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  #1  
Old 08-22-2008, 10:33 PM
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Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
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Lightbulb A Late Bultitude, #3 (a keeper!) "Better Late than Never!"

A few years ago I was lucky enough to acquire a beautiful Bultitude Bow. Within a few months I was at Arnold's shop picking up my Prescott Bass (former) that was just restored. Another Classical bassist was there testing out his newly completed Schnitzer handmade Bass. I had also brought up my Dodd Bass (former) for a few adjustments. As I was pulling out my Bow case before uncovering the Dodd Arnold asks me what Bows did I bring and I told him it was my Bultitude and Lipkins. Arnold asked if his customer could try his new Bass with my Bultitude. I agreed and that was the last time I ever saw it because I agreed to sell him the Bow after less than an hour of trial. It was never my intention to sell my favorite Bow but it was one of many good Bows I had in my collection.

A few months later I find another Bultitude for sale and I jumped on the chance to see it and made the purchase decision within minutes of playing it. A few months later I was up at Arnold's showing him my newly acquired Storioni to get a restoration consultation. Another Classical bassist was there for some Bass related business who was also a good friend of Arnold's. He was trying my Bass out with the Bultitude and seemed to enjoy playing both of them. A few days later Arnold calls me and says his friend must have that Bow, must! I agreed once again to be the nice guy and let a working professional buy it to improve and further enjoy his art. That's the 2nd time I was 'ambushed' with my favorite bow in hand..lol

A few weeks ago I went to pick up my Candi Bass that was just restored. I asked Arnold for a Bow to try it out and he says "Where's your Bow?". I answered, "Home safe and away from you and your customers"..lol

Well, a few weeks ago I heard about yet a 3rd Bultitude Bow available for sale and pursued it. I open the Bow case and my eyes Pop!.. I have seen 4 Bultitude Bass Bows, 2 of them were mine and all of them looked within 80-90% the same as far as the Model, Tip, Frog and Stick. This latest Bultitude looked nothing like the others I had seen with the exception of the wood and the sound. Yes, it had a familiar dark smooth sound when drawn across the String. This Bow however had a longer slightly thicker Stick, thinner Head, thinner Frog, lower Frog and a completely unmatched Screw.

Well, I thought to myself "is this really a Bultitude?" I took some pics and made up a hidden link (shown above now) and emailed it to a few people in USA and several in London. All but 2 of the people I contacted replied but in one case, I got a 'double' reply. One of the people I sent the pics to not only gave me his knowledgeable opinion but went one step further and contacted a living Bow maker that actually knew Bultitude and knew him well, personally and professionally. He pasted the other opinion in with his Email and that made my day, big time. I am referring to Anthony Houska of the Contrabass Shoppe in London and Bow maker Brian Tunnicliffe who knew Bultitude before he passed and provided me with just the information I was looking for.

Why am I posting all this you might be asking? Well, even for me it was an interesting week as far as trying to ID an old and rare Bow. The links posted here are to give some mental relief for all the various Bass and Bow names mentioned.

Here's what we have. My opinion was just about correct but I was only guessing. I needed some confirmation to be sure. One authority here and in the UK both implied it is probably not a Bultitude. Another believed the Stick was probably good but the Frog is possibly not with the Screw definitely German and replaced.

The Bow Stick and Frog are actually both Bultitude. The Screw was replaced in the past and lost by now as it came to USA 10-15 years ago as it looks now. Bultitude worked for the Hill Bow shop for about 40 years and then retired from Hill in 1961 to make a few Bows for musicians at his new home-shop. He had planned on working for about 10 more years but put in over 20 years making over 2,000 completely handmade Bows. Only a few of these were Double Bass Bows. The other two that I had were the first few he had made with his brand and it is reported that at Hill, he never made a Bass Bow. This latest Bow was most likely one of the last Bows he ever made. The workmanship looks to be that of an old man with poor eyesight and less hand control than the master we knew him to be. Tunnicliffe mention that Bultitude told him near the end of his bow making career, and I paraphrase "I want to give those so called experts out there something to think about". That is 100% evident here with this Bow as besides it being so different in the fittings, model and workmanship, it does not have the number stamped under the Frog that just about every Bultitude Bow has. Maybe, it is under the grip/lapping which I will remove before sending it up to Sue Lipkins to restore. Maybe, he just left it off to add to the mystery.

