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Flying your colors

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Long Arrow:
Hi,I am new here.
My Primitive name is LongArrow.

My question has to do with fletching colors,
and displaying who you are. I do not know if
this would be called Heraldry?

I fly one type of fletchings and colors all the time.
They are my signature and unmistakable.
It is not false pride just to bolster my ego.
I think it shows a sense of pride of
a different sort.

All this having been said, when i shoot a tournament that
is going to be in snow,mud or where there is a lot of leaf litter,
I paint my shafts brightly to make them easy to find.
Usually my fletchings are bright colors too.

I did not think it would be an issue yet some people
I shoot with seem to think it is wrong for
some as yet inexplicable reason.

When missing a target that is sixty yards away,
it helps to have arrows that stand out.

I am wondering if fletchings were used to
identify archers in Primitive times.

Would it have been seen amiss if
they brightened up an arrow for some purpose?

Any info on this as a modern issue or
how formal flying colors could become,
in times past would be appreciated.

Thanks,
LongArrow

JackCrafty:
Interesting post.

I seem to recall that brightly colored fletching was common in Eurpope during the time period when longbows were used in warfare.  I don't know if heraldry extended to arrow colors or cresting, though.

There's nothing wrong with brightly colored fletching.  Using natural dyes will keep your arrows looking more "primitive".  Neon colors are definitely going to help you find your arrows, but they will not look primitive.  It depends on what look you want to achieve.

Cromm:
Hi Long Arrow,
Welcome to PA i hope you enjoy your stay.
I don't see what's wrong with having arrows that stand out, in one of the old PA mags there is a bit on Lakota arrows having red colour put on them after the arrow has killed something.
I have in the past burnt a set of deer antlers onto my arrows and even now when one of my misses are found off in the woods at my club,everyone knows the arrows are mine.....
Maybe if you put some photos on here of the arrows that may help???
Thanks for your time.

Long Arrow:
I can't post any pics just yet.

The idea of burning Artwork into an arrow has
interested me for some time. I am not too good at
circukar cresting and seeing a line of colored circles on
an arrow never appealed to me anyway.

Perhaps I will start anther post later on dedicated to wood burning.

Thanks

LongArrow

hawkbow:
I understand marking and keeping your arrows YOURS..I use the same shafts always... cedar... with a spiral burn around the entire shaft.. also try to always cut my feathers the same, and I always use my medicine cresting.. four red marks, one for each cardinal direction and the color is to remind me of the blood I may spill and to honor the creatures I may kill  with the color.. It is a spiritual thing for me as well as a way to honor the hunt.. when someone finds one of my arrows that I have lost.. I hope they say, "Man this is one cool looking arrow, looks like some good medicine." ;D Hawk

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