How Do You Order a Custom Bow and What Should You Expect?

Updated

You order a custom bow by choosing a model, submitting the maker's order form with a deposit (or paying the deposit by phone with a credit card), then waiting for a confirmation letter that states your balance and approximate delivery date. At Custom Bows by Wes Wallace in Beavercreek, Oregon, each recurve or longbow is built one at a time to the customer's specifications and to the required weight for their draw length, plus or minus one pound. Every bow is built to shoot off the shelf. The sections below cover what to decide before ordering, how the process runs, and the payment, delivery, and warranty terms the maker publishes.

What to Decide Before You Order

The maker's site separates recurves and longbows, with photos and descriptions of each model, plus an accessories section. Browse those pages first, because the order form follows the model you pick.

Two specifications drive the build:

  • Draw length — the maker builds to the required weight for your draw length, so you need this measurement before ordering.
  • Draw weight — the finished bow is built to your requested weight with a tolerance of plus or minus one pound.

Also confirm the arrow rest setup. The site states every bow is built to shoot off the shelf, which suits traditional setups; if you planned on a different rest style, raise it with the maker before the build starts rather than after.

The Ordering Process, Step by Step

  1. Browse the bow pages. Review the recurve and longbow models and their descriptions, and note the one you want.
  2. Complete the order form. Fill in the Custom Bows Order Form with your specifications.
  3. Send the form with your deposit. The deposit is what starts the order.
  4. Or order by phone. If you need help ordering, you can place the order over the phone and pay the deposit by credit card.
  5. Wait for your confirmation letter. Once the form is processed, you receive a letter with your remaining balance and the approximate delivery date.
  6. Pay the balance before shipping. You may make monthly payments on your order, but the balance must be paid in full before the bow ships.

How to verify it worked: the confirmation letter is your proof the order is in the queue — check that the model, draw length, target weight, balance, and approximate delivery date all match what you intended. If anything is off, call (503) 632-7365 before the build progresses.

Common sticking points:

  • Sending the form without the deposit — the order isn't processed until the deposit arrives.
  • Assuming the quoted delivery date is fixed — the letter gives an approximate date, and each bow is made individually.
  • Planning to pay the balance on delivery — payment in full is required before the bow is shipped, so budget the final payment ahead of the ship date.

Payment, Delivery, and Warranty at a Glance

Item What the maker states
Deposit Required with the order form, or by credit card over the phone
Balance Listed in the confirmation letter; monthly payments allowed
Shipping condition Balance paid in full before the bow ships
Delivery timing Approximate date given in the confirmation letter
Weight tolerance Plus or minus one pound from your requested weight
Rest setup Built to shoot off the shelf
Warranty Two years against material and workmanship defects
After two years Handled case by case, depending on the bow's condition

The site does not publish prices, deposit amounts, or shipping costs — ask for these when you call or when you submit the form, and get the figure in writing in your confirmation letter.

Who This Maker Fits

Wes Wallace has worked in woodworking since 1972 and built his first bow in 1978 under Jim Brackenbury, building bows in Jim's shop on and off until the late 1980s and full-time with him from 1988. He started his own company as a full-time occupation in 1991, and named his top-of-the-line recurve the "Mentor" in remembrance of Jim. He crafts each bow himself, with his wife, Paula, handling paperwork and shipping.

That profile suits a buyer who wants a one-at-a-time, hand-built bow matched to their draw length and weight, is comfortable with a deposit-and-wait process, and values a two-year workmanship warranty. If you need a bow immediately, or want published prices and firm delivery dates before committing, this ordering model — deposit first, approximate date, balance due before shipping — will feel slow; ask about current lead times by phone before you send a deposit.

Practical Checklist Before You Send the Deposit

  • Model chosen from the recurve or longbow pages
  • Draw length measured and confirmed
  • Target draw weight noted, remembering the ±1 lb tolerance
  • Deposit amount and payment method confirmed (form or phone/credit card)
  • Current lead time and shipping cost asked about directly
  • Accessories you need identified from the accessories page and ordered on the separate Accessories Order Form

Contact: (503) 632-7365 · 21420 S Upper Highland Road, Beavercreek, OR 97004.