![]() The first new bow model which was introduced in 1949 after Nels’ departure was the Grizzly. Even though bows were then largely the result of machine work, Bob came to be considered a fine bowyer in his own right. Upon Nels departure, Fred moved another employee by the name of Bob Meeker over to supervise the manufacturing of the new bow lines. After Grumley’s departure, Bear began using the famous “Running Bear” decal. These bows were simply marked "Bear Archery" in a written form. There were dozens of other bowyers who made Bear wooden bows, mostly the lower line lemonwood models such as the Ranger. Not all Bear bows made in these early years were made by Nels. However, his private venture lasted only two years before he took a job as a model maker for an appliance manufacturer. Nels started his own bow making business. Grumley knew that mass producing bows by machines instead of individually crafting every bow by hand was not what he wanted, and despite Bear’s attempt at retaining him, Grumley left Bear in 1948. After observing Ben Pearson’s successful efforts to machine make bows, Bear changed from hand-made bows to mass produced bows using fiberglass and other modern materials.Īutomation did not sit well with Grumley, Bear’s principal old-school bowyer. The Grayling plant focused on making and marketing recurve bows and longbows. In 1947 the company moved to a new facility in Grayling, Michigan. The archery business was renamed Bear Archery. Early on each and every bow which Nels made was either stamped or signed with his name, along with the words "Bear Products by Grumley" or "Bear Archery by Grumley".įred Bear sold the advertising side of the Bear Products Company in 1940 to focus on archery. Nels was a fantastic craftsman, and his skills were reflected in the quality of the bows he made. In 1938 Bear hired Nels Grumley, a woodworker and bowyer, and the company expanded to offer hand-made bows. The initial focus was on silk-screening and advertising support work for automotive companies. 2003 After spending a year in bankruptcy proceedings, the North American Archery Group in Gainesville was been bought out by an Indiana-based sporting goods company that operates as a subsidiary of Escalade Sports.īear Archery was founded by Fred Bear and Charles Piper in Detroit Michigan in 1933 as the Bear Products Company. ![]()
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