One thing is for certain in my mind. When I play a note with it, it brings back old but brief memories from the short time I owned and played the last 2 Bultitude's I had.

I spoke with Arnold today and told him I found #3. I then told him he would never ever see it because each time I show him my favorite Bow, someone convinces me to sell it.
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  #2  
Old 08-23-2008, 12:09 PM
Jim Gullen Jim Gullen is offline
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Default Beautiful...

Hi Ken!

What a beautiful bow!

I love silver tips on bows....they just look so elegant and "bookend" nicely with a (french) button.

I get the priviledge of rehairing a beautiful Steven Beckley cello bow with a sliver tip occasionally. Don't tell anyone, but it's such a beautiful bow that I'd rehair it for free just to get to "check up on it" once and a while!

Enjoy and congrats!

Jim
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  #3  
Old 08-23-2008, 02:01 PM
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Thumbs up with a (french) button..(or English?)

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Originally Posted by Jim Gullen View Post
Hi Ken!

What a beautiful bow!

I love silver tips on bows....they just look so elegant and "bookend" nicely with a (french) button.

I get the priviledge of rehairing a beautiful Steven Beckley cello bow with a sliver tip occasionally. Don't tell anyone, but it's such a beautiful bow that I'd rehair it for free just to get to "check up on it" once and a while!

Enjoy and congrats!

Jim
I am considering having Sue Lipkins make me a new Screw/Button to match the Bow. I have pictures of 3 Bultitudes, 2 were mine. I will send her the pictures with the Bow.
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  #4  
Old 09-02-2008, 10:15 PM
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Wink Update..

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Originally Posted by Ken Smith View Post
I am considering having Sue Lipkins make me a new Screw/Button to match the Bow. I have pictures of 3 Bultitudes, 2 were mine. I will send her the pictures with the Bow.
Bultitude #3 is now in Sue Lipkins' hands. After examining the Bow first hand, her opinion was identical to the opinions I received from London. The Stick and Frog were both made by Bultitude. This Bow was most likely one of the last Bows that Bultitude made. This is evident by the workmanship of an elder master Atelier. This Bow has also led a 'busy' life. The Bow model-wise is completely different for all the others I have seen by Bultitude. The Tip is extra narrow with a Frog to match. Obviously 'a pair in the making' as far as the Frog matching the Stick. The Frog is super low in height and it appears that the area where the thumb goes may have been altered a bit for playing comfort for a previous owner.

The Screw is no doubt a replacement but not a very good match at all. The Mortise where the Frog sits inside is not squared off at the edges like usually done. Clearly a sign of a tired old maker. The Tip Mortise under the plug for the Hair is a huge deep canyon. The Grip is also 2 separate parts.

I have given Sue the 'go ahead' to do a full restoration and give this Bow what it needs. I have done this with many Basses but this is the first time I have a Bow that needs so many things to 'get right'.

Sue will 'complete' and square the Mortise under the Frog and clean up one small old repair to the Frog as well. She will also slightly fill the Tip Mortise under the Plug. The Stick is classic Bultitude and deserves a proper dressing. The Stick will get a full compliment of Silver and Leather for a new Grip. The hole drilled for the Stick at the end for the Screw is slightly worn. This will get 'plugged' and re-drilled. The final step just before the classic Lipkins re-hair job will be the making of a completely new Bultitude style split-Screw made from Ebony and Silver to match the Bow the Screw style of Bultitude from. Sue is also familiar with my 2nd Bultitude so the style is no stranger to her.

The Bultitude restoration will take a few months to complete. I don't expect to have many updates if at all but if anything interesting happens, I will report back..
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  #5  
Old 09-11-2008, 11:47 PM
Jim Barber Jim Barber is offline
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Default 3rd time lucky

Great story Ken. Hope to hear more of the adventures of #3 as time progresses.

Jim
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Old 09-12-2008, 02:13 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Smith View Post
The Stick will get a full compliment of Silver and Leather for a new Grip...
Ken, have you ever noticed a change in "feel" or tone when changing grip types on a bow?

I played my Morizot for a long time with no grip, which was how I received it from my teacher. I recently had it gripped with the lightest silver wire and leather, very nicely, by Eric Lane. Eric also weighted the tip slightly to keep the balance point the same (offsetting the grip's mass).

I have to say that I think that the bow was sweeter before I had the leather and silver put on. The stick seems slightly dampened by the extra mass and doesn't feel as lively in the hand. I am not talking about the extra grams of mass or the bow being heavier; I am talking about the stick's vibration and its feedback loop with the strings/bass. Because I liked the bow's feel before, I am seriously considering having the work undone when I go in for my next rehair...

