With the upper end of the bow the archer pierces the sky, at the lower end hangs, fastened with a silk thread, the earth. If the shot is released with a strong jerk, and the thread breaks, the gap becomes final for the violent one and the person remains in the hopeless middle between heaven and earth.
Zen Master, Kenzo Awa
Homage to Werner Talenta by Lee Schreiner
Werner Talenta, born 1936 built his bows from 1976 - 1995.
In insider circles, his bows are still a hot tip today! He had his workshop in an old barn above Lake Zurich. It was always a special experience to visit him there. You had to bring time, because in Werner's world the clocks ticked slower. If you wanted to pick up your long-awaited bow and try it out, you had to be able to wait. It didn't matter if you were a top shooter or not. He didn't discriminate. He had his principles. First of all, to give just one example, his countless cats had to be fed.
Somehow, it was always a ritual that Werner held with his archers. It took a while until one was allowed to take his bow in his hand for the first time. Assembled and stringed, we went to the meadow behind the workshop, high above the valley with a wonderful view of the lake!
After the first shot, the bow was blessed, which was quite unspectacular: Werner simply spat on it.
Werner himself was a passionate archer. He gave up his job as a chemist at the "Jourdan" company to devote himself entirely to bow making. He designed a bow that was completely new at the time. His knowledge of the problems of archery and his background as a chemist (important for the construction of limbs) were highly beneficial. His products were always handmade until the end. Every screw, every bushing was specially made. The button was also his own development, as were the grip plates, with which he was always a bit at war. Perfectionist that he was, he tried to make the impossible possible. To build a grip that would suit all shooters. Every owner of a Talenta is rightly of the opinion that he owns a bow that is completely tailored to him. Many titles on national and international level were shot with his bows. Everyone who met Werner will never forget him.
Werner Talenta died in 1995 in the workshop, in the middle of his work!
After a long search by the Talenta family, a suitable successor was found in Florian Reiß. The tradition of the Talenta Bogen is thus continued. Andreas and Josef Talenta, sons of Werner, both familiar with bow making as well as his wife Erika initiated Florian into the secrets of bow making. His background as a restorer brings the necessary craftsmanship.