homage to Werner Talenta

Insider circles highly estimate his bows still nowadays. He had his workshop in an old barn above the Lake of Zurich. It was always a special experience visiting him there. You had to afford lots of time, for Werner’s world was a slow one. If you were going to pick up your long desired bow and were to try it, you had to learn to wait. Regardless if you were a top archer or not. He did not make any differences, he had his prinziples. Firstly, just to mention one example, his countless cats had to be fed.
Somehow it was always a ritual which Werner held with his archers, it always took a while until one could hold his bow in his hands. With the bow in hands one entered the pasture behind the workshop high above the valley with a breath taking view on the lake.

After the first shot the bow was blessed in a completely unspectacular way: Werner simply spitted on it.

Werner himself was a passionate archer. He quit his job as a chemist with the Jourdan Company in order to dedicate himself completely to building bows. He designed a bow which was completely new for his time. His knowledge about the problems of archery and his background as a chemist were quite useful for the way a Wurfarm had to be constructed. His products up to his end were always completely hand made. Each bolt, each socket was specially manufactured. The button also was his own design, also the Griffschalen, with which he always were at loggerheads with. The perfectionist he was, he attempted to make the impossible possible: To build a Griff/handle(?) which could please all archers. Each owner of a Talenta considers his bow to be specially tuned to ones own needs. Many prices on national and international levels were won with his bows. Who ever had the privilege to meet Werner will not forget him.

Werner Talenta died 1995 in his workshop in the midst of his work.

After a long search through the Talenta family with Florian Reiß a suitable successor was found. The tradition of the Talenta bow is to be continued. Andreas and Josef, sons of Werner Talenta, both familiar with building bows as much as his wife Erika, got Florian familiar with the secrets of building bows. His backround as a restorer provides the necessary talent for craftsmanship.

More information will follow soon on this website!! (2016)