13/07/2007
Would you recommend this product to a friend? : Yes
How long have you owned this product? : 3
: Month(s)
Pros : Minimal, well designed. One handed operation.
Cons : Not available in Fluro Pink!
Nickname : Online Shopper
Title : Another well designed Beiter device!
Detailed Review : An armguard. How would one do a review on an armguard? I guess it is the kind of thing you do for a challenge really. So is an armguard just an armguard? No. Apparently not. My very first armguard was a reasonably heavy leather affair. Then I went to the vinyl three spoke type. Now I've gone to a Beiter "minimalist paddle pop on your arm" type of affair. Why has this evolution taken place? Because I realised that my arm is round. The string is only going to hit in one place. Why not cover just that one place with an armguard? I wasn't convinced at first that it would work well, but you get used to it pretty quickly. Plus all the top archers tend to use them. Maybe it's a performance secret? So I got a Bieter. Now I just put it on in the right spot, pull up one side of each strap and forget about it. It's the sort of thing you should do with an armguard. Set and forget. But it's a Beiter armguard and we should consider the niceties of owning a typically German design. First thing you should notice is that it's not symmetrical. It's designed for one edge to point towards the user. That side has a slight ramp which helps to make sure that the string doesn't catch under it. It's not to say that it won't stop all string slaps because mine didn't. But I was being silly and it wasn't exactly the fault of the armguard. The lip of the ramp is slightly lower than the top surface so there is actually a little bend in it. It works, so ignore it. Another thing that I like are the little spring buckles (of matching colour) that keep the tension on the elastic. You don't have to touch them until you're ready to take your armguard off. Now if you've followed the directions, all you have to do is press the button on the spring buckle and the elastic eases off tension. Voila! You can now slide it off your arm with the minimum of fuss. Big deal, I hear you say. Well, keep this in mind. This spring buckle is designed to use one hand for tightening and loosening. Velcro, Hooks etc are designed for one hand unfastening.... and wrestling with one hand to get together. Sure, you can do it, but lets face it. You can get your jeans on with one hand, but it makes something you take for granted every day and turns it into a real event. I'm lazy, so I like things which work with the minimum of effort. There are some options with this armguard. If you feel the need, you can side two of them side by side onto the elastic. You can even put a third on there if you're a real hellraiser. Lets not forget another important part. You can get them in more colours than you can find on one Nimbin VW Kombi. Beiter were even considerate enough to make matching coloured nocks for half of their colour range. You can even get clear ones for that stealthy look. So if gold isn't the only important colour for you, you can have some fun with these. Be careful though. It's made of polycarbonate and unless you lose it, you're going to have it for quite some time. So get a colour that you like.