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eastern woodland two fletch

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Josh B:
This is how I do the eastern woodlands 2 fletch or Cherokee two fletch as it is sometimes referred too.  First I will try to demonstrate the simple nail knot and wrap.  I use this on almost everything on the arrow needing wrapped.  Including reinforcing the selfnock, tying on feathers , and reinforcing the foreshaft joint on cane and phragmites shafts.  The first step is to apply glue to the area you plan to wrap.  Next step is to lay your string along the shaft with the tag end pointed toward the direction you intend to wrap so that you will wrap over the tag and effectively secure it.  The next step is to wrap down to within 5 or 6 wraps from where you want to tie off the other end.  At this point, take another piece of thread, double it over to form a loop and lay it down in a manner so that you will wrap over it for 5 or 6 wraps and still have enough of the loop exposed to insert the remaining tag end of the wrap string.  I use 5 or 6 wraps to secure it because fewer wraps don't hold as well and too many wraps make it difficult to draw the tag end back under the wrap to secure it.  Now insert the tag end of the string into the loop you made with the second string.  Pull it up snug.  Now you grab the ends of the second string and draw the tag end under the wrap until the second string pulls free.  pull the tagend tight and trim off flush with the wrap.  If I haven't confused you too much yet, you should have just tied a successful and very useful nail knot.

Josh B:
Your wrap should look like this just before trimming the tag end flush with the wrap.

Josh B:
Moving on to the actual fletching.  Lets first discuss the different sides of the feather.  I don't know what the correct terminology is for sure, so bare with me.  The first picture is what I call the outside of the feather.  It is the more defined, convex side of the feather.  The second pic is the duller concave side of the feather or inside as I call it.

Josh B:
Next I will show trimming the feather to roughly the size and shape I want.  I usually make them about 5 inches long not counting the quills used to secure the feather to the shaft.  Starting about 2 1\2 inches from the outer tip of the feather, I will peel the taller side of the feather off towards the quill.  If you manage to do so without tearing it, save it. You can use the part you peeled off on normal fletching jobs.  Next very carefully cut half way through the quill, just below where you peeled off the feather.  If you cut all the way across you've already ruined it, start over with another feather.  Once you cut in half way, start to split the quill all the way towards the base of the feather.  Now on the other side of the quill you should have full length vain along the quill.  Starting from the outer tip of the feather, measure down about 6 1\2 inches and seperate the vain of the full length side.  From here, peel this side off toward the base of the quill.  This should leave you with a 2 1\2" vain on one side and a 6 1\2" vain on the other.  Now clip off the quill 1" below the long vain side.  Use the edge of your knife like a scraper and remove the pithy part of the quill and flatten it for 1 1\2" inches from the base end so that it will lay flat against the shaft later.  The next step is, starting at the outer tip and using scissors, cut the vain next to the quill 1 1\2" towards the base.  do this on both sides, so that the quill is sticking up above the vains.

Josh B:
Now you should do the same thing with another feather that is as close to match with the first feather as possible.  Just to reiterate the difference in the sides of the feathers,  the first pic is the outside of the feathers.  The second picture is the inside of the feather.  This is important in the next steps.

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