary of bear archery.

i'm sure the whole story is somewhere online.


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## rp65

I found one with Green colored wood on it, but painted camo. I cleaned off the paint on the handle and found a very nice Green colored wood under it, and it also came with a case and extra bow string and a print out of the specs. The lady I bought it from said it was her dads and he never used it much that she remembers, its just been in the case for years since her dad past away. Do these have any collector value? I would sell it if someone is interested.


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## Redclub

I might have one of those old Jennings, I know I traded a bear HC300 to Tom for one. I believe it has a 17% let off. MY son should have it,hopefully
Redclub


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## bear-of-grayling

Does any one have one like this? I will be posting the forth Generation Jennings Compond bow soon. Thanks Dan


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## Cold Weather

Jennings closed down in the fall of 1982.


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## skip5515

*Jennings*

String length is 43" w/o s-Hooks 44" with s-hooks from what I remember. Hope that helps.


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## bear-of-grayling

Any other news out there? New uncoverded treasusues? Share........


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## Hillcapper

That old camo job brings back memories. I remember painting my Jennings T-Star as a teenager using real leaves as templates!


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## bear-of-grayling

This is one of the first Jennings Compound Bows ever made. One can see that Tom took the basic design of the 1967 model and Made a "Stradivarius" out of it. thank you. Dan


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## bear-of-grayling

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## bear-of-grayling

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## bear-of-grayling

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## bear-of-grayling

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## love fingers

I have a Jennings Model T my uncle gave me and taught me how to shoot with it, I belive he won the 1976 Idaho field archery state championship with it, barebow division


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## bigcountry24

rp65 said:


> I found one with Green colored wood on it, but painted camo. I cleaned off the paint on the handle and found a very nice Green colored wood under it, and it also came with a case and extra bow string and a print out of the specs. The lady I bought it from said it was her dads and he never used it much that she remembers, its just been in the case for years since her dad past away. Do these have any collector value? I would sell it if someone is interested.


Thats cool


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## bear-of-grayling

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## bear-of-grayling

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## bear-of-grayling

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## TheBigCheese

I've got one. ill take a few pics and share..


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## 4TimeNatnlChamp

we threw away a few of these we had in our shop last month


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## Beefbonger

Hey everyone... from Livingston MT here... not sure if anyone is interested but posting pics of my father's old Jennings.... he bought it from Red Rock Sporting goods in Miles City in 73-74...






If anyone had any questions please email (relativity98003 at yahoo)


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## ishoff

I had a Jennings. Given to me by a rep in S.E. PA. I shot extremely well with that bow. Mechanical releases did not exist as they do today. I had a rope release fashioned from dowel, nail and rope. Obviously no adjustment to it, just one time adjustment and shoot as it was forever after. Shelf style releases were available for sale. I had one called "The Release" a little two finger job. Shot 300 on the old white spot, blue or black face target, with these type releases and the Jennings bow. This was in the mid 1970's. Release's and compound bows were discouraged then so I eventually left the sport. Today I would not leave Archery, it is so modernized and fun to be involved.


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## bear-of-grayling

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## reddogge

I bought a wood handle Jennings in 1973 directly from Jennings. Used it many years and sold it for $125. I still have an old Arrowstar.


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## sgeorge4

i recently picked up a jennings left handed arrowstar marc 2. it was gven to me by a guy i work with because i am the only southpaw bow hunter he knows. it still shoots great


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## bear-of-grayling

refresh


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## Lazarus

bear-of-grayling said:


> Any other news out there? New uncoverded treasusues? Share........


Old topic I know, but I just saw it while searching for some other info.

Yes, the Archery Hall Of Fame in Springfield, Missouri has a bow that is nearly identical to the one that is the subject of this topic. It has no markings on it that I can find. The AHOF obtained the bow as a donation from the Easton Corporation. That is all the info I have on the bow currently. It's kind of a mystery since there are absolutely no markings on the bow. 

We also have a pre-production "working" Allen. (Not the prototype that is on display here.) The bow is almost identical to the bow Tom eventually manufactured because the riser was actuaally made by Tom for Wilbur. It's a pretty cool bow. It was given by Mr Allen to Clay Adams (Archery Shop Owner) on Swift Road in NKC, Mo to "try." It was later sold by a relative in need of cash for I believe $50 and landed in the AHOF on loan from it's new owner.


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## bear-of-grayling

Then I'll get you there dead,,, boy.


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## bear-of-grayling

Well. he shouldn't have decorated his place with my friend.


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## [email protected]

I have a pantent pending Allen Compound Bow, bought in late 60's from clay Adams Archery Shop in North Kansas City MO, made at Allen archery in Billings Mo., it is in excellent Condition. 
[email protected]


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## Pete53

my first year with a compound was in 1971 that was an allen compound bow the next year 1972 I switch over to a Jennings bow the model I ,got a model S Jennings for archery league,also had a W handle Jennings,shot a target arrow star for many years plus I have 2 model T`s that used the wedges for adjustment,plus a unistar, i still own those bows except the W handle.i had a dear friend that lived in little falls,mn who sold archery equipment and Jennings bows. named Wayne Miller who was one of the better pro finger shooters that shot for tom Jennings and tom was wayne`s good friend. tom Jennings built wayne some beautiful custom model I Jennings target bows with wayne`s name on the handles also.yes in those days Jennings made the best bows out there.not many people know this but mr. tom Jennings was working on how to get a single cam bow to work, well matthew mcperson,from minnesota with his solo cam figured it out and that was history and the new thing for a while. now its no cam,man how things change ! I still remember the day in the news paper when jim poen was known as the worlds best target archer shooting 300`s with a wing recurve bow with fingers, by the way I got a wing recurve too so yep I am one of the old guys.


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## bear-of-grayling

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## bear-of-grayling

First generation Jennings on the left, first generation 6703 Allen on the right. Both bows were built in 1968. In the middle; “Archery World May 1967” first article ever written about the Compound Bow, by Tom Jennings.


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## bear-of-grayling

I have a few early “Patents Pending” pre 1970 Jennings bench made Brazilian Rosewood bows. Some are left handed and some are right. Thanks Dan


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