Howard Hill & Hill-style bows in the UK.

A look into the marketing of Hill & Hill-style bows in UK

with information gleaned from magazines, newsletters,
brochures & catalogues.

What is clear is that Hill was (well) known in the UK archery

world e.g. 1938's Robin Hood movie,

through his book "Hunting the hard way" reviewed in the

British Archer in 1954,

the description & pictures of his "swing-draw" shooting style

in "The Complete Archery Book" 1957

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& through his film work.

There is little evidence though of his style of bow being

"explicitly" available in the UK until 1975, although prior to
this the likes of Richard Galloway & George Birnie had
produced bows with a distinct similarity & indeed Galloway met
Hill in the 50's, where I'm sure they may have discussed bow
design.

Galloways early flat-bows (1948'ish)

bear some resemblance to Hill-bows, although somewhat longer

in the handle section & the Jaques Black Mamba Mk1 (1951)

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 might be considered the nearest "production" bow to a Hill-
bow.

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Galloway & Birnie's later "flat" & "reflex" bows

had a shortened handle-section more akin what later became

know as the Hill-bow.

Galloway reputedly made a bow for Hill in 1958 that he shot on

Hampstead Heath (currently in the posession of Rex Oakes/Rod
Harris)

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which is more Hill-style than his earlier bows
- but why didn't Howard take it with him?

Ben Pearson bows were imported by Lillywhites from 1960, the

Palomino being their flagship bow, but in BP's catalogues at
that time were a variety of "straight-end" longbows in a
variety of woods & solid fibreglass - so there's a chance some
of these were imported too.

Hill's obituary in 1975

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was given a prominent place in The British Archer & maybe this
was the kick-start of his influence on the UK market as this
year is the first time we see a (text-only) advert in the
Longshot 1975/76 catalogue

(was this the first printed Longshot catalogue?) for the

"Sagittarius Hunting Bow" as "the type of bow used by the
worlds two greatest archers" - assuming one was Howard Hill
(who was the other - John Shulz?).

The first picture we get to see of the "Sagittarius" is in a

British Archer Mar 1976 Longshot advert with the "Sagittarius"
"hidden" in a mass of other bows & paraphernalia (see item E)

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- this also being the first equipment picture-advert Longshot
had done - prior to this it was text-only.

In British Archer May 1976 we see the dealer/retailer

"Bowhunt" with the first explicit advert for Howard Hill bows

(along with Bear & Ben Pearson) although no specific models

were named but later in Nov they offer the "Tembo" & "Redman".

In Jan 1977 in the British Archer is a picture promo for the

"Sagittarius"

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- "exclusively for Longshot" (almost as if it were be being
announced for the first time!) that says it's "based on the
design used by Howard Hill".

In Jul 1978's British Archer we see Roy King offering a

"Howard Hill type flat bow".

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Also in 1978, Bowhunt announce in their own catalogue, the
import of what they claim is only the 2nd Hill-bow in the
country, a "Tembo".

1981's Longshot catalogue

suggests the "Sagittarius" is now made "by" (rather than for)

Longshot - I assume by this time Jack Belcher has shown Rex
Oakes how to do it & around this time in the
1981/82 Quicks,

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Roy King starts using the term "Howard Hill type American
Longbow".

Sometime prior to 1981 I believe Bowhunt "went down the

toilet" but a phoenix appeared in the form of Southern Archery
Specialists (SAS), who in their first 1981/82 catalogue

offer "Longbows" by: Howard Hill (Big 5, Tembo), Schulz

(Trophy Hunter), Jeffery Tradition & an "exclusive" Border
Longbow (unnamed but presumed to be the Falcon?) - all
illustrated by a picture of a "generic" Hill-style bow!

In Quicks 1982/83 catalogue we see the launch of Robin

Robeson's "Border Falcon" (with a not-so-Hill-style locator
grip)

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 & the announcement of Roy King's "American Longbow" .... "to
be available soon to special order" (der! Quicks, what was
that you advertised in 1981/82?)
Quicks included some spurious verbiage about "Hill-style" bows
being known as "Sagis" in the UK!? - notice I don't repeat
their wrong spelling!
(ok, so there was an "informal" shooting class/style sometimes
called "Sagi" or "American Longbow/Flatbow" at NFAS shoots
until the official AFB class was introduced in 1993?)

At last, in Sep 1982 we get Rex Oakes announcing

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in British Archer & again in Dec's "British Field Archer" (a
short lived magazine) his "custom built" Sagittarius - with a
picture!

In Quicks 1983/84, "American Longbow the Falcon",

Border claims it's the fastest bow of it's type on the market.
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March 1985 British Archer, Quicks announces the take-over of
Longshot - & we still have them misspelled Saggi bows! ;-)

& Rex Oakes says

that he will (N.B. he's not "hoping to") now concentrate on

making the Sagittarius (up until now made my Jack Belcher?)

