Ed The Archer

Now that hunting season is officially over, there is some down time until the baseball season starts as well as field archery and 3D tournaments.  The "down time" can be dangerous for me (and my pocket book) because it's when I start tinkering with my equipment and buying accessories that I may not necessarily need!  One thing I do need, however, is a new set of strings for my bow.  I bought my bow (2008 Martin Bengal) off of Archery Talk, which is a website that is dedicated to archery.  While the website has many good articles, tips, and videos, the online forum and classifieds sections are by far the most popular.  Many people sell hardly used, sometimes new archery items for really good prices.  My entire set up was purchased from AT!!  I bought the Bengal in the summer of 2008 and it was hardly used.  The original owner had it for a few months and decided to get something different.  I really wanted to get new strings after the hunting season so I started researching string manufacturers and getting price quotes from bow shops for installation etc.  Boy was I surprised when the average cost turned out to be between $120-150!  I figured I’d just have to bite the bullet and spend the money until I stumbled across this unassuming little add on Craigslist:

“They say I make one of the finest bow strings in the madison area, you be the gudge. my strings are made from BCY 452X. many colors to choice from. you bring me your bow it takes about 3 days, as my strings are all pre stretched. choice your colors, I will time your cams, set your tiller, greese your cam bearings if needed, install a D loop, nocking point, and shoot your bow to settle in the string and peep sight. all this for only $60.00 give me a call lets talk Ed. (XXX)XXX-XXXX”

I was very skeptical.  I wasn’t even going to call because I thought it was too good to be true, but finally I said ‘the heck with it’ and made the call.  I was surprised to hear a pleasant, older gentleman answer the phone.  He was glad that I called and we ended up having a fairly lengthy conversation about his services and archery.  Needless to say, I found a “diamond in the rough”.  Ed has been involved in archery for almost 60 years, mostly on the competitive side.  He makes strings and works on archery equipment as a hobby and doesn’t make a profit for his services, hence the very reasonable price.  Needless to say, I left work early yesterday to take my bow over to his house.  He seems to be a simple man that loves archery (as well as trap/skeet shooting) and good conversation.  I spent an enjoyable 20 minutes in his basement picking out my string colors and asking him questions.  I can’t wait to get my bow back next week to see his craftsmanship.