Samick Sage Compared to Custom Recurves

Here is an in-depth look at the Samick Sage comparing it to a Black Widow. Covering everything from aesthetics to limb design and speed testing. If you are on the fence of buying a custom recurve but worried about the cost you should watch this.
Links to look at
Samick Sage
www.amazon.com/Samick-Sage-Ta...
Black Widow Bows
www.blackwidowbows.com/
#archery #traditionalarchery #bowyer

[@jasonread2042]

Sorry to say samick archery is not a Chinese made bow. The company is actually a south Korean company. Great review of the bow and you have a good channel. We all make honest mistakes. I know that I have done it.

[@Makingitwild]

Thank you for being polite with your comment. I had always heard they were made in China but hadn’t looked into. I should of done my research before making the video but they have a good timeline on their website that lays out the company history. The company started in 1975 in South Korea. They started manufacturing in Quingtao, China in 2004 but from what I can tell, in 2019 they purchased a new factory in South Korea. This is just a guess but I bet most bows out there including ones for sale today were made in China but it’s just like many other companies that manufacture products in China even though they aren’t Chinese companies. I’ll work on getting that fixed in the video to not put out incorrect information. Thanks

[@jasonread2042]

I have a hyosung motorcycle and a lot of people think it made in China and it made in Korea. They got together with Suzuki and made the bike I have.

[@louisbailey4900]

Twigg archery verified they now made in China but the quality I'd still awesome

[@iceblueeyes9455]

Like all things if its half made in usa. And half made in china. You put a third company's name on.it Made in usa ...

[@salimoneus]

These bows are currently made in China, and are sold under various other re-branded names

[@tomvawter4531]

Great video. I'll take a Samick Sage over a high end custom trad bow every time. Anytime you can get a product that performs 80-90% as well at 10-20% of the comparable cost, that is a bargain.

[@pathfinder5804]

A custom trad bow is like buying a piece of art. You are paying for performance and one of a kind piece. They are like grand dads old pocket watch that’s been passed down over 3 generations. Ya sure you could get a new cheaper version that might work as good but not worth as much. I wouldn’t hesitate if I had money for a custom bow cuz I’m planning on passing mine down.

[@iceblueeyes9455]

Good video. I really thank-you for the time and effort you put in this. And it will help the sport.

[@1xayekim]

The thing about the Sage though to is you can customize the riser on your own and get exactly how you want it if you are at all inclined and able to do that. I owned a custom bow and I was never happy with the grip and ended up selling it and taking a loss. In the mean time and since then I have shot my Sage which was my "back up" truck / boat bow that ended up becoming my main shooter after I changed the grip to a low wrist grip, stippled it and contoured the grip exactly to my hand and re finished it and it feels like a custom bow because it is a custom bow... but instead of 1500 dollars its 200 and a few hours of my time getting it exactly how I want it.

[@AussieArchery]

Thank you for this comment, I have been wondering if there has been anyone that has customised their samick, I’m about to pull the trigger on one because of end of financial year sales at the moment, but I feel like the handle is a bit chunky for my liking.

[@johnsimpson8198]

Great info, great video!

[@TheBearsButt]

I've owned a Samick for 5 years, killed 2 muley bucks with it and I love it.

[@user-no9qb6lj7c]

Just ordered one to get into trad archery

[@ScottWinters]

Nice review. I've had my sage #40 for a couple of years now with no issues to note.

[@Makingitwild]

Great. I shot the one in the video a few dozen more times with no other issue. I think it will hold up as well as any other brand.

[@dougeldredge]

me, also, i shoot about 400 shots a week, no issues, i have ground down the handle to my fit, ff string, sweet shooter

[@Makingitwild]

@@dougeldredge I’ve been shooting it more and it’s hard to beat for the price. I’m working on a video to show what I’ve done to make it a little better but it sounds like you’ve already fixed all the real issues I had with it.

[@louisbailey4900]

I've an October mountain recurve,which is a rebranded samick sage. I too, ground the handle on the riser , down to fit my hand,and it shoots just as good as any $1000 bow.

[@George-nt8uw]

Very interesting review. The best part was the opinion of the two guys who, so far, never lied to you. Only thing left out while pushing the custom bow was the effect of the Samick Sage on global warming. I own two Samick Sages in 25 and 40 pounds, and I am very happy with them. Not surprising though, as I shoot rifle for precision (informally). I impress my fellow club shooters with my Thompson Center Compass in .223 Rem. out to 300 yards. That's the maximum range I have available to me. Get the picture?

[@bobdrawbaugh4207]

I purchased a 35 # sage after a shoulder injury to help get back shooting without hurting my shoulder. I was really impressed for what it cost. I have no hesitation recommending the sage if you want a nice bow in the cheap. It will get the job done.

