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snatching fletching ?

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knap_123:
do you snatch your fletchings from your  turkey feathers or whats your opinion?  also, can you  use either side of a tail feather for fletching a 3 fletch,  or do they have to come from the same side?

Pat B:
I can but don't strip feathers. I prefer to grind the quill.
 All feathers have 2 sides. The main portion of the feather is usually to the rear on the feather. With primary flight feathers(most desirable) that is the portion for premium fletching. Tail feathers also have a "left" and "right" so both sides of the same feather can't be used together on a 3 fletch. However two tail feathers, laid back to back on the shaft make a great fletching style; Eastern Woodland(Cherokee) style.

Hillbilly:
What Pat said. Tail feathers from the left or right side of the tail fan have the same characteristics as right or left wing feathers.

half-eye:
knap 123,
       I use tail feathers on a lot of my hunting arrows (they are really quiet) I fletch at about 2 to 5 degrees offset (not helical). Since I cut my fletch between 5 and 6 inches long I only get 1 feather per half, so if you use the rearward most part of the tail feather you can use both sides of a tail feather in an offset jig. After I split @ tail feather I group them into rights and lefts  so I use all the same on the same arrow....but as far as fit goes either side will work in an off-set jig.
       One other thing about tail feathers is they go past a bow handle without even a hickup let alone any deflection. They are "softer" than primaries of course but for quietness they just can't be beat.
half eye

PeteC:
Like Pat and Steve said. On big feathers you can sometimes get 4 fletchings.2 rights and 2 lefts. Now that's economy I like. ;) God Bless

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