Evolution of the Death Adder
The Death Adder started its existence in the year 2000 as the first to be, face-mounted limb, three-piece takedown longbow. Then in just three short years, transcended into the first of its kind hybrid takedown. This unique concept bow was designed to accommodate both recurve and longbow limb configurations. The new concept was a bit wider (1/4”) and along with its distinctness, prompted a model name change to represent the new bow’s authenticity. “VyperKahn” was the moniker we choose to signify the change. “VyperKahn” held the torch for 15 years as one of the brightest embers. Sad to say, in 2018, it became time for the “VyperKahn” to retire. The all new GEN III Triple Carbon “Death Adder” hybrid would take its place as our halo product and in its exclusive exotic “Habu Camo” pattern, standing as the brand for Habu Bows. It’s the width that gives the Death Adder distinction from the Vyperkahn, but it’s the performance enhancements that separate the two.
GEN III TRIPLE CARBON DEATH ADDER
In the year 2000, 15 years after the inception of the Habu Recurve, the Death Adder was invented. Being the first 3-piece longbow to hit the market, the Death Adder helped uniquely define Habu Bows
Shortly after its inception, Bill Krenz, President of Bear Archery and Archery World magazine, penned an article on its behalf, praising its design and dubbing it a
hybrid. Twenty-five years of fame has earned the Death Adder the ‘brand’ for Habu Bows and here is why.
Performance:
The accuracy of the Death Adder is unsurpassed and has reached perfection. The tillering is so precise, it shoots split finger or 3-fingers under flawlessly with bare shaft at the same zero-tiller. As for speed, the Death Adder carbon limbs are in the top 1%, reaching 215+ FPS AMO, 250+ IBO. However, the limbs’ ultra-light weight do not only allow them to recover fast, they have little weight and inertia, making them very agile and devoid of shock. In addition, the limbs are twist-proof and extremely durable. Once you shoot carbon, there’s no going back to glass limbs.
As a bonus, the Death Adder’s uniquely designed exotic handle was creatively crafted to accept either longbow or recurve limbs, essentially a 40% savings on a second bow. The precision of design and construction ensures that all handles and limbs are precisely interchangeable between longbow and recurve, right- or left-handed, exemplifying the hybrid concept.
Achieving such notable performance is not cheap or easy. After engineering, materials play a big role. We incorporate many exclusive proprietary products and processes. One in particular is our in-house laminated exotic “BuBlocks” which are used to make handles, fade-outs and veneers (‘BuSkin”). Mastering exotic wood is something few people have done; keeping them together is tricky and a 30-year track record proves we have know-how.
Our vintage wood is aged to perfection, directly sourced from Mexico to make it happen. The process starts with a chain saw; cutting select trees and then hauling logs out of the mountains with mules. It is transferred to the sawmill for specific dissection. Special processes allowed us to ship a large container from the southern border to the north near Canada. More dissecting and special processing lay it to rest to begin a 30-year aging process. Three kilns are used to bring the wood to fruition. From there the lumber is processed into laminated exotic blocks. We combine exotic Mexican rosewoods; Cocobolo and Bacote, to make our exclusive
“Habu Camo”. Two of the most beautiful exotic woods, combined to make the most striking bows in the world. At this point, Mexico has a moratorium on exporting Cocobolo, making our collection even more rare.
Even after so much work, this only yields the core material which starts the build process. Handles, fade-outs and “BuSkin’ Veneers are all made from our exclusive “Habu Camo”, sealing our brand.
Triple carbon limbs are the apex of traditional evolution. Countless years were spent developing these amazing limbs. In addition to their laser-line accuracy, it’s the ultra-light bamboo/carbon matrix that reduces inertia and gives life to their agility. The limbs weigh a mere 7 ounces each with more than half the weight being at the fade-out. Nine laminations are employed to make up the limb’s stratus including cosmetic composite made from carbon, wood and glass veneers with fiberglass overlays and carbon tip overlays along with brass inserts. These limbs are complex, intricate and delicate to build. Another Habu exclusive is our “BuSkin”, a composite made with paper-thin, carbon-impregnated cosmetic veneers and crystal-clear glass. Weight reduction is often synonymous with increased performance as is the case here, where a combination of carbon and 50% weight reduction yields an approximate 15 FPS gain in speed.
Stability is also a big factor in performance and most importantly, shootability. The stability of the Death Adder is exemplary and self-evident from twist-proof limbs to zero-tiller.