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Why white fletchings?

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Stonedog:
White feathers on a forest floor covered in leaves are seen very well......but that is a modern explanation!

Also....not sooooo good in the snow!

anglobow:
Domestic ganders have white feathers, females are gray. I have found a commercial source for them here in the US, but PA policy prevents me from posting a non-sponsor link.

Pat B:
...but you can have members send you a PM for more information! ;D

bow-toxo:

--- Quote from: youngbowyer on November 02, 2009, 07:48:09 pm ---When one thinks of or makes a medieval arrow one usually thinks of white fletchings. Most people on the forum that post pics of arrows have fletchings that are white but why? in poems and documents you often hear,"the grey goose of england" or "the grey goose fletchings" etc... So wouldn't an arrow with grey goose feathers be more accurate?

Tom.

--- End quote ---

 As others have mentioned, domestic geese are and were grey but the ganders were white. Nearly all manuscript illustrations show white, sometimes partially dyed, fletching. I haven't seen any grey fletching pictured but Edward lll, at the beginning of the Hundred Years War, oredered that the first three wing feathers for fletching be plucked from every goose in England. Lots of grey ones of course. In Ascham's time, he suggested fletching of black or grey as an aid in nocking. I assume that the other feathers were white. White swan feathers were also used. I suppose visibility was a factor. There was not always a 'marker' to signal the position of an arrow in the butt.[no pun intended].

youngbowyer:
thanks for the information!

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