[@travislawrence52]

See how the bow is loose inside your homemade contraption? You can wiggle it back and forth. I think this means that using it is about like a dryfire, like you said, because the spring of the bow is absorbed by the riser instead of translated to your hand, or something like that. It's a cool device, but I'd make some adjustments to make sure the bow is perfectly tight before using it again. Excellent and informative video though! And it's cute that you think your boys haven't lied to you.

[@cjcj4197]

Very helpful thanks for the great jod

[@Nunya369]

Just received my 50lb sage. She's a very nice bow for £90 in the uk. Think I will get a 35lb for practice though.

[@edcar61]

Nice video, lot of work put into making this video. Can’t afford the custom bow. Don’t think the price difference in these two bows are worth it.

[@billcaddell3848]

I own a Black Widow PSR recurve, no comparison at all. Black Widow will always be the winner, the quality is worth the price they are.

[@kentwilliams3326]

Absolutely true. Which grip shape did you get? Thanks...

[@stavroskandianopoulos1755]

My friend.. Samick is a Korean company as other viewers have commented. They are experts in bow making as well as guitars and high end pianos, so they know a few things about wood working. Samick Sage is not about beauty although is not an bad looking bow. Is about fanctionality and dependability. My Samick is the Red Fox version with the longer limbs which in the States is called the "Journey". Samick Sage's only problem is that it actually staks at 28" and that was the reason I went for the longer limbs. Placing a leather patch under the limb over the metal pocket and changing to a flemish fast flight string has improved the performance and silent the bow to the maximum. After ten years of use hasn't lost any of its pountage having in mind that I always unstring the bow. I admire custom bows but I could have five to ten Samicks in the same price I can by a custom one. The Samick is not a budget bow it's a steal for what it offers.... Unfortunately is not made anymore as far as I know.

[@jasonread2042]

I have the samick trail blazer longbow and I love it. I have taken many animals with it and I've did a couple of tournaments with it it's the first bow I grab every time.

[@toxic1698]

It still made is just made by a different company its now the SAS sage.

[@salimoneus]

Samick bows are made in China

[@Russell_Huston]

If you wanted to change limbs so as to change draw weights, I know limbs for the Samick are available and interchange no problem. Are limbs affordably available for change-out on the Black Widow?

[@Makingitwild]

You can get limbs from black widow. I’m not sure how much they cost but it’s common for people to have multiple weight limbs. I’m not sure about black widow but most bowyers will need you to send in the raiser so they can fit it perfectly. Even though they cut raisers out on a CNC they still do all the final sanding and fit up by hand so each set of limbs will need to be mated to the raiser. Hope that helps

[@UncleDanBand64]

Good comparison. Hard to beat the Samick for the money. I have a couple of bows that I believe they are probably made by Samick and rebranded for 3rivers and Lancaster. Since you are a bowyer, do you think adding a layer of glass to the front and back of a finished recurve will work? Say I have 30 pound limbs and want to jump them up to 50ish pounds.

[@Makingitwild]

I’ve never done it but I’ve talked to someone who has. They added to bows they made so they had the form. If you glue them up without a form the limbs might not be the same and take a lot of tillering. If you made a form that matched the limb it should work. Make sure the glass is sanded with coarse sandpaper so the glue sticks. That would be something fun to try.

[@UncleDanBand64]

@@Makingitwild thanks sir. I might try it. A set of limbs for this bow in question are cheap. It is pulling 25 at 22. So probably 30 at my draw. I want to beef it up. It will really sling an arrow for a light bow and knock the center out of a target at 20 yards. Hey, if it ain't broke....get a bigger hammer😂

[@woodsmith8439]

Try a sage with a 31” draw, and you’ll immediately know why you need a custom bow. My 50# sage was 61@31.

[@SimplicityEDC]

I got a 31" DL, and if your poundage and brace height is right it's fine

[@woodsmith8439]

@@SimplicityEDC Tried both. 40 gave me close to 50, but the low brace was too noisy. Give the new deep hook limbs a try. Border Uukha, or Morrison. You’ll never go back...

[@SimplicityEDC]

@@woodsmith8439 interesting, whats the model name of the uukha limbs?

[@woodsmith8439]

@@SimplicityEDC not sure. Their website might help. I have Morrison’s. Several manufacturers now have them, Timberwolf, Zipper.

[@woodsmith8439]

@@chrischris4869 it's 64" vs 62" so it would. My sage was 64. If you really get into the sport, then you'll probably be buying bows that work better for long draws.

