# Which top brand lasts longest? Black Widow, Blacktail, Schafer



## Edizkan (Jan 3, 2011)

I am pretty sure this is a "seriously dude?" question, but when it comes to dropping a big chunk of change for a wooden stick, I need to be convinced it's worth it. I am currently looking to buy a "used" recurve from the top 3 I narrowed down to: 

Black Widow PSA or PMA
Schafer Silvertip
Blacktail Elite VL

Which of these brands in your experience lasted the longest without giving up on the performance. The reason I am asking this is, since I am buying a used one, the age on the bow is probably going to be a factor on the condition and the performance of the wood. I am currently eyeing on a Schafer that is 6 years old and a Black Widow PSA which I am not sure how old, but considering PSA models are not as old as the SA's or MA's, it should be pretty recent. 

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.


----------



## GEREP (May 6, 2003)

I'm sure you'll get lots of opinions, but here's mine.

First, modern recurve bows don't *"give up on the performance."* 

All things being equal, they will perform the same 50 years from now as the day they were new.

They are all high quality bows and *should* last longer than you do. Having said that, you have no idea how they were tread before you got them. Were they dry fired? Exposed to high heat, or excessive moisture?

They all might literally have 100,000 shots left in them or they might blow up on the next shot. That is the risk you take when you buy used.

KPC


----------



## Edizkan (Jan 3, 2011)

Thanks for the input. I agree, it comes down to the usage, which is impossible to know when you are buying a used bow online. At that point I have to look into the sellers reputation I guess.


----------



## Borderbows (Apr 4, 2009)

GEREP said:


> I'm sure you'll get lots of opinions, but here's mine.
> 
> First, modern recurve bows don't *"give up on the performance."*
> 
> ...


Check out the string follow on some foam cored (thick section) models.

Yes they do give up performance if they are certain models


----------



## Edizkan (Jan 3, 2011)

Borderbows said:


> Check out the string follow on some foam cored (thick section) models.
> 
> Yes they do give up performance if they are certain models


Do you know which models are they? I've listed the ones I am interested in, in my original post. 

Thanks


----------



## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

The bows you listed use wood cores, Blacktail uses bamboo and the Silvertip could be bamboo or actionboo (both good). I don't know what wood Black Widow uses for their limb cores.

I agree with GEREP, until they come apart or start to delaminate it's very unlikely you will notice any degradation in their performance. At some point any wood/glass laminated limb bow will probably fail, but it will probably be long after you have handed it down to someone else...probably. There are no guarantees, even a brand new one could fail. Treated well I wouldn't worry about it at all, it's a gamble that goes with any bow.

In my opinion you can't go wrong with any of the bows you are looking at. I've never had a Widow but have seen a few. I have three Blacktails and two Silvertips, and have sold one more of each. You can see where my loyalty lies.

My daily shooter? A 64" Blacktail TD. You could shoot my 'tails and 'tips and come to a completely different opinion, but believe me, none of mine are for sale. Again my opinion, but Blacktail and Silvertip are at the top of the heap in that type of bow and I have to say that as much as I like my 'tips I think the Blacktails have just a bit more aesthetic appeal. Again, your opinion may differ.

If you find a nice one in good condition at a good price, it's really a can't go wrong situation. If for some reason you don't like it you'll be able to sell or trade it without loosing much if any money except for shipping costs. That's why so many stickbow shooters are always cruising the classifieds, stickbows hold their value very well after the initial depreciation.


----------



## sawtoothscream (Apr 19, 2008)

I have a bear kodiak from the late 60's or early 70's (cant remember exactly). Spent its life strung up under a bed before it was given to me and it still shoots good. Think you would be fine with any of these as long as they were not abused or you are just the unlucky ones the limbs let go on.


----------



## GEREP (May 6, 2003)

Like I said Edizkan, you are likely to get many opinions. 

I wouldn't worry about any of the three models you listed losing performance. Certainly not any that you would notice without the aid of some pretty sophisticated equipment. 

Now, in terms of durability, you never know what you are getting when you busy used. Even with that, the models you listed are known for their quality and durability. 

