Pawtucket Custom Bows

My name is Steve and I was an original customer of Pawtucket customs. I ordered a bow of black walnut with a cherry handle and the bow I received was truly beautiful. I used this bow to take a 300 boar and man it did the trick! I had absolutely no issues with the craftsman Jay Apostalakes, I found his work to be both functional and beautiful, it was a piece of art. My bow was made to my specifications and I love it, someday I will be buried with it. I have recommended him to others and will continue to do so. I know he has been in business for a long time and he makes a wonderful product. One must remember when buying anything custom you really need to know what you want when making the purchase.

I must say, right up front, that doing business with Jay Apostolakes at Pawtucket Custom Bows has been the most unsatisfactory and frustrating shopping experience that I have ever had.
In early December, 2012 I bid on a Pawtucket Custom Bows longbow on eBay. The action price didn’t reach the reserve and the auction was cancelled with me as the high bidder.
Within minutes, Jay Apostolakes contacted me and encouraged telephone contact off of the eBay website. The contact was made and over several phone calls, Jay Apostolakes promoted himself as a master bowyer, and proceeded to try and gain me as a customer. The photos of Pawtucket Custom Bows, that Jay sent to me looked great, and Jay promised me that he would craft a bow that matched my specifications «EXACTLY».
After several phone conversations, I ordered the longbow of my dreams from Pawtucket Custom Bows, and made a 50% down payment. After placing the order, Jay became pretty much uncommunicative. Impossible to reach by telephone, and difficult by email except when he needed basic information from me which I had to give him several times.
Jay did contact me in early January giving me a mid-​January delivery date and requesting payment of the balance due. I immediately sent the balance, and that was the last I heard from Jay Apostolakes of Pawtucket Custom Bows until I contacted him in March 2013.
My dream longbow showed up in mid-​April, and when I took it to the archery range, I discovered that it wasn’t my dream longbow. The draw weight was quite a bit higher than what I ordered. I immediately contacted Jay and he offered to re-​tiller the bow if I would ship it to him, which I did at my expense.
When the longbow finally got back to me 2 ½ months later, Jay Apostolakes informed me that the draw weight was «EXACTLY» what I ordered. At that time, he also told me that his manufacturing tolerances had always been plus or minus 2 pounds. This is not what he told me when he was trying to make the sale.
Taking the bow back to the range, I had it weighed and discovered that it was still significantly over what I had ordered. I immediately contacted Jay Apostolakes who insisted that it was «EXACTLY» what I had ordered.
At this point I have travelled way over 100 miles driving this bow to assorted archery shops to have it’s draw weight verified and re-​verified. The longbow is not what I ordered and is not even within the manufacturing tolerances that Jay Apostolakes of Pawtucket Custom Bows set for his craftsmanship.
I notified Jay that I want to return the longbow and asked for my money back. At this writing, he continues to insist that the bow is «EXACTLY» what I ordered and is refusing to refund my money.
Jay Apostolakes of Pawtucket Custom Longbows has no concept of customer service. He has turned the acquisition of my dream longbow, which should have been a joyous occasion, into a retail nightmare.
If you are considering the purchase of a custom bow, do yourself a favor and find a reputable custom bowyer close to your home. Jay Apostolakes at Pawtucket Custom Bows doesn’t have a concept of customer service, and once he has your money, he won’t care if you get what you ordered or even if the product that he sends you is built within the standards and tolerances that he, himself has set for his craftsmanship.