News
July 26, 2021-
It seems like the summer months always go by too quickly, but this year has been a complete blur. Family health issues have taken a lot of focus from our regular weekly activities and here we are, cleaning up from a weekend at ETAR and right back to work on builds and business. School starts just a month away and soon hunting season will follow. Our first two rounds of instock sales for the year went quickly last month, with all but a few bought by early emailers and enthusiastic archers watching our website like hawks. The near-empty instock page that stood for weeks has certainly made it clear that I haven’t been building fast enough this way. For that reason, we will be making some changes to our weekly routine to help speed up the build-to-finish process, and continue to work at the pace in hopes of getting a better rhythm as the year goes on.
In addition to some schedule changes, we’re also making changes to our model lineup for the remainder of the year. Because of the unavailability of the fiberglass I’ve previously used, the Spirit and Imperial have to be removed from the lineup. These models had the most extreme reflex to the limbs and are too temperamental for the new material. The other models have less radical limbs and can be adjusted with a different limb width and lamination tapers. I’m unsure at this time if there are material alternatives that will allow us to bring the Spirit and Imperial back to the lineup, however, this appears to be the best option for now. To help balance out the departure of these models, new length options are being explored in the remaining models. The Tribute will now be based around a 64″ layout as standard, with the longer options being available for target shooters or longer draw archers. There will be several new length options added to the Royal Huntsman to reflect the options from the Imperial. The new Native will debut at 60″ while the design is finalized, but will eventually include 58″ and 62″ options as well. Unfortunately, the effects of unidirectional carbon core is significantly less pronounced in these models, so this option is being reevaluated for the new lineup.
June 8, 2021-
We deeply appreciate your patience as we work through our new models! We will be posting finished inventory models through the summer, starting this week, as we get them done and ready to ship. We have some new photos in our gallery comparing some of the different models and colors and will have some more photos coming this month. As we work through the new models this summer by testing different lengths and riser layouts, we hope to have our options sorted out by the end of this year when our custom order availability opens again.
Due to family health concerns, we will not be a vendor at the Eastern Traditional Archery Rendevous this year. We still hope to attend and enjoy the weekend as participants, however, and look forward to seeing you all there!
May 3, 2020-
Now, we’re celebrating this monumental year with some new changes to the Omega lineup. Our model list will expand to include two new models, an updated 2021 Native and the new for 2021 Tribute. The updated Native will feature a more solid, durable limb than the previous version with the same colorful Spectraply riser options as the Spirit. The new layout is less sensitive than the previous version and offers more of the traditional longbow feel as well. The new Tribute is an homage to the early iterations of the Imperial, but a less radical hybrid limb shape that borrows inspiration from the Original. This long, robust limb layout is blended with the comfortable riser used in the Spirit to produce a smooth longer-limb hybrid for extreme stability and consistency. Both of these new models will be available with the previous Spectraply color options as well as a few new colors, including applejack, ember glow, and blue angel. New fiberglass color options are also being added to our available materials list this year, giving you all more options to customize your Omega how you’d like it. With a range of length and color options, we have a growing selection to meet your longbow needs.
November 5, 2020-
Life doesn’t follow a script! We’ve been blessed with an exciting hunting season and a full freezer, and in preparation for winter we’re getting ready to shift gears and move back into production mode. After several months of working on the new take down prototype, the budget limitations for what I’d envisioned will put the project on hold until next summer. We’ve just found some PPE to get through the winter work and so have redrawn our budget for the beginning of 2021. As we’ve worked through the crazy pandemic aftermath, we’ve found there’s a huge demand to see the Native return so I’ll be taking this opportunity to change direction and revisit/update the Native beginning this winter.
The Native was dropped this year due to a warped form. At the time, it made more financial sense to complete the new takedown bow forms first and then add a short limb option to replace the Native. Unfortunately the costs began to add up and that project would not be completed until late 2021 at the earliest, and would cost more than initially expected. This is fine for a long-term project, but doesn’t give us any options for our customers until then. So instead, the three-piece take down will be put on the back burner and the Native will be given an update, a face lift, and will be launched on a new form for next year. Some of the issues that the Native had will be addressed and the model will reworked into a new layout. This will give me the opportunity to improve limb stability and riser layout to keep the cost the same. Work will begin this winter and we will have updates throughout the process.
Also, for those looking to contact me for more information or to place an order, please do so via direct email at kegan_mccabe@yahoo.com. We have been receiving a great number of scam calls and our cell phone reception through the winter is already poor, so we have already missed several calls from customers. Some folks have reached out through our social media accounts as well which can be difficult to track once an order is placed, since we’re no longer taking deposits. Thank you!
August 16, 2020-
We’ve waited as long as we could to make the final decisions on how we’ll be handling the last part of the year. It is now clear that we won’t be able to continue working in the manner we’ve been accustomed over the last seven years with a significantly limited access to safety equipment and the current production developments. For these reasons, we will be working on a limited build schedule with orders taken in smaller, more controlled build batches until the entirety of that batch is completed.
To help manage these limitations and lower overall build quantity, we will be pursuing different material options through the rest of the year to build at the highest possible level of quality. We will also be investigating alternative shop management systems to help improve efficiency and maintain a healthy work environment. This means that as the year progresses, particular interest will be paid to how efficiently bows can be built, finished, and made ready to ship to improve turn around. New finish and different core options will add slightly to the costs of production, however we’re confident that you’ll be very pleased with the improvements in quality and turn around.
We deeply appreciate your understanding and consideration during these turbulent times. It means a great deal to our family and we’ll be doing everything we can to deliver our best possible work to our customers as we move forward!
