Konk1's Link
I'd like to hear how it works out for you. I wouldn't mind trying them.
I googled them and the guys on AT seem to love them. For what that's worth.
It looks like the design would have you shooting in minutes. Just slide them on and go.
$30 a baker's dozen seems high. And I wonder how sturdy they are if you are shooting tight groups and hitting them from behind..
They hit my face at full draw. Huge negative for me with a beard and mustache.
They get pinched between the kisser button and string on short ATA bows and can cause the nock to come off the string causing a dry fire. Huge negative making them not worth using.
They are heavier than Blazers or feathers. Bad but not a deal breaker.
FOB was considering changes to address these problems but to date that have not. Another company started to address the negatives but they only launched a half-fast web site to show a picture but you cant buy them and they made the situation worse by making their product heavier.
To make the product usable they need to
1. Improve drop-away rest clearance.
2. Reduced/eliminate face contact.
3. Reduced weight. (less than existing FOB and closer to 3 Blazers/glue)
4. Increased spin rate.
5. Increase total surface area of fins.
6. Airfoil fins rather than flat.
Since StarrFlight has thus far been unresponsive to these improvements I just make my own that correct all the negatives with FOBs and improve the concept. Better, Faster, Lighter and all the other problems solved and the great flight and ease of instant re-fletching.
FOBs were almost a fantastic idea an I cant understand why they wouldn't correct the problems. Others have the same complaints I do. I got tired of waiting for them to fix their product and just did it myself but yes it only works on a compound.
Short ATA bows made this common place with a FOB. I can’t use the FOB with my new bow and a loop with a kisser button. It pops the arrow off the string every time even though these things are outstanding for bowhunting.
FOBs are great. What they do for broadhead flight is amazing. Unfortunately FOB’s have too many drawbacks for me to continue to use them. Hitting my face was also a big killer for me. I use a kisser. THe thing jujst needed to be moved forward a little to make it a better product.
I make my own Annular Airfoil fletching that eliminates all the negatives of FOBS but retains all the great things about them. Mine weigh less too (20 grains vs FOBs 25 grains) And mine have a faster spin rate for better stability of broadheads and I can make them in any color or combination of colors I like and I can do it at a lower cost to me. FOB wasn't willing to improve so I did it myself.
Zinger I think if you polled the forum to see how many people other than yourself believe Konk is RC (or any of the other posters you accuse of being RC) you might find you're in the minority. Which kinda means you're sounding a tad like a crazy man, although the excitement that comes across in your posts does make me laugh so I guess crazy isn't all bad. Carry on.
Or, continue to waddle in ignorance. Any takers as to which zinger will choose? I think he would rather be ignorant. This is his chance to settle it.
But that would rock his world and he would have to admit he is wrong (again). He would hate to have come back here and say he was wrong and that Konk1 is a real person. Instead he will pout and pretend he has the answers. I think zinger makes a hobby out of pretending. ;-)
Yes, using older methods it is certainly not possible to truly optimize an Annular airfoil Fletching. Thanks to digital manufacturing we can make things that cannot otherwise be made. Im still perfecting the annular airfoil. There are concerns by some that what I propose would be louder than conventional fletching so I set up a camera and the boy and I did some test shooting in the back yard. We cant hear a difference.
As to making it in a cost effective manner, Im not very concerned. If they are truly an advantage but costly to make I will still make them as I see the advantage in it and care about improved broadhead flight. I stripped the blazers off a few arrows and shot them side by side with my existing arrow and I had to change nothing. They flew perfectly. Thus far, all the advantages of FOB and none of the negatives. Its enjoyable researching, designing, making and hunting with items you craft yourself. Im also making a new single bevel broadhead for my Zone D bear hunt where I will use a homemade longbow.
There was a bear on the bait, and I told him, I am going to try and take him.
I was able with a good wind, and wet conditions, to get up next to him, behind some evergreens, and at 7 steps, I sent a bear razor head thru his middle....
He just about knocked me down, going by me, and I said wow.... my friend could not believe it, he kept saying, I can not believe this,,,,,,,
bear went 40 yards and piled up. 179 dressed, not the biggest bear, but extra exciting,,,,,,,,,,
Now, you dont do the proper thing and come back here and say "Sorry RC, I guess I was wrong" You just move onto the next conspiracy theory. LOL
24/7/365 Thanks for all the effort you put into me. It means a lot to me.
Now if you are done being a jackass, move along. Pout elsewhere.
K. 5 pts O. 1 pts N. 1 pts K 5 pts total 12 points
Perhaps Zinger wish you a higher value handle to reflect your higher Value! Let the games continue or not <~~~~~<<<<< €
going to try razars, instead of blazers this year, with the compound......
Clearly zinger you don't seem even remotely interested in fletching or advanced airfoil fletching so please take your tedious pouting to other threads. Go be a jackass someplace else.
Rancid Crabtree's Link
The originator of FOB (Paul Morris) recognizes this and there was a picture posted on Archery Talk of a slightly modified (chamfered) FOB he was contemplating to reduce the string pinch problem. It turns out he didn’t make those changes and bring that improvement to market. Instead, Paul focused on a sliding FOB in which the user places a slip fit FOB on the shaft all the way up to the broadhead or field point, then you place a special stopper and nock on the arrow.
At launch, its expected that the FOB will slide to the back of the shaft and stop at the special hook. This corrects the problem that even the originator recognized with face contact and string pinch. Here is a picture from the patent document (which was filed back in 2002 and granted in 2003)
At the same time, a guy who likewise did not like the problems with FOBS and the face contact and string pinch created a product which was nearly a direct copy of the FOB but slides it away from the nock. Unfortunately, since he copied the FOB, he only has a simple tubular ring and flat fins and did not take advantage of applying airfoils to both those surfaces. Also, his new product is far heavier than FOB’s (Fobs weigh 24.5 grains) and this new FOB that guy created weighs 32 grains. (he made it far heavier)
This hunter FOB is still awaiting patent approval which is still a long way out. He created a web site to show the product but h is not taking orders. Look at hunters FOB online to see his product (its not available for purchase.)
Meanwhile, I still designing the optimum airfoil fins and airfoil annual ring to both stabilize and increase spin rate as well as reducing weight to what I expect will be 22 grains. As well as designing sizes for std carbons, Axis arrows and micro diameter arrows. Its still too soon to determine if we will bring this to market but we will most likely seek protection of the design with the patent office.
Then I will disagree. Innovators will forever be trying to come up with ways to stabilize and improve broadhead flight. Hell an entire industry (mechanical broadheads) was created because of this problem.
If bird feathers, tied on a river cane shaft with sinew was the best solution, we would still be using that. Then we would not have Blazers or Rayzrs or Quickspins or FOBs or all the other advancements. Nor would we have drop away rests. Advanced fletching is most definitely not a solution looking for a problem. It the exact opposite.
P.T. Barnum was a genius.
Advanced fletching that generates increased spin rates while increasing spin stability to improve broadhead flight is a good thing even for those that know how to tune a bow. Is advanced fletched necessary? Nope!, neither are compound bows. Anybody can learn to shoot a longbow. Ive seen kids do it. Why seek any advances or improvements? Just learn to do it with wood arrows with tied on feathers and a longbow. ;-)
P.T Barnum was correct. There are guys out there actually falling for compound bows and carbon arrows and Blazers and releases and drop away rests when a homemade wood longbow is all they really need. Suckers.
I will assume you don't use any of those gimmicks nor fletchings on your perfectly tuned longbow.
Obviously. ;-)