Ken, or anyone else, with any experience with tone/feel changing with grip types?
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Old 09-12-2008, 03:03 PM
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Cool Weighted Tip?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Swanson View Post
Ken, have you ever noticed a change in "feel" or tone when changing grip types on a bow?

I played my Morizot for a long time with no grip, which was how I received it from my teacher. I recently had it gripped with the lightest silver wire and leather, very nicely, by Eric Lane. Eric also weighted the tip slightly to keep the balance point the same (offsetting the grip's mass).

I have to say that I think that the bow was sweeter before I had the leather and silver put on. The stick seems slightly dampened by the extra mass and doesn't feel as lively in the hand. I am not talking about the extra grams of mass or the bow being heavier; I am talking about the stick's vibration and its feedback loop with the strings/bass. Because I liked the bow's feel before, I am seriously considering having the work undone when I go in for my next rehair...

Ken, or anyone else, with any experience with tone/feel changing with grip types?
The weight in the Tip could be your problem. The Grip is only a few grams and will 'lift' weight from the Tip as far as the balance point goes. That is one way to battle a Tip heavy Bow. On one of my Bows (the Eibert), Biase put thicker Silver wire and now the Bow actually feels lighter. It's 152 grams with the rubber, 146 without and easier on the hand than some of my 140s. That Bow felt heavy 'before' the heavier wire was put on mainly because it was Tip heavy. Now it's one of my favorite Bows and the one I compare all Bows to when testing including Lipkins and Bultitudes.
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Old 09-12-2008, 09:45 PM
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Good thoughts and experience. Thanks for sharing it.

My Morizot's balance was always lovely...it always seemed to play itself.

With the new grip, the tip was weighted ONLY to keep the balance point the same...so it didn't make the bow more tip heavy...actually kept things as they were, in terms of balance.

The bow is light; 126 grams without the grip/tip balance; 130 grams with the grip/weight. While I know that this is lighter than usual, it never felt "too light" before - it was always a bow that just worked well.

What I am puzzled by is the reduction in vibratory feedback the grip (and/or tip weight?) seems to have caused. The bow just feels deader and less "effortless" than before. I wonder if the grip (and/or tip weight) is dampening the stick itself in some bad way, hurting the bow/string/bass feedback loop. It surely feels that way...

I don't know what to do but to reverse course and have the stuff taken off the stick. Ironically, I had the grip put on to try to maintain the bow well, as its current steward. Now, I fear that the grip has harmed its function. Oops. Luckily, it is easily undone.

So, I was wondering in all of your many experiences with bows, etc., if you had noticed a change in resposiveness with a change of grip types, or in my case, going from no grip to a silver/leather wrap.

Thanks again, for sharing your experience.
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Old 09-13-2008, 12:28 AM
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Lightbulb well..

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Swanson View Post
Good thoughts and experience. Thanks for sharing it.

My Morizot's balance was always lovely...it always seemed to play itself.

With the new grip, the tip was weighted ONLY to keep the balance point the same...so it didn't make the bow more tip heavy...actually kept things as they were, in terms of balance.

The bow is light; 126 grams without the grip/tip balance; 130 grams with the grip/weight. While I know that this is lighter than usual, it never felt "too light" before - it was always a bow that just worked well.

What I am puzzled by is the reduction in vibratory feedback the grip (and/or tip weight?) seems to have caused. The bow just feels deader and less "effortless" than before. I wonder if the grip (and/or tip weight) is dampening the stick itself in some bad way, hurting the bow/string/bass feedback loop. It surely feels that way...

I don't know what to do but to reverse course and have the stuff taken off the stick. Ironically, I had the grip put on to try to maintain the bow well, as its current steward. Now, I fear that the grip has harmed its function. Oops. Luckily, it is easily undone.

So, I was wondering in all of your many experiences with bows, etc., if you had noticed a change in resposiveness with a change of grip types, or in my case, going from no grip to a silver/leather wrap.

Thanks again, for sharing your experience.
The Tip is a most sensitive area. I think that made the difference putting a weight in there. Now I just send my Bows to Sue and let her get it done the right way. Tip weights are only done to make up for a light less-dense stick. That will probably dampen the sound more than any grip down at the thickest part of the stick near the frog. Don't you think your hand on the Bow dampens it too? Imagine something muting the Tip. That's your added weight in there I think!
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Old 09-15-2008, 06:35 AM
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Ken, all you have said makes sense. I will talk with the bowmaker along those lines and schedule a rehair and tip weight removal.

