# Antique Mechanical Broadheads



## BDHUNTR (May 24, 2003)

I am writing an article about broadheads for _Rubs And Scrapes_, a magazine issued by the Maryland Bowhunters Society. I want to include a section on antique mechanical broadheads, but searching the Web hasn't turned up a lot.

Does anyone know with certainty what mechanical was the first on the market? And does anyone know what year Puckett's Bloodtrailer went on sale, as it seems that this head was the first mass-marketed mechanical available.


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## Deer Stabber (Dec 24, 2003)

If I remeber right wasnt the Punchcutter one of the first Mechanicals.


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## Rchr (Jul 3, 2003)

*Punchcutter*

Punchcutter was the first one out, the Bloodtrailer came out shortly after.
If I remember correctly the Punchcutter came out around '87.


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## clover leaf (Mar 11, 2005)

*antique broadheads*

Try reaching out to the American Broadhead Collecting Club.
There was a recent article in the Pa Game News about antique
archery equipment and they referenced the ABCC.

Paul


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## hockeyref (Jun 2, 2006)

See if you can get info on old back issues ofTraditional bow hunter magazine... They have had several articles over the years on broadheads and I can remember seeing pictures of samples from the 1930's..... mechanicals are far from new.... if you can find the edition, someoneshould have it and be able to get you a copy of the articles...


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## obh1 (Nov 8, 2004)

*Early Mechanical Broadheads*

The earliest mechanical that I know of was the Star Point broadhead made by Red Bow Manufacturing Co., Highgate Springs Vermont. This was manufactured in 1953 and intended for small game.

Next would be the Mechanical Killer from 1955.


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## Bow_Rep (Sep 14, 2006)

Red Bow Star Point (middle) and Mechanical Killer (far right)


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## Bow_Rep (Sep 14, 2006)

Heads from the 1950's...

I recall seeing the middle head (Mohawk Swivel) back in the 60's, but never shot one.


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## I BOW 2 (May 22, 2002)

If you contact the Pope & Young museum in Chatfield, Mn. they have a very extensive collection of broadheads and they do in fact have early mechanicals from pre 1950. We spent about an hour going thru the museum on our way back from Yankton,Sd this summer. Ken


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## hockeyref (Jun 2, 2006)

*impressive collection*

Bow Rep, If those pics are from your collection I would love to see the whole collection....:darkbeer:


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## Bow_Rep (Sep 14, 2006)

They are not...the pics were pilfered off the web. A friend by the name of Larry Whiffen in Milwaukee has about every head you can think of however. He's been a long time collector and a member of the broadhead collector assn.


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## Rchr (Jul 3, 2003)

I sit here in awe of such a collection.


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## Bow_Rep (Sep 14, 2006)

There is a guy in TX that supposedly has the most complete collection of heads in the world. Can't remember his name, but if you asked around you'd find the man. 

There is also an archery historian in Phoenix that has a good collection as well. I hunted with the guy in the mid-80's and the most interesting thing he had was a collection of archery films converted to VHS that were from the 20's and 30's.


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## Buksknr53 (Mar 30, 2006)

Wow! Those old broadheads really look wicked. I had no idea that mechanical broadheads were around back then. It would be interesting to know how effective some of them were. With all the posts that I have seen about difficulty tuning modern broadheads, I would imagine that tuning some of those relics must have been a nightmare.


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## Bow_Rep (Sep 14, 2006)

It just goes to show that some things always tend to come back. A case in point is the overdraw. Manufacturers started hopping on this kick about 1985, offering cut out risers. We were using them in 1978 or so and would just tweak our broadheads to clear the sight window (pretty spooky I might add). However, these were used by the flight bow crowd decades before we ever thought of them, LOL. Somebody likely used them well before that too...


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