The Pro Shop advertises a "Phantom Longbow"

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 - is this the Jack Belcher bow? He let Rex use/keep the name
"Sagittarius" & used Phantom for himself, as described by Jim
Belcher in his blog: http://www.belcherbows.com/blogs/the-
skinny-by-jim-belcher/18868895-the-union-jack-the-american-
longbow & in precis

If it is, it's the only advert I've ever seen for a Jack-bow!

The Quicks 1985/86 catalogue

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 launches Rex Oakes "Sagittarius" bow - on the same page as
the Border Falcon.

By 1986 Quicks jumps on the American Longbow/Flatbow bandwagon

with it's own brand "Woodsman"

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 - is this the first incarnation of the Samick "Woodsman" (a
mild deflex-reflex longbow)?

1988 sees Wales Archery Specialists (WAS), also a Border

dealer, start offering the imported Ben Pearson "Ol' Ben 5000"

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& Severn Archery Products offering

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the imported Martin "Pioneer".

1989 Quicks sees the Rex Oakes "Sagittarius" adverts reduced

to text only

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& reinforcing the "made to order only", - but we are we now
seeing Kyudo equipment! ;-) - to be replaced in
1990 Quicks by the imported Martin "Pioneer"

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& in 1991 Quicks the addition of the imported Jerry Hill
longbows.

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During this time the Border "Falcon" & Quicks "Woodsman" (of
dubious Hill-style!?)continue to be advertised.

Nothing much changes until 1992 when WAS offer the imported
Sky "Trophy"

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as well as the Border "Falcon".

1993 Chiltern Archery offer the "Tempest"

American Flatbow, but don't you just hate ads without

pictures? (my first flatbow, of unknown manufacture, suspected
to be Korean - Samick, non-Hill locator grip, flat-limbs
rather than stacked Hill-style)

1994 Quicks, this was the last year they called them "American
Longbows", from
1995 Quicks they're called "American Flat Bows"

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(maybe to reflect the politics & changes of the NFAS & the AFB
shooting class/style?). 1995 Quicks also sees the addition of
"Howard Hill videos" (remember VHS?)

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In 1996 WAS

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 adds the economy "Tempest" to the Sky "Trophy" & Border
"Falcon" American Flatbows.

1996 Quicks the Border "Falcon" disappears from it's pages -

most probably the writing is on the wall for Robin Robeson's
tenure of Border Archery & it's subsequent purchase by Sid &
Ann Ball.
Remaining are the Jerry Hill Custom Longbows & Quicks
"Woodsman" to be augmented in
1997 Quicks

by the new Martin "Stick" & "Twig" followed in

1998 Quicks

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by the new Quicks "Super Woodsman" (definitely a D-R longbow
of the same ilk as the later Samick "SLB", Internature/Ragim
"Viper DLX".

1998 Severn Archery Products

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offers the Martin ML14 "Mountaineer" & the ML9 "Stick".
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1998 Quicks sees Sid & Ann Ball introduce the new Border
Archery line-up

with 2 new "flat bows" the "Osprey" & "Hawk" - both offered
with glass or carbon limbs - not sure if these are really
Hill-style or D-R as in
1999 Quicks they are re-introduced

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as conforming to NFAS rules i.e. continuous D-shape when
braced (although the pictures don't show that!)

2000 Border Archery's price list

lists 4 "American Semi Longbows": "Falcon 2", "Osprey", "Hawk"

& "Harrier"; all featuring carbon in the limbs.

2001 Quicks

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adds the first(?)of Andy Soars' Blackbrook bows, the "Swift",
supposedly based on the "Holmegaard" bow
- so that's not a Hill-style bow then!? ;-)
There were no Border longbows in this issue & this was the
last year for Jerry Hill Longbows.

2002 Quicks -

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last year for Martin "Stick" & "Twig" Longbows & introduces
it's own brand Quicks "New Woodsman" (undoubtably of Korean
manufacture)alongside the now explicitly Samick manufactured
"Super Woodsman".
This is the last year Border advertise complete bows in Quicks
- "Black Douglas" & Viper T/D & 1-piece "Black Douglas Elite".

2003 Quicks

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introduces the Samick "Cobra" - a "hybrid" (= non NFAS
compliant) flatbow/longbow & this is the last year they offer
the Blackbrook "Swift".

2003 Border introduces the "Kestral" & "Merlin"

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- both are Hill-style including handle & slightly
reflexed limbs. The "Griffon" & "Harrier"

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are also introduced, but these have pronounced D-R limbs
that come to a D-shape when braced (hence NFAS AFB class/style
compliant).

2004 is the last year Border Archery advertise in Quicks -

only it's ILF carbon Talisman limbs.

2005 Quicks introduces

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the Ragim "Little Hawk" (at 68" a bit of a misnomer) & "Little
Eagle" (supposedly of European manufacture - but funny how
Internature a Korean manufacturer/label has the same bows)
& the unbranded (Ragim? again) "Eagle" ladies/youth bow. These
3 are all "hybrid" longbows/flatbows.

2006 Quicks

introduces their own/unbranded (Ragim/Internature) Viper

DeLuxe (DLX).

The lines are blurred - i'm losing the will to live.

Where have all the Hill-bows gone! ....awaiting the
renaissance?

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