The other thing I should mention is that on a semi-recurve like the Bear Polar or a modern hybrid longbow the limbs are narrower and thicker than on a recurve. They are also usually 'trapped' which means they are trapezoids in their shape.
I've got a 1955 Polar and it's exceedingly quiet and pretty snappy, with a fast flight type string. With a b50 string it's fairly sluggish.
