Even if you haven’t heard of TradTech, you are sure to be aware of its parent, Lancaster Archery Supply. Rob Kaufhold, president of TradTech, grew from roots strongly planted in archery. Kaufold grew up in an archery family and set out early on to make his passion a profession. As a result, more than 25 years ago he started Lancaster Archery Supply. Kaufold has a host of trophies in all archery disciplines including FITA, traditional, bowhunting, field archery and 3-D.
When asked why TradTech was created as a separate company, John Wert, TradTech division manager, quickly pointed out the company’s belief: “TradTech Archery is distinct because traditional archers are distinct. They have a special need when it comes to archery items. The purpose was to distill out what’s most important to the traditional archery community in a separate brand, and a separate Web site better allows us to cater to their specialized needs. Traditional archers just aren’t like other archers in spirit or their equipment.”
Much of the design of TradTech comes from Kaufold’s early days shooting Olympic recurve. “A lot of the design and functionality of the ILF (International Limb Fitting) hunting bows we produce came from the same connection Olympic and competitive recurve archers have been using for 20-plus years,” Wert said. “Rob was both a bowhunter and a competitive recurve shooter and relied on that experience to combine the two and make a traditional-style bow with the ILF connection. The versatility and ability to change limbs, limb weight, length, etc. is what has made competitive archers successful. It is also what makes TradTech bows unique and why we have incorporated the ILF system into our entire line of TradTech bows.”
Leading the line for 2011 is the redesigned TradTech Titan ILF riser. The enhancements are based on feedback directly from the traditional archery community. “The new Titan line of bows has the heart, soul and proven shooting geometry of the original 17-inch TradTech Titan,” Wert said. “We’ve also added a longer, 19-inch Titan III riser for longer draws or those who prefer the extra length for a 60- to 64-inch bow.”
Accuracy and forgiveness have been improved on the Titan thanks to TradTech’s Modular Shelf Radius system. This innovative system bolts into the plunger hole, forming a perfect arrow shelf radius and true center shot for shooting directly off the shelf.
Another feature unique to TradTech is the Pocket Weight System (PWS). “Round, flat weights—weighing one or two ounces each—screw in to the one-inch-diameter holes in the base of the limb pockets,” Wert explained. “This gives the archer the ability to rebalance the bow to accommodate his particular shooting style and needs.”
(717) 394-7229; www.tradtecharchery.com