[@wadesaunders583]

entertaining and interesting

[@LifeisGood-ye8rl]

The widow is a smooth shooter as long as the brace height is right and the arrow within acceptable range, I can pluck the crap out of it and the arrow still fly straight and true. As long as my bow hand point at the target the arrow will find it. I have 3 widows every time I wanted to sell 1 I take it to shoot 1 last time and immediately change my mind. They are not the fastest nor the quietest when compare to more modern Olympic limbs with space age material but they are the old but faithful

[@stevedriscoll2539]

Hmm, haven't shot a space-age Olympic bow, but the Black Widow takedown I shot back in the late 90's was way faster than anything I was used to.

[@ramoverde4133]

Medallion loss happened to me with a Fred Bear Super Kodiak . A real shame ! 🏹✔👍

[@Makingitwild]

That is a bummer to loose one off a super kodiak. You can buy replacements but it’s just not the same.

[@ramoverde4133]

@@Makingitwild Yes really a bummer, also the cracks in the paint. Was still on warranty, so he went back, and a Austrian product came into the house. www.bogenbau-isidor.at/

[@stevedriscoll2539]

You went to a lot of trouble to make this video and I appreciate that. I personally like better the custom bows that I have shot: the Black Widow, the Chastain bow (my favorite for smoothness, beauty and speed), and the "Blacktail" recurve by Norm Johnson. My friend had a bow by Norm Johnson (Blacktail with chok de coke) that was superfast and supersmooth and the most gorgeous bow I ever saw. I feel for the custom Bowyer in the U.S., cost of doing business is extremely high here. No problem though, we are much better off from Globalism and the massive trade imbalances with other countries, right?

[@Makingitwild]

I agree. I see why so many countries move overseas but we need to support our own first.

[@charlesdenman9052]

The Samick Sage is manufactured by a Korean Company - Samick Sports. What makes you assert it is made by a Chinese company?

[@Makingitwild]

According to their website they started manufacturing in China in 2004. They purchased a new factory in South Korea in 2019 but the particular bow I was using came from China. I wrong in that I said it was a Chinese company but I was referring to the manufacturing process. Just like if you have an American company that uses Chinese manufacturing to keep costs down still has Chinese products.

[@salimoneus]

Samick is made in China, look it up.

[@raywhitehead730]

Black Widow, bows offer different grips, and size grips. Black Widow also offers different designs and lengths. You will pay a little over twice the price. I would work a few hours more over time, and get the Black Widow. You know most want to go there. However, if its your first bow and your not making the money, Samack Sage is fine.

[@raywhitehead730]

In the 2017 BW catalogue, it has complete one piece bows for a little over $1,000. On Amazon, May 2024, a Samick Sage is $150.

[@Tradman47]

For me I'll take a black widow Custom Bow built to your specific specs..its a one of kind bow no two bows are made the same..Yes there very expensive but but these are a once in a lifetime bow for many people including me...And its made in the good old USA

[@Makingitwild]

I have two black widows and even though I don’t use them as my primary bow I never plan on getting rid of them because of the quality.

[@omarqalanda9259]

Thanks for confirming Samick is way better than your custom recurve even though you clearly tried sooo hard to show otherwise to the point you sounded disgustingly unfair to the samick but truth prevails

[@davidjones7503]

I haven't checked, yet... but since you don't mention price, I'm thinking you're comparing a $150 bow to a $1,500 bow. So is the Black Widow 10x better? Or is the Sage a good bow to learn on before dropping a mortgage payment on something you don't know how to use, yet? Btw, Black widow offers many different options on limbs and risers vs. the Sage, would've been nice to discuss specifics of your bow. Otherwise good job on the video.

[@Makingitwild]

In my opinion the black widow isn’t 10x better but it is better. You are also paying for something hand crafted. You’re right that both black widow and samick make other models but the ones I used are both popular models. I think if you are just getting into archery get the samick sage and upgrade if it’s a hobby you want to stick with. Once you are ready to upgrade there are multiple bowyers that make great bows to look at before spending a lot of money. If you don’t want to upgrade there is nothing wrong with shooting a samick forever.

[@davidjones7503]

@@Makingitwild thank you

[@MrTNBassmaster]

I love my black widow PCHx 58# @28"

[@dormantmenace]

Southwest archery makes basically the same bow as samuck sage but more refined and better lookinh

[@dougeldredge]

i have a sage, recurve, 40 lbs, i rasped on the riser a lot to fit my hand, i also got a black hunter, long bow, much nicer bow than the sage, 40 lbs also, i shoot bamboo arrows, i prefer the long bow

[@darinfry1543]

I have a galaxy ember recurve, basically same bow as the hunter. Great budget bow

[@upgraddewith2Ds]

It looks just likes my Keeshes it got this spring, so are they the same manufacturer?

[@Makingitwild]

I’m not familiar with keeshes bows but there are a lot out there under different names that are almost identical so chances are they came from the same manufacturing plant.

[@upgraddewith2Ds]

@@Makingitwild Thank you for the response.