In terms of durability, the more radical the design, the more I would shy away from ever buying one used (or new for that matter). Performance often comes at a cost, both monetarily and in terms of durability and longevity. It's just the nature of the beast.

I wouldn't place any of the tree models you listed in that category.

KPC


----------



## DDSHOOTER (Aug 22, 2005)

A good friend of mine has Dewayne's Black Widow and has been shooting it lightout the last couple of years. Winning the Az triple crown twice with 8-9 scores. For the money your throwing down on these bows used you better look them over well or you will go thru them faster than Jinks. 
Dan


----------



## moog5050 (Oct 23, 2012)

I have owned all three and I agree all should last beyond your lifetime. It becomes a matter of preference. I prefer widows, PCHX specifically. Love the grip and heavy mass. They fit my use of the bow as a hunting tool. Tough as heck and smooth. Also the quietest of those I have owned. Again it's a matter of prefence. They should all serve you well. Good luck.


----------



## Beendare (Jan 31, 2006)

To answer your question just take a look at how a bow holds it's value. All three that you mentioned hold their value very well


----------



## Edizkan (Jan 3, 2011)

Thanks for all the input gentlemen. I went ahead and purchased a widow from this forum.


----------



## Chris Hill (Aug 26, 2005)

The widow is a good purchase. They are a really good company. Also there are a ton of them out there and they hold their value really well if you take care of them. It is also really easy to find used limbs if you decide you need lighter or heavier.


----------



## Edizkan (Jan 3, 2011)

Chris Hill said:


> The widow is a good purchase. They are a really good company. Also there are a ton of them out there and they hold their value really well if you take care of them. It is also really easy to find used limbs if you decide you need lighter or heavier.


That's one of the supporting reasons I went with Black Widow. First reason was; among the 3, BW is the only one I shot and fell in love (and the thing I shot was #60, which felt smoother than the #50 recurve I owned at the time). I was very impressed with the looks and craftsmanship of the Blacktail bows. When I made a research about this vs that, Schafer seems to be top preference among the 3 when it comes to performance. However, I can not find a Blacktail or a Schafer used for sales, nor limbs. That tells me they are really good quality bows, and owners don't want to sell them. BW's on the other hand are more commonly sold/traded, including limbs. So for convenience, I decided to go with the BW. I'm very excited


----------



## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

Edizkan said:


> Thanks for all the input gentlemen. I went ahead and purchased a widow from this forum.


Nice! I'm sure it will serve you well, they are one of the oldest and most respected bow makers.


----------



## DJ Hardy (Jan 18, 2016)

I have owned BWs for years and can't say enough about them.

The one thing I found was that for performance you need to stick to the mid to shorter length limbs they recommend for your draw length.
Going to the longer cost in performance.
I have read where people were not pleased with the performance of their BW and most likely they picked a bow they was to long.
Walker


----------



## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

Ed -

A bowyer would have to do something really wrong or an owner do something pretty abusive to cause a wood core/glass laminated bow to fail. Think dry glue joints or excessive heat, respectively. 

Performance is relative, but "giving up performance" is more often the case when making the bow more comfortable (or possible) to shoot rather than its longevity. Yes, there are exceptions. 

Viper1 out.


----------



## fotoguy (Jul 30, 2007)

I'm glad you found the bow you like. I have had my Silvertip for over 15 years now and it is still my go to bow. I have shot many over the years, but still go back to it.


----------



## flytru (Apr 8, 2016)

Yes I can support that BW like numerous others will serve you well.
I purchased my first in 91 and this bow served me till I sold it in 2014 !!!
In that time also I have bought older models dating back to 62,65,67 and through to 70 & 80s----point being they all shot well.
And will also add that the older Bears,Howatts,Brownings and Wings I collected shot well too
Glad you went for it,


----------



## Edizkan (Jan 3, 2011)

I've spent some time in the range past weekend with my BW and man what a nice shooting bow. My wife was so impressed with the looks of this bow, she told me to go get another BW made with exotic woods like Bocote, curly maple, Honduras rosewood. You heard it right; she told me.  

After reading the comments here, I am convinced that the choices I narrowed down to are spot on. Black Widow, Blacktail, Schafer seems to be excellent bows. I actually heard really good stuff about the Great Plains and the Blackriver bows as well. 

