October 28, 2010
By Jon E. Silks
The first thing that comes to my mind when thinking of New Archery Products (NAP) is the word solid.
By Jon E. Silks
The first thing that comes to my mind when thinking of New Archery Products (NAP) is the word solid. This mental marker springs from my first experience testing their products some years ago and working with their staff.
Year after year NAP demonstrates their passion for continuous improvement and customer satisfaction by bringing to market innovative products that echo the requests of customers everywhere. For 2007, they're sure to follow suit as NAP builds beyond their full line of arrow rests, broadheads, vanes and stabilizers with the introduction of a revolutionary magnetic nocking system and their all-new Game Gourmet Meal food line. Their popular broadhead base has also been expanded with the cut-on-contact HellRazor and a new 170-grain Magnum Broadhead series designed for big, big game and with traditional enthusiasts in mind. Listening to their customers, NAP also improved their QuikSpin vanes with tougher, more durable material.
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Thunderball System
Taking note of the common nocking issues encountered with traditional sys tems, NAP's engineers went to the drawing board in search of a solution. In the end they emerged from the development phase with a revolutionary concept based on magnetism. The new Thunderball Magnetic Nocking System consists of a plastic nock insert and string ball. Measuring one half-inch in diameter and .375 inches high, the lowcarbon steel ball weighs 25 grains and is attached to the string in minutes with two small hex head screws.
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The ball diameter matches the concave spherical surface of the nock for a perfect and consistent interface. Housing a strong rare-earth magnet the plastic nock weighs in at 28 grains and measures .810 inches in length and .300 inches in diameter. Approximately .365 inches of the nock is exposed beyond the end of the shaft. An indexing tab on the nock allows for easy vane orientation. To understand the benefits afforded by the Thunderball it helps to think of a ball joint's range of motion or that of your own shoulder joint. The nock "rides" on the ball in similar fashion as those joints, maintaining its position and exact bonding power as the rotation of the ball changes. This feature allows the system to correct negative effects from string torque and uneven nock travel.
Another potential issue with conventional nocking systems is the varying string holding pressures caused by inconsistent nock gap measurements. With the Thunderball Magnetic Nocking System a consistent de-nocking pressure is achieved. NAP offers a starter kit with string ball, six nocks, a wrench and a traditional plastic nock to use while fletching. The new system fits most carbon and aluminum shaft sizes.
HellRazor Broadhead
True flight, sharpness and durability are all characteristics we look for in a broadhead. Designed to perform with today's high-speed bows, NAP's fixed, three-blade HellRazor Broadhead embodies those qualities. A "Photon Blade Bonding" laser weld process joins the ferrule and blades to form a onepiece cut-on-contact structure.
The ferrule is made of 416 stainless steel while the blades are constructed of high-end cutlery grade 420 stainless steel. Why two different materials? First, there is an edge effect strength dynamic that is found where the two separate materials intersect. Second, materials with different hardness values and strength ratings best serve the different functions of the ferrule and blades. For instance, blades are typically made of harder steel, which lends itself to better sharpness and ferrules are generally constructed of a somewhat softer material that provides sufficient strength while also demonstrating flexibility to avoid critical failure upon severe impact. NAP's proprietary Diamize sharpening process involves grinding in such a way that prevents the edge from getting hot. This stops the loss of hardness, which in turn causes the edge to hold longer.
Three Diamize processes create three distinct edge types, double bevel, single hollow bevel and single flat bevel. The HellRazor features the sharper single flat bevel edge on its .04-inch thick blades. Available in 100- and 125-grain weights the re-sharpenable HellRazor sports a 11/8-inch cutting diameter.
QuikSpin ST Vanes
In 2003, after years of development, NAP introduced an innovative vane named the QuikSpin. NAP's patented "Kicker", a raised tab on one side of the trailing edge and patented Micro- Grooves on the opposite side of the vane work together to produce increased rotation speed. In the same manner that a football is stabilized by a tight spiral pass an arrow is also stabilized by rotating--the faster the better. In true NAP fashion the voice of the customer was once again heeded and the design team launched a high-dollar development campaign to improve the durability and performance of the QuikSpin. Enter the 2007 QuikSpin ST (Super Tough) high-performance, long lasting vane. The new proprietary vane material is a custom compounded copolymer alloy, which is lighter, stronger and quieter than the original. The new material exhibits greatly increased elastic "memory". QuikSpin ST vanes will be available in two-inch, 3.125-inch and a new lower profile four-inch model.
To learn more about NAP's innovative archery accessories contact: New Archery Products, Dept. PB, 7500 Industrial Dr. Forest Park, Illinois 60130; (800) 323-1279; www.newarcher.com.