We'll see about the grip - that's easy enough to take off. If the grip IS still dampening the stick, after the tip weight is removed, perhaps a grip other than the leather/wire would have a lesser effect. As you say, since one's hand is touching the stick at that point, concerns about the grip throwing of the balance point seem a bit misplaced (sic)...the grip/hand really is more the axis of rotation, not the balance point of an unheld bow, floating in space...

Frankly, it never bugged me not to have a grip on the bow. In having a grip installed, I was just trying to be a good steward for this precious object. Ah well .

Thanks again for sharing your experience. It was very helpful to me.
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Old 09-17-2008, 08:19 AM
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Default Scoops from the Veterans!!!

I was just talking to John Scheafer, and he said Dave Pearlman and him brought most of the Bultitude's into NYC in the mid 60's. He said they bought about 10 to 15 of his bows then costing 100 dollars!! Now, they are hard to find and costing about 5k and up if in good condition.
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Old 09-17-2008, 10:58 AM
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Lightbulb his Book..

Quote:
Originally Posted by Carlos Henriquez View Post
I was just talking to John Scheafer, and he said Dave Pearlman and him brought most of the Bultitude's into NYC in the mid 60's. He said they bought about 10 to 15 of his bows then costing 100 dollars!! Now, they are hard to find and costing about 5k and up if in good condition.
In the Bultitude/Hill book it is mentioned that he was commissioned to make 30 bass bows a year for USA and shortly after that, refused to make anymore. He preferred to make bows one at a time for each individual player. Bultitude made over 2,000 handmade bows including a small percentage of them being for bass. The one I just got is not anything like the model from the '60s of which I've owned two of them. This latest one is something off the charts. Sue Lipkins even commented that it was an oddity and she has handles more bass bows than most.

Funny thing about the book I mentioned above. I ordered it either between having the 1st and 2nd bow or after I got the 2nd. The Book was on back order. By the time the Book came in, I no longer had a Bultitude bow. That was a real bummer for me. Waiting to read about my favorite maker (next to Sartory) and then not having a Bow to match the Book. A year or so later, I find one, my 3rd Bultitude Bass Bow. Now, I wanna read the book.. lol

When I showed the 1st Bow to Duane Rosengard a few years ago he mentioned that it was the model that Schaeffer had commissioned Bultitude to make in the '60s only my Bow came from London. Apparently not all of them were shipped over here unless that Bow made a trip home sometime between 1962 when it was made and 2003 or so when it was purchased at Auction in London. This is just another example how instruments 'come to be'. Players demand!

This one I have now is very unusual and has the thinnest Tip I have ever seen including German Bows. Yet, the Bow plays and draws a sound to die for. Like Bultitude told Brian Tunnicliffe (another British bow maker who knew Bultitude) towards the end of his life, "I'm gonna leave a few things for the so called experts out there to think about". This Bow of mine I believe is one of those things being the latest Bultitude Bass Bow we have seen or heard about to date and the oddest as well.
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Old 10-08-2008, 08:30 PM
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Follow up on Ken's recommendation about my Morizot, the grip, the feel, the bow's sound, etc.

Just got the bow back from the bowmaker today. Had him go halfway back to where it was before, for now, putting the curve back where it was (he had bent it a bit more, to his liking, but it ddn't work for me) and removing the tip weight.

We left the grip on for now...thinking that it is easy enough to take that off if I feel the need. I started by following Ken's practical point that one's hand is already dampening the stick at the point of contact anyway, so the grip is probably changing things in a more negligable way.

Well, Ken was spot on. The stick has come back to life and works well again, thankfully.

Jury is stil out on whether or not to keep the grip. It does seem to dampen the stick slightly, from where it was before, but the tip weight was definitely the major culprit. Most of the bow's former, nice, clear sound is back.

No charge from the bowmaker, Eric Lane...a very skilled and cool cat. He got what I was talking about right away and started talking about "inadvertantly changing the bow's nodes of vibration", etc. as soon as I mentioned a suspicion that the tip weight and/or grip was messing up the stick.

