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I thought some of you history buffs out there would appreciate this photo.This is a small hamburger stand on the main street of Coldwater Mi.Where Fred Bear & Fred Kibbe(Wolverine archery & tackle) would meet and talk business.This photo was taken in the mid 30s..There was an archery range in the back yard of the restaurant.Owner of the restaurant was Otto Rummsey standing in front of his business.I will post a picture of a Bear made quiver, made for Wolverine archery in a second that was probabily made by Frank Scott possibly a prototype.Frank Scott told me that one of the first bows Fred Bear ever made(THE STAVE) was purchased from Wolverine archery here in Coldwater.
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It has punched into the leather Wolverine & Tackle Coldwater Michigan--With The Indian in a canoe
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I love those old photos, especially those with a story. Great piece.
Very cool! Thanks for sharing. Be nice to see that old stave
Hi Rick
Great story and pics. Neat the association of these old outdoorsmen and their way of life. Must have been something back then. Can't quiet make it out but it looks like pork chops or a steak was a quarter!! hahaha.........
I have this very stout, well made old quiver that may be from that era. No marking other then the stamped Indian in the Canoe. In some ways it is similar to the Champion Quiver in the Bear 48/49 catalog only 1/2" longer and wider at the bottem.
Anyway, Great post, Thanks!!! (http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll292/toxo-collector/estancia009_zpse84f8527.jpg) (http://s291.photobucket.com/user/toxo-collector/media/estancia009_zpse84f8527.jpg.html) (http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll292/toxo-collector/estancia008_zpsa429bdeb.jpg) (http://s291.photobucket.com/user/toxo-collector/media/estancia008_zpsa429bdeb.jpg.html) (http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll292/toxo-collector/estancia007_zps800eb8fc.jpg) (http://s291.photobucket.com/user/toxo-collector/media/estancia007_zps800eb8fc.jpg.html) (http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll292/toxo-collector/estancia006_zps5097bafd.jpg) (http://s291.photobucket.com/user/toxo-collector/media/estancia006_zps5097bafd.jpg.html)
Looks like the early Bear archery quiver that Frank Scott stamped.
Kind of looks like a big restaurant in the picture.The house in the back ground is a house.. the restaurant is just a little thing...as big as the awning on the front.Otto Rumsey in later years started a sporting goods business on the east end of Coldwater.He was a Bear dealer...Wonder how that happened.???It was the Jay's sporting goods hunting head quarters of lower Michigan...I remember as a kid going there with my dad.He looked at guns I looked at the archery stuff.
Great pieces of history. Keep it coming :campfire:
I believe Kibbe also had a quiver that looked close to that one.I'll have to look in my catalogs.I'm sure thay all came from Bear.
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3 different Kibbe arrows..Small game head--Large game head--footed target arrow...
Great post, pics and broadheads! Thank you for sharing.
Larry, I have the same quiver but made from a felt lined woven material, canvas possibly, olive green with the same leather top band and bottom cap, same stamped canoe but stamped Bear Archery Co. Detroit so the time frame is definitely correct.
Brad
Thank You Rick and Brad
It's always nice to add a bit of timeline and placement. Appreciate your input. This is a nice thread!
Rick...thanks for posting Kibbe's broadheads and arrows. They are in excellent shape, and rare heads to come by. Especially the Small Game, listed in the ABCC Master List as "Kibbe Light Game Barbed".
That stuff is neat. I love hearing the history behind this stuff and seeing the pictures to boot!
Here are some artifacts that came out of the Kibbe factory. (http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv166/renos53/100_3145.jpg) (http://s680.photobucket.com/user/renos53/media/100_3145.jpg.html)
This is a photograph of the rooftop Kibbe factory..Supposed to be the first indoor archery range in Michigan... (http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv166/renos53/100_3151.jpg) (http://s680.photobucket.com/user/renos53/media/100_3151.jpg.html) ..
This building still stands in Coldwater
This is a 4 blade Proto type broad head that came out of the Kibbe factory.
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Excellent display of the Kibbe artifacts.
Interesting the different horn and metal stringnocks. It would be nice to see some of their bows up close. Great info Rick.........
Love the old pic's and the story's that go with them. Thanks.
