[High Desert]

My wife and I bought new bows and have been shooting in our garage.

What is Brace Height and how do you measure it?


My wife bought a Sage 58" 25# I bought a PSE Classic 64" 45#


I ordered a Wes Wallace Mentor 66" 50#.............

Will there be a noticeable difference, in shooting and performance, between the Wes Wallace and the PSE? If so what will be the difference?

High Desert

 

[Thin Man]

Hello.

Brace height is the measurement from the string to the deepest part of the grip. You want this distance to be within the manufacturer's recommended range. The easiest tool to measure this is called a bow square, which snaps onto the string and has an attached ruler with which to make the measurement. The bow square is also marked in the string area for you to set your nock locator at a specific height above the "0" point as measured in a straight line from your shelf or rest to the string.

If you don't have a bow square, just use a ruler and then put more twists into the string to shorten it and raise the brace height, or vice versa to lengthen the string and lower the brace height. Just don't unwind the string enough to have it come apart if it's a Flemish twist string.

There ya go!

 

[FORESTGUMP]

Thin Man answered the first question very well so I will address the second.

There is a reason that a custom bowyer becomes well known and successful. It is because he pays attention to every detail of his work and does the work himself by hand. He puts his own personal touch on each piece of the bow and his reputation on the line.
A mass manufacturer builds so many bows that they are forced to automation and as such the quality can't be the same. I think they do their best to make a quality product but, it's the nature of the beast of mass production. The worker in a factory just can't be expected to be as devoted as a custom bowyer, in most cases.
So yes, you should be able to see and feel the difference the first time you touch it. There will be a difference in the smoothness of the draw and vibration at the shot among others. All around it will be obvious that it's a custom.