An honest question. An honest answer would be the majority dont use releases. I would guess your Grandfather didnt either. At the height of the recurve, about the time of the compound, some recurve shooters where experimenting with releases, but mostly this was for target work and higher scores.

I love recurves because they are what I grew up with. I love them because they are a pleasure to shoot and if you are a person who loves shooting, shooting anything, you will learn to appreciate the practice and training it takes to shoot one well. The satisfaction you get from a perfect shot is hard to duplicate with other weapons.

Go to the 3d shoots, and those in charge to tell you who regularly turns in the highest scores with recurves. Then ask that person for help. He may very well take you under his wing and get you started properly. Pick up copies of Traditional Bowhunter Magazine and find a big traditional shoot near you. Go there and ask questions. One of my pet pieves has been that trad shoots dont all have instructional booths for the beginners or those who need to learn the basics. Many of the trad internet sites have long discussions on form and techniques. It is just harder to weed out the new guys full of advice from the old timers who've been there a long time and earned the respect of others. Enjoy.

Releases have been around for quite a long time. This ad looks to be from the '50s

I made a thumb ring once. I was too use to using finger, even when I went to compounds for a while, I used fingers. My one and only compound has a release now, but it took some time to get use to it. With that said, I just did not like the feel of shooting a bow with a thumb ring.