I will post a pic. of some Kibbe bows later.
closeup on Kibbe 4 blade
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Yes, Larry I think so to...The aluminum horn knocks came from a place in California...The box is in the photo I think...It has the address but its hard to make out...
Hope they turn out
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This is an osage stave I hauled back from up north.On top of my wifes car..She will never let me forget that day...It came out of the Kibbe factory in the late 30s & was a way of payment for the Kibbe employees.I built 3 osage bows out of the stave & named one The Burley Bayliff--dedicated to the Kibbe employee that gave it to me.He passed 8-9 years ago & was a very special friend to me...When I showed him the Burley Bayliff bow he smiled from ear to ear.I'll never forget that day...
left Picture is me draw shaving the osage & the middle picture is the Kibbe stave on top of wifes car.right picture is 3 of the osage bows I made from the stave.The light colored bow was a Hickory bow....I never used power tools on my self bows Like a dummy (http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv166/renos53/100_3160-1.jpg) (http://s680.photobucket.com/user/renos53/media/100_3160-1.jpg.html) I did it all by hand.
Great looking selfbows.
Thanks for posting a clearer picture of the 4 blade.
My camera is horrible & it don't help that I'm not a photographer..Rick, I know you're into history.If there is anything about Kibbe you want to see or look at let me know.I've been digging out things I forgot I had.When I started collecting Kibbe archery equipment about 35 years ago I went back & found who ever I could that worked for Kibbe.Interviewed them & got what ever equipment I could find.Most all are gone know..At least that I know of.Let me know, Rick...
That is a nice selection of old self bows Rick. Are they all from Kibbe? This is quiet a collection you have that keeps coming out.....
The tiller looks good on the bows you made and most bowyers I know use a draw knife and hand ax to work them down. The fact you know where it came from and how you came to have it makes it all the better... Great story!!
Thanks Larry,I think without counting theres 38-40 of them..I have a lot of kibbe archery items.There has never been much interest in his equipment..I don't think a lot of people know about him.Wolverine was the second largest archery manufacturing business in the USA at one time.Lou Stemmler from New York was the largest at that time.As long as you guys are interested I will keep posting..
Thank you for a great thread Rick! I really like to learn about the lesser known manufacturers and their wares. I'm amazed that his archery business was so big and yet so little is heard about him.
I've done a little research since your post began and Fred's commitment to promoting archery is impressive.
You piqued my interest in Mr. Kibbe and I will definitely keep reading as long as you keep posting.
Brad
QuoteOriginally posted by Rick Enos:
My camera is horrible & it don't help that I'm not a photographer..Rick, I know you're into history.If there is anything about Kibbe you want to see or look at let me know.I've been digging out things I forgot I had.When I started collecting Kibbe archery equipment about 35 years ago I went back & found who ever I could that worked for Kibbe.Interviewed them & got what ever equipment I could find.Most all are gone know..At least that I know of.Let me know, Rick...
Interested in seeing anything you or anyone else has to post on the old equipment, so keep it coming :thumbsup:
I wish I had of been interested in archery history a long time ago. I grew up not far from York Archery, 10 maybe 15 miles, and went to meetings above the old store in Independence, MO. But the factory, and store have been closed for many years now.
It's very neat that you have saved this history. Thank you for sharing. It's always good to learn about the history of archery.
Your self bows look very nice.
This is a periodical--(The American Archer)that Kibbe sent out from 1928--1934
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Russ Hoogerhide shot for Wolverine from about 1930 --1932 or maybe longer.He won the 1930 national archery championship--three important sectional titles--six state championship titles and many open meets..all with wolverine archery equipment....Here is a picture of Russ with wolverine archery equipment....
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Here are a couple of boxes of target arrows from Wolverine archery..Left--- high end target arrows beefwood splices with aluminum knocks..Right are self knocked mid grade target arrows....
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Rick, Picked up a Kibbe Yew Bow 62# and a small barbed self nock arrow at Kalamazoo's Trad Expo this weekend, will post pic's soon. Hink
Rick, Picked up a Kibbe Yew Bow 62# and a small barbed self nock arrow at Kalamazoo's Trad Expo this weekend, will post pic's soon. Hink
Look foreword to seeing it...Rick