Time for some showing off after all this blah blah blah... Here is my new (to me) BW PSA V and the group at 20 yards. I shot good up to 30 yards but sucked at 40. I need to work on that.


----------



## Yooper-travler (Feb 28, 2011)

Edizkan said:


> I've spent some time in the range past weekend with my BW and man what a nice shooting bow. My wife was so impressed with the looks of this bow, she told me to go get another BW made with exotic woods like Bocote, curly maple, Honduras rosewood. You heard it right; she told me.
> 
> After reading the comments here, I am convinced that the choices I narrowed down to are spot on. Black Widow, Blacktail, Schafer seems to be excellent bows. I actually heard really good stuff about the Great Plains and the Blackriver bows as well.
> 
> ...



Great looking widow and excellent shooting. There is just something about how a BW looks that I've always loved. I recently picked up another "new to me" widow. A PCH autumn oak at 58". If I ever have them build me one (instead of prowling the classified ads) I think I'll go with the birds eye maple. It comes from the Upper Peninsula. I may need to have your wife speak with mine. I like her philosophy about new bows!


----------



## Edizkan (Jan 3, 2011)

Yooper-travler said:


> Great looking widow and excellent shooting. There is just something about how a BW looks that I've always loved. I recently picked up another "new to me" widow. A PCH autumn oak at 58". If I ever have them build me one (instead of prowling the classified ads) I think I'll go with the birds eye maple. It comes from the Upper Peninsula. I may need to have your wife speak with mine. I like her philosophy about new bows!


Hahaha... She is awesome with that kind of stuff. She knows I work hard and get stressed a lot, so she supports my hunting/shooting activities. But I also use some give and take approach too. For example; last week I told her that I was going to a metal concert, and while she was lining up all the "-You're not going to a joint with bunch of young girls. How old are you now? That thing starts at 8pm?! Are you telling me you'll be home after midnight?..." I handed her 2 tickets to Nutcracker ballet for her and her friend.


----------



## sampb18 (Nov 16, 2016)

Most high end bows will last a lifetime if taken care of. 
Personally, I'm a big Bob Lee fan. They are made in Texas and he has been making bows longer than most of us have been alive.

I'm hard on my bows so after next season I'm hanging up the Bob Lee takedown longbow (i dont want to pay 400-500 to get a new and new set of limbs made) and am going to an aluminum ILF riser.


----------



## Fury90flier (Jun 27, 2012)

I've got bows from the 70's that are still going strong...zero issue with loss of velocity/weight etc...no twisting, cracking etc. There really is no such thing as "out dated" with a recurve...or compound for that matter.


----------



## Edizkan (Jan 3, 2011)

sampb18 said:


> Most high end bows will last a lifetime if taken care of.
> Personally, I'm a big Bob Lee fan. They are made in Texas and he has been making bows longer than most of us have been alive.
> 
> I'm hard on my bows so after next season I'm hanging up the Bob Lee takedown longbow (i dont want to pay 400-500 to get a new and new set of limbs made) and am going to an aluminum ILF riser.


Bob Lee's are pretty good too. I've shot couple of them to try out. Too bad yours is a longbow. I've listed my Hoyt Gamemaster 2 for sale/trade. For some reason I'm not into longbows as much as recurves.


----------



## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

Edizkan said:


> I've spent some time in the range past weekend with my BW and man what a nice shooting bow. *My wife was so impressed with the looks of this bow, she told me to go get another BW made with exotic woods like Bocote, curly maple, Honduras rosewood. You heard it right; she told me.*
> 
> After reading the comments here, I am convinced that the choices I narrowed down to are spot on. Black Widow, Blacktail, Schafer seems to be excellent bows. I actually heard really good stuff about the Great Plains and the Blackriver bows as well.
> 
> Time for some showing off after all this blah blah blah... Here is my new (to me) BW PSA V and the group at 20 yards. I shot good up to 30 yards but sucked at 40. I need to work on that.


Lucky guy. A beautiful new bow and direct orders to buy another one, it doesn't get much better than that...:thumbs_up


----------

