Win&Win Recurve Bow case Review
After much contemplation in trying to decide between the different recurve hard bow case models on the market I finally decided on the Win&Win case because:
" It Fitted my price requirement - somewhere between the Shibuya and SKB double cases at the high end and the Cartel 110/210 at the lower
" It looked like a quality product, similar to the Shibuya bowcase
" I wanted something that would last the years
" It would fit most of my accessories into the one case, I don't like carry additional bags with bits and pieces. This was one of the negatives with the SKB case.
I searched the internet high and low for prices, emailed a few suppliers and finally settled on ordering it from Steve 'Steves-Archery'. His price was competitive and it felt right, I believe in supporting your local suppliers especially one like Steve whose achievements have done so much for New Zealand Archery. The retail price for this case is $595 including shipping and GST etc as at 01/12/2009. The case took about six weeks to arrive with Steve keeping me informed on its progress along the way.
The price may sound expensive but:
" A large chunk of the cost is shipping, it so expensive to get them to this side of the world.
" The Shibuya and SKB double cases cost more
" I figure on keeping this case long term and not selling it, I expect it to last ten plus years.
My initial thoughts
On unpacking the case it really gave the impression of being a good quality product, it felt like a suit case, the finish is very good and everything just looked and felt great right down to the keys for the locks which are heavy and solid.
Please Excuse the picture quality (better photo's can be found on the web)
Exterior
Dimensions taken from the web:
Outer size 878 X 348 X 219 (mm)
Inner size 830 x 330 X 205 (mm)
Case Housing
The exterior has a nice finish to it like an expensive suit case (ABS plastic) and includes solid plastic mouldings (feet) to protect the case when standing up on its end or lying flat.
Wheels
It has two large solid wheels. I have found them handy when moving the case around the house and I'm sure this will be handy when in transit, airports etc.
Handles
There are three handles and all are nice and solid - two normal handles and one retractable handle which is the same as many suit cases have. The two normal handles are, one on the front by the locks and another on top which is extended out slightly when you lift it. The retractable one is easy to extend out with a simple push of the button and its frame feels solid, it will be interesting to see how this lasts with time.
Frame, Locks and Hinges
It has a solid steel frame and hinges, these really feel like they would take some punishment. It has three locks, two key locks that open and close easily with solid sounding clicks. The combination lock looks like its set permanently to 000 and can not be changed, it would have been nice to have an instruction note to say that this was indeed the case. Initially I did find that you need to give these locks a bit of push to close them, you need to hear that click otherwise they don't always engage. I think this may be due to them being solid and needing a bit of use - a few days later and I was not having any problems.
Cover
It comes with a silver cover that fits snugly around the case. I think it would serve two purposes, one being to protect the cases finish while in transit (cars, planes etc) and the other could be to reflect the sun that would otherwise make the dark case get very hot. I will be testing both of these uses over the next couple of months.
The cover has holes for the both handles and you can unzip the top half to open the case. It looks good too!
Interior
The interior is lined with a black material that feels padded and is nicely fitted into the case housing. The interior is split by a central divider/flap, top half stores the arrows plus some accessories and bottom half the bow and accessories. The divider can be clipped to the top half of the cases using two simple latches.
The Interior top half
The top compartment can hold 24 arrows, the foam that holds them is solid and feels like it will wear well. The arrow holes are small and might pose a problem fitting larger diameter arrows. The foam also includes two sets of larger holes to accommodate a poker and v-bars. The divider flap for this half of the bow case includes two large flattish storage compartments with zips for accessories.
Note: No poker or v-bars etc shown in the picture as I'm shooting barebow at the moment, there is space for them and the bow stand can fit nicely in the bottom half of the case.
The Interior bottom half
As the bottom of the case has to accommodate the telescopic bow case handle, they have added some foam blocks and then glued the case floor to it. The floor is made from padded black material like the rest of the case interior but this is thicker. This arrangement does mean there is some lost space that can not be used.
There are four elastic tie down straps (like some suit cases have) to keep gear secure which works very well. As can be seen from the photo's I managed to fit everything in with space to spare. I don't have a sight case in the picture but there would be plenty of room for one and of course some of the large modern quivers may struggle to fit. I think with some careful planning you could fit two bows in here.
The divider flap on this side includes five storage compartments, all have double zips and the larger ones have elastic holders inside them.
Things that could be better
" It would have been nice to have an instruction manual or page about the case.
" There is a little sideways play in the lock catches but it's hardly noticeable, I was looking for something to add to the list.
" The divider between the two halves of the case bows out a bit, the addition of another latch in centre would fix this.
It's a great case and a pleasure to own.
Neil Randell
Randwick Archery Club
December 2009
