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Eastern Woodlands Two-Fletch

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JackCrafty:
Recently I was asked to do a detailed build-along of NA style two-fletch.  I've only done a couple arrows this way (a long time ago), so I felt it was a good opportunity for me to get some practice and also to have a piece I can study later.  So here goes:

(Some of this will be repetitive for those who have seen my other build-alongs....my apologies.  Please bear with me)

I will be using two wild turkey secondaries, deer sinew, privet arrow, and fish glue.
Here are the materials:





First I peel off the vanes of the feathers.







Then I trim to size using Jim Hamm's book for a guide.
In this case I will be reproducing Cherokee arrow fletching.









Then I trim the quill.
I use one of two methods:  slow and difficult with razor blade….and fast and easy with dremel tool.
Here I show both methods.










Then I dip the feathers in water to soften the quill (for bending).






Then I prepare some sinew while the feathers are in the water for a minute or two…





Then separate the vanes and bend the tip to prepare for attaching to the arrow.







Next I dip the sinew and apply glue to the shaft….







Then apply the fletching.









Smoothing down the sinew with my fingernail.





Then trimming the excess quill, folding over the feathers, and attaching the front of the quills….














NOTE:
There is about a 90 degree difference from the back of the feather to the front.  I've seen even greater angles on some arrows.

El Destructo:
Nice Job Patrick....I think I will try a few of these with the Boo I got from Eddie Parker

JackCrafty:
Trimming the feathers
Most examples I’ve seen have very short feathers….Cherokee being a good example.









Comparing to the illustration of a Cherokee arrow
The nock is usually parallel with the rear of the fletching.
Mine is pretty close.
The fletching on mine could be cut back a tad more, but time is short and I’ve lost daylight….





A few more close-ups:





The end.

JackCrafty:
I might add that this is not the only two-fletch design used by Native Americans.  This style, with the rear of the feather retaining vanes on both sides of the quill, was used east of the Mississippi.  There is also the more conventional two feather fletch with the quill glued down and/or tied on both ends...and having vanes on only one side of the quill.  The feathers were either laid down straight or in a spiral.   In almost all cases, however, the feathers were trimmed short....usually around 1/4" in height.

OK....now...

The End.

 :)

medicinewheel:

Another really great post of your's...!
Planing on doing a Penobscot sometime soon; this would be the right sort of arrow to go withone of those I reccon!?

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