Gossip Behind the Tent Line: The Danage Files

The chair had casually mentioned that Danage of Scandinavia might be looking for a buyer. Within moments our editor vanished into the deepest recesses of the internet in pursuit of what he described as “the truth”.

Whether he found it remains open to debate. The truth, after all, is out there. Apparently.

For as long as our editor can remember, Domino bosses have appeared at major international tournaments around the world. Given this is a man who can quote Easton spine charts from memory and still carries grudges against arrows he lost in 1997, that covers a substantial period of archery history.

Which is why recent developments seem rather odd.

Apparently none were currently available and rumours suggested that Danage Holding ApS, the parent company behind the operation, could be exploring a sale. Supposedly there may even be Danish and German investors circling. At this point our collective response can best be summarised as:

“Oooof.”

Looking back with 20/20 hindsight, perhaps the signs were there. Several retailers, including Perris Archery and other European dealers, have recently shown Danage bosses and spare parts with notices such as “No deliveries at present”. Most archers simply assumed this was another supply chain story. Heaven knows we’ve had enough of those over the last few years. Raw material shortages, transport difficulties and general logistical chaos seemed a more likely explanation than a potential change of ownership.

Anyone have “possible sale of one of the biggest target manufacturers in Europe” on their bingo card? Nope, us neither!

Discussions between sellers and buyers normally happen behind Non-Disclosure Agreements, closed doors and large quantities of lawyer. That means any genuine negotiations are unlikely to become public until something is formally completed and filed.

This leaves us with the investigative equivalent of breadcrumbs.

One Reddit contributor on r/Archery claimed to have heard from multiple sources, including somebody with a personal connection to the owner, that production had stopped and that the business was being offered for sale. The same poster also claimed that large clearance sales had been taking place through the company’s webshop. Now, this remains firmly in the category of “internet rumours”. Which puts it somewhere between a witness statement and a bloke in the pub who swears he once shot a perfect 720 using borrowed arrows while suffering from the mother of all hangovers. Still, taken alongside reports of unavailable stock, it is enough to raise eyebrows.

If rumours of Danish and German interest are true, both possibilities make a degree of sense. Germany remains one of Europe’s largest archery markets, making a German sporting goods manufacturer or distribution group an obvious candidate for a well-established brand. Equally, a Danish buyer might see value in acquiring an established domestic manufacturer with decades of brand recognition and a strong international reputation.

Or the buyers could be somebody else entirely. That’s the problem with rumours. They are frequently inconsiderate enough to turn out to be true.

Whatever happens, we sincerely hope Danage emerges intact.

Their Domino bosses are among the most respected targets in the sport and many clubs, GA included, would quite like to buy some more at some point. Besides, if compound archers lose access to Domino bosses, what exactly are they supposed to shoot at? The only thing with comparable stopping power is a brick wall.

And if we’re honest, we suspect the brick wall might come off second best.

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Danage of Scandinavia ApS company listing and profits