On The Leatherwall there's been some discussion and controversy over cracks in the finish of bows at the riser fadeouts. Lots of people say it's purely cosmetic and speak of sanding them out and covering them with new finish....etc. Anyone that knows me knows that I've had more than a few bows fail at full draw...in public. Bows that hinge radically at the fadeouts have problems with long draw shooters like me over time. I used to do a design test known as "The Gorilla Test" for certain bowyers. I'd shoot a minimum of 5000 arrows over a few months out of the bow and keep a log. If the design put too much hinge at the fadeouts the small horizontal cracks would surface first and failure would inevitably follow. As a result of these tests most of the bowyers learned to make a longer working limb with more gradual bend making the bow more durable. Obviously older bows have more brittle finish and the cracks may appear when the bow is first shot after being stored for a long time. However that does not mean they are structurally sound and the cracks are "purely cosmetic". They are indicative of the stress point of the limb over bending. Would I buy a bow with those cracks? No, unless it was for a decoration.
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BTW I own 3 Sarrels longbows. I have shot 5000 arrows through 2 of them at this point. No cracks. -
I agree.
If the horizontal cracking in the finish is beyond the fades, it's likely OK, but if the finish cracking is at or inside the fades it is evidence of to much bend/hinging in that area.
RickComment
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Right. There are no good reasons for cracks at that spot. Only bad ones. However, you confront people with that logic and they still maintain it's not happening. It's like politics. You keep on telling 'em, but they don't believe you till something bad finally occurs.Comment
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