BOM Anyone? yikes!!!!

[chief deer]

I dropped my subscription about ten years ago. The magizine changed and started a bunch of Japan and Korea bows. Not interesteted in it anymore. The old mag was a lot better back then.

[SLIMBOB]

I'm a relative newcomer to the forum. Been reading the magazine for decades though. My preface is meant just to say that there are many on here who's opinion will carry more weight and I recognize that. I have entered BOM twice. Enjoyed participating and I will again. I will say that my voting is different now AFTER having a few bows in the contest, in that I now try and really pay attention to every bow. Open the posts and put some effort into my evaluation. Before that I was guilty of looking at the thumbnails and picking a familiar name. I'm not implying that everyone votes with as little thought as I put into it, I don't know. I would like to see this contest and the judging take a more front and center approach. Don't mistake this as anything self serving or sour grapes. My bows showed well in both cases I believe and were beaten by superior bows. I would simply like to find a way to make the voting something more than what I think it currently is. No bows to enter this month for me, but next month I should have a few.
Thanks
Slimbob

[mullet]

Like I said, I have one 95% finished when I left for Spain. I was going to hunt with it at Pappy's the first week of November. I just found out this company over here wants me to stay another week without working so I'll post it when I get home and get in finished, whenever. Deer season is really starting to suck.

[M-P]

Howdy Folks,  I like the whole BOM thing.  The PA subscription thing has slowed down my entries, but mainly because it's just one more hoop to jump through.
First and most enjoyable, you make the best shooting bow you can out of the available materials.  Then you have to spend a little extra time on the decoration/ finish.  Then you have to take and edit photos to show it all off.  Once I've done all that, you'd think that going and looking up my subscription # would be the easy part, but somehow finding the # to put in an email to Cipriano becomes an irritation.
Ron
PS Tanks to Cipriano and all the others that have run this contest. 

[coaster500]

I put a bow in once in a while because I felt that it was the best bow I had turned out at that time. There are bowyers here who are light years ahead of me in their skill levels but what better way to compare your work than up against a back drop built by the best. To me this community is about sharing, learning and improving, right??? Yes I felt a bit of intimidation the first time I did it but have never felt put down or belittled for my work.

As far as how it's judged well it's the members and what they feel. For me I try my best to take in the total package and apply my own degree of difficulty formula to function, imagination, creativity, fit/finish and vote. I apply the same method to my own work and always walk away with some new ideas and directions....  Enter guys the is one of the friendliest most helpful places on the planet!!!!

[Knapper]

I really enjoy BOM, both in the mag and on the forum. Once I entered and will again, with a bow as soon as one is finished. Working hard on Christmas gifts right now. As far as having a subscription to enter, great, how about having a subscription to vote. I really respect the opinions of many on this forum. But don't really think much when I see comments on BOM of people with one post. I could have had my mom logged on an voted for my bow too, but that wouldn't mean a whole lot. Just sayin
Knapper

[Pat B]

M-P, your PA number will be on the magazine address lable. The number starts with PA_ _ _ _ _ _ _

[Parnell]

Ok, I've written about 3 different posts but people are posting so fast and saying what I've said that I've just kept erasing what I've written in between passing here at work.

Here is my straight out POV.  People should support the magazine/website and get a subscription.  I know people are often hardpressed for cash...but seriously?  Don't buy beer once, go to the movies once, etc.  And if this is the case and your still that hard pressed cash, then my heart sincerely goes out to you.

The magazine reflects current times and the current community.  The old magazines, I've actually ordered and have read.  That is the first years of the magazine.  It's grown and become more refined with technology and picture taking.  I like fancy pictures, what can I say.

I totally agree with BOM being a "showcase" that should be celebrating innovation, hard work, new contributions, etc.  It shouldn't be a popularity contest or pretty contest but too often is. 

Last, I wish that my entry was competing against more bows for Sept. BOM.  It's been a goal of mine to win for almost 5 years and I never have.  I have always wanted to win it "properly" though, or what would be the point, otherwise?  So in a way, yes, I'm disappointed there aren't bows in the "contest".

Hopefully a month like this will drum up support for more entries for Oct. and people will in deed become more aware of what they should consider when casting a vote.  Not just which bow do I think is going to win...so I'll vote for that bow like the rest of the herd.

Have a good day guys,

Stephen

P.s.  I've got my PA# in my personal messages from Calendergirl.  I just leave it there and pull it up when I want to make an entry.  It's not complicated.

[mullet]

Knapper;

 I agree with you on that point, too. I've seen in the past where there have been muiltiple votes real fast from people that never posted on the site.

[mullet]

Also, this whole thread is, I'm sure, really bringing down the guys that did participate this month. I know, I've gotten the PM's.

[PEARL DRUMS]

It seems the contest part is being discounted by a bunch of folks. Why is it named as such? How about it remains a contest with competition and there could be another section called Monthly Bow Showcase that exhibits all bows posted that month. Should the contest be removed from the contest? I don't know.

[Parnell]

It is and has always been a tough one, Pearlie.  Truth is though, it is a contest, it is a competition.  Winning BOM does add credibility to someone's reputation as a bow maker.  So in my mind, logic would follow that the most fair way to ensure that a clean vote takes place would be to also have only the votes of subscription holders count. 

Shoot, I could have 130 teenagers register on PA tomorow and vote my way.  Would I do that?  Not in a million years.


I'm not bummed out about this thread.  I think this is a healthy discussion. 

I'm just bummed there weren't more entries.

[bow101]

I read about the subscription part in order to be considered for the BOM.  No I do not think its totally fair to some but I see why they made it that way.  I have done lots of research on archery, bow making etc...over the last couple years.  Like any sport its a very tight knit community of like minded folks.  The thing that bothers me with any club is the big click.  If I had some acrerage, I would definetly set up my own archery range with outdoor coverage for shooting during the rainy season.

[RBLusthaus]

I think this entire forum is an "artistic showcase" of talent and place to share ideas, as is the magazine.  I wont opine on the subscription thing, as I can see it both ways, but, I can say, that I would like to win the BOM some day, because it is a contest voted on by my peers which will enhance my bow building reputation (at least in my own mind) if I am successful, and it gives me a goal to strive for while I am slaving away with my sandpaper etc. - - all the while knowing that there is a part of the whole thing which is a popularity contest - - but what contest or election isn't?

How bout you require the votes to be made without the knowledge of who the builder was?  Might be hard since we all know each others work, but blind voting might take some of the popularity thing out of it?   Maybe, if you want to enter the BOM, do not post the bow for the world to see till after the contest so we can vote blind?  Just thinking out loud.    Thoughts?

Russ

[BOWMAN53]

i wanted to enter my last osage recurve bow but i simply dont have a subscription, and i probably wont for a while, this divorce is kicking my butt.