I bought this bow because of good reviews all over the internet, but the first time I went to string it, the top loop snapped as soon as it got tension.
If you buy this bow get a different string as well, I went with a black widow string and now it shoots great.

I am not a bow expert in any way shape or form, and I really mean that, so lets get that established before this review starts. Prior to purchasing this Samick Sage takedown recurve bow, the last time I shot a bow and arrow, let alone even held one, was all the way back in my school days. And that was a few moons ago (notice the grandpa title in my name).

That being said, I think this is a great beginners bow, or one for the ladies or even the kids. I purchased this being a small framed male under 150 lbs in weight to use and for my wife who is smaller than myself. The size, pull length and weight of the bow is just right for my size (5'8") and weight (150 lbs) and for the wife (5'6", do you really think I will put her weight up?). I have not had a chance to shot it for lengths of time at targets or at an archery course. But I have shot a few dozen arrows from the bow off the back deck. And I can say she performs well and shoots straight each time. Even at over 50 yards the bow can make a practice arrow stick in the side of our back yard shed. So even though the bow is only 35 pounds in pull strength, she does give a powerful shot.

Now to the quality of the bow. The maple center of the bow is very nice, good quality and has a nice smooth finish to it. The black arms really compliment the maple center and gives it an expensive yet classy look. It took me a while to figure out how to string the bow, for as I said I am in no way a bow or arrow expert. But thanks to a few videos on YT I was able to get her stringed with the bow string that came included. The bow also has room to add all the gear one normally finds on a bow such as sights or what not. Items and parts that I am still studying and trying to figure out if I need or not for the level of shooting I plan on doing.

If you are new to shooting a bow and arrow, or a small framed male, or a woman or a child. I would recommend this Samick Sage takedown recurve bow to you. I am very pleased that I purchased this bow over many others that I saw. I did shop around before purchasing this Samick Sagew recurve bow, and even made the mistake of buying a "hand made" one from China first (what a nightmare that was). So after shopping around, price comparing, review comparisons, and all that good stuff. I picked the Samick Sage recurve bow over the others and I am happy that I did. I hope to see many years of shooting fun for the wife and I with this bow.

We were not paid nor discounted in any way, shape or form for giving our honest opinion here of this product as a review to assist others. We believe, as a family, it is important to give an honest and accurate review to assist others so they can make good purchasing decisions that can benefit them and their family. And not be lead to cheap, unwanted purchases that are scripted by advertisers to buy their products. We are a family that believes in a minimalist lifestyle while trying to be green as much as possible in all departments of our life. As we care to leave something, anything, of this planet to our grandchildren so they may enjoy it as we have.

I'm very new to archery, with this being my first bow. I've yet to shoot it as my arrows haven't arrived. And I'll update when they do, But I have been practicing with it for a few days. And it's awesome. Before I get to the review, I'd like to give some quick info to those considering getting into archery with this bow.

-Handedness with a bow means the hand that draws the string back, ex. a right hand bow will be drawn with the right hand. Do some careful research into which handedness to choose, there is more to consider than just your dominant hand.

-In order to get started, you'll need a couple more pieces of gear to go along with this bow:
1. A bow stringer is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. I use the Selway Limbsaver Recurve Bow Stringer and it works well for me.
2. Arrows, unless you have some already.

You can shoot with this basic gear, or you can get more. The more research you put into starting archery the better prepared, confident, and happy you'll be to make and enjoy your purchase.

Now the review:
The bow arrives in three main pieces, along with a string, a knock point, and some padding. It also includes a web address where you can watch a very nice and helpful assembly and first shot tutorial video for this bow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LvOaLS5zBk

The three main pieces are the Riser- where the hand goes, and the top and bottom limbs. Attaching the limbs is VERY easy, just two knobs you unscrew from the riser and then use to screw the limbs on to the riser. And they provide a very solid connection, the limbs aren't going any where.

If you bought a bow stringer, then getting the string on won't be too much of a hassle. And will become very easy in short order. Applying the knock point is fairly simple, though you will need some form of RoboGrips. Ideally you should get a pair of 'knocking pliers' but it's not necessary.

Lastly, you can apply the adhesive padding. You cut it to fit on the shelf of the riser, then peel off the back and place on the shelf.

This bow feels wonderful in the hand, exceptionally comfortable. The bow looks very nice as well, nicely stained wood with simple and sleek limbs. Pulling back on the string bends the limbs nicely and you can feel the power in the bow. I'm a brand new, yet to be archer, but I'm really glad that my first bow is such a well constructed and beautiful bow.

I have no idea if this a good bow, by seasoned archer standards... but as a new archer, this bow has been truly awesome.

I bought this bow as a hobby and a potential survival tool. The quality of the bow itself is good and there are no defects or issues with the arms or center of the bow.

As a 55lb draw, this bow could be used for basic hunting, and overall the punch the bow delivers feels effective and makes for deep target penetration.

I have seen many similar bows go for a lot more and overall I am pleased with the shooting capabilities and aesthetics of the bow. With a few accessories I was able to make a very quiet and accurate practice bow.