[@rodneyhirsch2340]

I have 3 Samik sages. No problems of any kind. Bear super Kodiak looks better. But it’s a 65 lb. Super hard pull for 65. But very fast. Easy to shoot. But for the money sage is good.

[@Deamonic]

on both bows, when you're measuring the tiller, your bottom measurement is out of square, noticeably. Enough to make an invalid measurement.

[@colourglue]

I have a 23 year old black widow at 58". I have owned many modern bows and nothing feels as stable and forgiving as that old bow, even as my shortest bow. It's quality is undeniable. The price was undeniably high though... could have bought Sage's for my whole family for that price.

[@stevedriscoll2539]

But those bows are iconic now, and new ones are so far out of reach for maybe 90 to 95% of archers...man, I had a chance to buy a sweet 53# @28 JK Chastain takedown (used) when I was at Bob's Archery in Denver, Co. back in the 1990's...damnit!

[@codyrivenburgh7645]

I just cant warp my head around the look of that black widow with the limbs on the inside of the riser...it looks goofy as hell

[@iceblueeyes9455]

One of the smoothest pulling bows. You will shoot. Because of the wilson brothers design.

[@codyrivenburgh7645]

@@iceblueeyes9455 I have not shot one yet..so I can't judge that part of them...they just look so odd to me....I'd love to shoot one some day tho

[@randytricker8585]

Craftsmanship going to the custom made bow. Ahh no shit. What's the price on the black widow. "Custome made".. it's nice to no the pros and cons. But it's also nice to know price point. 150-200 doller bow yo what 1000 2000 dollar bow?

[@kb7smm265]

My Samick Sage can out shoot my friend's Bob Lee and his Martin Black Mamba bows. Maybe the guy behind the bow makes a difference.

[@Makingitwild]

You nailed it when you said it’s the person behind the bow.

[@michaelfitzell2741]

Do you have to have an expensive bow to be accurate?

[@Makingitwild]

I’m not sure I understand the question. Can you give me an example of an expensive bow?

[@bobrice7313]

A Korean bow made in China. Are we good on that?

[@salimoneus]

It's just like everything made in China, they always specify "Designed in XXX country" but they are actually made in CHINA. It's very standard. Hope that clarifies.

[@jessiegarcia8465]

Ur comparison is like comparing a Volkswagen to Bentley, Korean company, I happen to be a bowyer for over 40 years , u have alot of learning to do

[@Makingitwild]

That was the point of the video. I noticed you called your bows lone wolf longbows and I was confused at first because of the well known lone wolf custom bows out of Michigan but I think I got it lined out. You’re right I do have a lot of learning to do just like everyone else. I’ll check out some of your videos because I think everyone has something you can learn from them. Have a good day.

[@alansam51]

I’m sorry, you are comparing apples to orange. Look at the price difference. I shoot a black Widow too. Anyway, thank you for sharing

[@bodgitscarper5353]

I own a Black Widow bow, I left it’s strung for 15 Years (change string yearly) the poundage is the same as when I first assembled it, I actually overdraw the bow by 4 inches.

[@randytricker8585]

That scale looks like it was used for dope. Lol. That circle ring. Looks like a coffee cup for doing up weed. Lol. Not saying that's what it is just seen alot of scales.. well used ones.

[@jamesasmith2494]

Terrible comparison! For the price of one Black Widdow, you can purchase 6 or perhaps 7 Samick Sages. Do an apples to apples comparison. A $150.00 bow to a $1400.00 bow is no comparison. Compare your widdow to a Bob Lee, a Schafer, or a Border. Compare a Sage to the Black Hunter, something in the same price point.

[@danielburgstaller9605]

But somehow it's unfair - like comparing a ferrari to a fiat. I think for beginners it's ok to have a budget bow.

[@SharpObserver1A]

I don't agree in giving points to cosmetics. The Samick is much better for the money's worth.

[@kriswarren6202]

Lol! I love seeing all the triggered fanboys cry about their fave bows.

[@58landman]

IMHO the widow's takedown riser looks like it was made with scrap 2x4 material and along with Habu and Jim Bows I think they rank among the ugliest pieces of wood you can throw your money at. The widow KB model looks a little better but it's the 2nd ugliest girl at the dance. BW's 50s style recurve looks like a bow should look and I really wouldn't mind owning one except they're far too expensive due to hype and I'm not buying. There are several different bowyers who make great 50s style recurves that will shoot just as well as BW and at half the price and all you have to do is look for them. The Sammick line....? No thanks. I buy from American bowyers who have earned their bones and have stayed in the business of great products and service after the sale.

[@Why...So...Stupid...]

There really isnt much that goes into these bows. It doesnt cost much to make a good bow. Paying a lot for a traditional bow is insane to me. Bows are not very technical and humans have been making them for a very long time. The string and arrows make a huge impact on performance.