Well..actually it *is* a recurve.

When I first got into Trad archery, I hated longbows...just aesthetically. Not for any pertinent reasons. My first several trad bows were recurves..Martin Hunter, Bear Super Kodiak, and a Morrison.

I think though after shootingfor a bit Irealized I hated the higher wrist and bulkier grips ona recurve(which I hate on a compound too). I have medium size hands and most recurve grips are huge.My next few bows were made by Allegheny Mountain which has been outta business now for about 5 years. He made a hybrid bow called a "mountain bow" which had a small recurve riser with some seriously reflexy-deflex limbs.I've yet to see a bow that looked like that bow when strung..it was almost a gull-wing shape(the limbs themselves, not the riser and limbs like say on a trkish inspired bow). They had some serious speed and power. A bit noisy and a little unpleasant to shoot too comapred to a Morrison or such. (about $2 bills cheaper though too). I had two of them, one was a 56" all laminated black/grey maple/actionwood. the other was a 60" laminated grey and purplelheart (which was GORGEOUS). The first bow had a bigger higher wrist grip as I was trying to match my Super Kodiak's.The second, less heel as I learned this is NOT what I want. Eventually I got to where I preferred the longbow grips, and had another Morrison(which I FOOLISHLY sold, god what a bow..both in looks and performance/shootability), and a Saxon AT longbow.

I just prefer the longbow look and feel I guess, as well as older 50's style recurves with a small riser section. It's not a performance thing, and though I'm certainly no expert in trad bows, I do believe a recurve with it's more flexible limb tips is easier to torque. I'd love to have something like a Habu DeathAdder or even a Habu or Black Widow recurve. But to me, nothing is prettier and says "bowhunting bow" more than afairly low key R/D longbow with a cocobolo riser and red elm limbs. and my next custom bow will be just that. Simplicity & beauty defined