I have not had a chance to fire this bow at targets and I will update it later today when I do but I know enough to start my review.

Before I begin I will start by telling everyone that some of the reviews here are worthless. One reviewer gave the bow a bad review because they purchased the wrong bow and then had to return it and get a new one. This is not a problem with the bow, it is a problem with the purchaser!
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Choosing your Bow - Longbow, Compound or Recurve

There are three types of bows you can get, Longbow, Compound or Recurve. Before deciding what type of bow you should get I would recommend spending some time researching the different bows so you are positive you will like what you are getting.
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Choosing your Bow - Right hand or left hand?

If you are a righty you will probably draw the bow with your right hand you want a "right handed" bow that is held in the left hand while you draw with your right hand. If you are a lefty you will probably draw the bow with your left hand you want a "left handed" bow that is held in the right hand while you draw with your left hand.

Choosing your Bow - Eye Dominance

A lot of people choose a bow based on their "strongest" or most "dominant" hand. Another way to choose your bow is to actually choose the handle based on which eye is the most dominant (you should research "eye dominance" related to archery if you need help). You could be right handed but have a dominant left eye and in such a situation it is actually recommended that you get a "left handed bow" instead of a right handed bow. This can make archery harder at first because you might be "drawing" with your weaker hand and you will have to spend more time building your muscles but in the end you will probably have greater accuracy.

Choosing your Bow - Final

You can be good at archery by choosing your bow by your dominant hand and you can be good at archery by choosing it by your dominant eye. If you are looking to be the next "Robin Hood" (if he even existed at all) it is probably best to choose your bow based on your dominant eye.
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String Strength

When you purchase the bow you will want to select a STRENGTH. Everyone uses a different String Strength. I am 34 and in decent shape but I still went with a 40 LB string because it is decent for practice and small game. I know I will need a stronger strength for real big-game hunting but I wanted something to build muscle and skill with so I can move to the heavier strings.

40 LB is VERY easy for me to draw but hard for me to hold so it was a great choice. After only a few days of practice drawing my arms and shoulders hurt a lot so it is definitely giving me a workout that will help me progress to the stronger strings.

What you should choose is what you think you can handle currently or something that is slightly above you. I could have gone with a 45 or a 50 but the 50 would push it a bit. 45 probably would have been best.

Remember that you can NOT just switch strings!

If you want to increase string strength you need to purchase the string and also purchase the wings for that strength. If you put a 60 lbs string on 40 lbs wings you could seriously injure yourself!

The Samick Sage is a Takedown so you can easily purchase different weight wings that can attach to your bow for $50 to $90. Start with what you think will be comfortable for working on your muscles and form and then upgrade your wings as you gain more skill and power. Your form is the most important part of archery so you need something you can handle. If you buy a 60 lbs when you can only handle a 40 lbs you will never learn your form because the bow is way too powerful for you to handle and it could take several months of conditioning before you can finally handle it and start shooting correctly.

FINAL NOTE: Some people think archery is all about the strength of the drawing arm. This is NOT true. A proper draw is done with muscles from both arms and the weight is eventually transferred off to your shoulders. I have met some people that think that because they can lift 100 lbs with one arm that they can easily pull a 100 lb string. They learned the hard way that that is not how shooting a bow works and those 100 lb strings quickly became 60 lb strings so they could work on form. The best archers are those with great form and great discipline.
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What am I purchasing?

This bow comes with the handle, two limbs, the screws, a bow string, a nock and some felt to line the arrow rest.
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Is the bow hard to put together?

No. They give you a link to a video and when you watch the video it tells you everything on a step by step basis. The video even goes over stringing the bow with a bow-stringer and shows how to do it without a stringer.
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What else should I purchase with this bow?

This is just the basic bow!

I would recommend that you purchase some arrows. I personally think wooden arrows are the best but I wouldn't use them until you get some practice in first because the wooden ones can be ruined easier. Start with some Carbon Arrows or Fiberglass Arrows. Arrows will run around $3 to $10 an arrow so it is a little pricey but arrows also generally last awhile once you get your basic form down so you could drop $30 to $75 on a set of 6 or 12 arrows and those arrows will last a long time.

You should also purchase a Bow Square but are best purchasing a Bow Tuning Kit because the kit comes with extra Nocks, one or two Bow Squares and the Nock Pliers. They aren't too expensive, maybe $8 to $15 for a Bow Tuning Kit.

You should also Purchase a Bow Stringer. You can string a bow without one but it is safer to string your bow with one. You can purchase a Bow Stringer for as little as $8 to $15.

You should also purchase some Bow Wax to wax your bow string if you will be shooting frequently. You will eventually need Bow Wax no matter what but you will need it sooner if you plan on shooting frequently. Infrequent shooters could probably wait several months before needed the Bow Wax.

The Samick Sage Takedown Recurve is a MODERN RECURVE so it has some holes added in for adding a stabilizer, onboard quiver, plunger or sight. These are NOT necessary but if you want those added gadgets you should grab them and then you can attach them to your bow once you set it up and string it.