Hi All, Looking for some advice. I found an old Ben Pearson Collegian 713-60″ recurve bow at my Dad’s place and it is in need of a new finish. The bow has a solid wood riser (not sure what type of wood) and wood limbs with fiberglass/plastic limb covers. I’ve searched around and have not been able to find any mention of what type of finish was originally on the bow. I was able to determine it’s probably a 1968 model based on the logo and design. Currently the finish is down to the bare wood where the wood is visible. The bow itself is in good shape; no visible cracks or deep gouges. I did string it and it seems completely functional, so I want to sand it down and refinish it. While I am new to archery, I am not a novice to wood working. I have a variety of wood finishes laying around from 2-part epoxy glass, polys and oils. However, I can only imagine how these different finishes would change the flex strength of the bow, therefore changing the bows functionality.

I plan to fully sand the bow until finally using 00 steel wool. My question is what should I use from there to maintain this bows functionality and preserve its originality? I do plan to tape off the original label to preserve it.

Thanks in advance for any positive feedback!