I searched this topic and decided I needed to make a new post.
I fully recognize the value in learning proper, Traditional Korean Archery techniques (including shooting off the right side of the riser with no shelf), but I must admit how much I've loved my Kaya brand "Khan" bow (a built for Westerners with a shelf on the left). I'm considering my alternatives since they apparently were discontinued.
Years ago I bought a Kaya brand "Khan" model. I understood it to basically be a Korean Traditional Bow (KTB) except featuring a shelf on the left. It blew both visitors and myself away that you can hold this hobbit-sized, feather-light bow and have it perform like my olympic ILF recruve shot bare. Since it featured a built-in arrow rest on the left side, none of us had to do anything different than we normally do (aside from learning to string it and fit arrows). I wound up dialing in some arrows (from everyday recurve shooter parts) that delivered as tight of groups as any bare bow I've ever shot. I lean toward flexible shafts even with ILF recurve, anyway, so it just seemed amazing how I didn't have to adapt my skillset or do anything differently to shoot this amazing bow.
Unfortunately, Kaya seems to have discontinued the model. As an enthusiast of the Khan, I tracked people's experiences and reviews and I can't help but suspect its demise was due to some temporary poor quality control, and its reputation never survived the bad reports of them delaminating or showing signs of being rushed through the assembly line here and there (including little assymetrical aesthetics that did not affect performance). Such a shame, because this was revolutionary stuff for me.
So... I started thinking of buying a very similar Traditional Korean Archery bow and modifying it to have an arrow rest on the left.
Can anyone tell me -- am I right in thinking these KTB's are really just symmetrical bows in regard to left or right?
And so a regular KTB modded with a shelf on the left should perform just like the Khan did?
I just don't want to buy one only to find the thing is really somehow built to shoot off the right side (unless I'm ready to commit to learning the whole Asiatic ball of wax.. torque etc...).
Edit / Update: I am noticing that both Kaya and Samick do seem to be saying their popular KTB's may be shot "either right or left handed"... so I"m assuming that also means from either side of the shelf? Samick calls it "reversible". I initially wrote this post because of seeing things in posts here like torque techniques and anecdotes about how you should shoot a bow the way it was intended by the boyer. But I can testify the Khan did shoot wonderfully, basically used western-style (I even believe its draw weight was measured at 28" rather than beyond). But was it really just a Kaya KTB with a shelf on the left? Any of your experienced thoughts are of value, thanks.
Thanks
Jeff
I fully recognize the value in learning proper, Traditional Korean Archery techniques (including shooting off the right side of the riser with no shelf), but I must admit how much I've loved my Kaya brand "Khan" bow (a built for Westerners with a shelf on the left). I'm considering my alternatives since they apparently were discontinued.
Years ago I bought a Kaya brand "Khan" model. I understood it to basically be a Korean Traditional Bow (KTB) except featuring a shelf on the left. It blew both visitors and myself away that you can hold this hobbit-sized, feather-light bow and have it perform like my olympic ILF recruve shot bare. Since it featured a built-in arrow rest on the left side, none of us had to do anything different than we normally do (aside from learning to string it and fit arrows). I wound up dialing in some arrows (from everyday recurve shooter parts) that delivered as tight of groups as any bare bow I've ever shot. I lean toward flexible shafts even with ILF recurve, anyway, so it just seemed amazing how I didn't have to adapt my skillset or do anything differently to shoot this amazing bow.
Unfortunately, Kaya seems to have discontinued the model. As an enthusiast of the Khan, I tracked people's experiences and reviews and I can't help but suspect its demise was due to some temporary poor quality control, and its reputation never survived the bad reports of them delaminating or showing signs of being rushed through the assembly line here and there (including little assymetrical aesthetics that did not affect performance). Such a shame, because this was revolutionary stuff for me.
So... I started thinking of buying a very similar Traditional Korean Archery bow and modifying it to have an arrow rest on the left.
Can anyone tell me -- am I right in thinking these KTB's are really just symmetrical bows in regard to left or right?
And so a regular KTB modded with a shelf on the left should perform just like the Khan did?
I just don't want to buy one only to find the thing is really somehow built to shoot off the right side (unless I'm ready to commit to learning the whole Asiatic ball of wax.. torque etc...).
Edit / Update: I am noticing that both Kaya and Samick do seem to be saying their popular KTB's may be shot "either right or left handed"... so I"m assuming that also means from either side of the shelf? Samick calls it "reversible". I initially wrote this post because of seeing things in posts here like torque techniques and anecdotes about how you should shoot a bow the way it was intended by the boyer. But I can testify the Khan did shoot wonderfully, basically used western-style (I even believe its draw weight was measured at 28" rather than beyond). But was it really just a Kaya KTB with a shelf on the left? Any of your experienced thoughts are of value, thanks.
Thanks
Jeff