He had put the tip weight in to counteract the new grip he put on...all with the best intentions, on his part. Interestingly, the balance doesn't seem "off" at all, without the tip weight, with the grip. So, really, the "balance point" of the resting bow is relatively unimportant in this case. As Ken implied, the contact point with the hand is the axis of rotation, anyway, when the bow is in play. Static balance be hanged!

Eric Lane encouraged me to try the stick for awhile and bring it back as needed. I am tempted to have him pull the grip off, but I will be prudent. He did such a nice job on it, I certainly don't take removing his work lightly.

Thanks, Ken.
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Last edited by Eric Swanson; 10-08-2008 at 09:05 PM.
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Old 10-08-2008, 09:06 PM
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Cool hummm

Ok, not bad for a blind guess huh?.. lol

On the Grip, I have rarely ever seen a French Bow without some sort of grip unless it was in the process of being repaired. French Bows as far as I know have grips, period.

Now for playing the Bow, give it some time. My first Bultitude that was made in 1962 was not new when I got it a few years ago but had not been played for some time. Within less than a year, it went from being my #2 at best to my #1 Bow by FAR. The Stick needed to be warmed up a bit. Once it was warmed up, it was smoking hot!

Play the Bow you have and let it re-develop. Maybe, start a Thread on your Morizot and I might be able to move all of this relative discussion over to that and keep it all in one.
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Old 04-08-2009, 05:41 PM
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Thumbs up It's back..

After waiting about 7 months the Bultitude is finally back from Sue Lipkins fully restored. The time factor was not at all her fault as she is booked up for the next 5 years making Bows to meet orders. I just sent it there immediately so she could get it done as her schedule allowed.

She made a new Ebony/Silver Screw/Button for the Bow and copied an original Bultitude Screw to do so. Other than her beautiful figured Pearl in the Button which is not at all the material Bultitude used, the Screw looks as original as my other two Bows I owned in the past that were 100% original.

The Bow also has a new Silver/Leather Grip with a partial thin latex cushion grip as well as her typical high grade re-hair job.

This Bow with only a low grade whalebone imitation grip before weighed in at 142 grams. With the new grip and latex it's 152 grams in total, 147 grams without the latex. Stick wise, this is one meaty Bow. Same high grade dark dense Pernambuco as on my other two Bultitudes but this one comes in at 10 grams heavier. It's also about 1/2" longer than the others but the Head is closer in size to a German Bow. Despite its smaller Head it's actually on the Tip-heavy side believe it or not.

The Sound is huge with this Bow even more so than my other two Bultitudes from what I recall. It just doesn't look typical Bultitude until you look closely at the Stick and then you listen to the tone of the Bow when drawn across the strings.
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Old 04-09-2009, 10:15 AM
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Robert Kramer Robert Kramer is offline
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Default Bows

Ken,
Do you prefer the French bow, or are there situations where using a German bow necessary?
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Old 04-09-2009, 10:19 AM
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Lightbulb prefer?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert Kramer View Post
Ken,
Do you prefer the French bow, or are there situations where using a German bow necessary?
I am a French Bow player, period. To me it's like either being right handed or left handed. It's not like Tea today and Coffee tomorrow. Playing the French Bow Classically is a life time study. I can't do anything with a German Bow at all unless I hold it like a French Bow so why bother.

Simply, I play French.
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Old 06-15-2009, 08:06 PM
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Arrow News on the history..

While at the ISB this past week I showed this Bultitude to one of today's leading Bass Bow experts and was told it is 'not' a late Bultitude but rather a very early example. He pointed out the Cello like features of the head as well as some Hill'ish features as this was made just after Bultitude left Hill. The Bow is stamped in the normal way but it is not numbered like many of his other Bows. perhaps it was before he started numbering them. Either way, this Bow beside being a fantastic example is also Historic being one of the earliest known Bultitudes seen to date.
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Old 06-17-2009, 01:19 PM
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Unhappy Keeper?

Did I mention that this time, the 3rd Bultitude will be a 'keeper'?

Well, once again (3rd time), 'my' Bultitude has been snatched from my fingers. A professional player that knew I had it came by and bought it yesterday for a non disclosed fair market price.

Maybe when or if I ever find Bultitude #4, IT will be my keeper. Let's see..
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Old 06-17-2009, 01:24 PM
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ken, i feel really sorry for you...


i think selling bows is very difficult, because it´s so special, everybody has different demands of what a bow should be like.
so, if the right buyer comes, sell it, before you wait a long time for the next one
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