Craftsmanship before aluminum
Easton began making wood bows and arrows in the early 1920s. His later aluminum work is a separate development: the early business dates should not be presented as the invention date of aluminum arrows.
A shop and a manufacturing idea
By the early 1930s, Easton was building his archery business in Los Angeles. Detailed histories place his aluminum experiments in the late 1930s and manufacturing from 1939. Larry Hughes’s 1941 tournament success helped demonstrate the equipment’s potential.
From arrows to shafts
After wartime supply disruptions, Easton expanded commercial shaft production. Jas. D. Easton was incorporated in 1953. Mary Easton, son Jim and other family help were part of the developing enterprise.
The XX75 era and the next generation
The late-1950s XX75 belongs to the later manufacturing chapter. Jim joined the company in 1960, and the business diversified beyond archery. Doug died on December 31, 1972; his Archery Hall of Fame induction followed in 1974.
SOURCE NOTES
BHP’s own summary, informed by the cited sources and owner-supplied research. Disputed dates and invention claims are kept separate from established milestones.