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Beginner arrow making questions
JEB:
Having never fletched an arrow. I would pick up 6 modern wood shafts rather than start with primitive type shafts. There is a good amount of work making primitive arrows with straightening, self nocking, back to straightening and notching for your stone point. And really there is a little more work than what I wrote. Starting with 6 nice wood shafts will give you an idea what to do when you decide to go with primitive arrows. Good primitive arrows are harder to find than store bought shafts.
As far as dyeing your feathers. The easiest way is to use Rit clothing dye with a table spoon of vinegar to set the dye. I use cake frosting dye as they have many more color selections and the process is the same using vinegar as your setting agent.
Again, Go to youtube and watch videos on arrow fletching, straighten techniques, dyeing feathers.
I know Ryan Gill . I brought him up to Michigan to give a talk at the Michigan Traditional Bow Hunters spring banquet. He did an outstanding job and is very knowledgeable. He makes very good primitive equipment.
Do you have wild turkey feathers? If not I have many full length feathers already split and ground. You would have to shape them. BUT I only have left wing feathers. If you can use left wing I will give you enough for 6 arrows plus some extras for mistakes. One other tip. Don't fool with 4 fletch. Stick to 5 inch three fletch. Hope this helps a bit.
_Hiller_:
I had thought about picking up some modern wood shafts initially, but I feel like since I’m using a primitive bow it’d kinda defeat the point if that makes sense. Same thing with RIT dye. I figured that if I’m gonna buy modern shafts and use synthetic dyes for fletching then why not just use a modern recurve as well? I mean, I’ve already put a foot in the proverbial rabbit hole at this point by getting a self bow. At this point why not just dive in and see how deep it goes? I
suppose it’s not exactly as authentic as going out and gathering up materials myself and working them into shafts, at least if I buy shafts from Mr Gill it’ll be something closer (ish) to what would have been used when self bows and stone points were prevalent. I’m sure it’s not necessarily authentic to have dyed fletching either, but I figure if I can do it with no modern materials then why not? Sure, I’ll have to do a bit of extra work, but that’s kinda the appeal of primitive archery for me. It does take a lot of effort, and I would love to shoot my bow as soon as possible, but I feel like if I put in the effort to make the arrow myself, point and all, without modern materials or tools then I’ve essentially earned the right to shoot the bow. That would make that first good shot all the more rewarding
Regarding the feathers, I was under the impression that you could use either wing as long as you didn’t mix the two does it actually matter which side I use?
JEB:
I only suggested the modern woods for practice in making arrows. Your fletching jig determines what wing you use unless you are not using a jig. No problem on the feathers as I can pass some on to others. Just thought I would throw the offer out. I will consider your response as a pass on the feathers.
_Hiller_:
I actually already got some. Working on getting the dye color right, currently. I appreciate the offer though, certainly!
Mesophilic:
--- Quote from: _Hiller_ on November 12, 2018, 05:34:31 pm --- I had thought about picking up some modern wood shafts initially, but I feel like since I’m using a primitive bow it’d kinda defeat the point if that makes sense.
--- End quote ---
It does make sense, but I console myself in the learning curve by the fact that if we were still primative we'd have started learning how to do these things from the time we can walk, taught by our elders that have decades of experience. Hard to condense 20 or 30 years experience in to just a few months prepping for the next hunting season, without a mentor, and learning from books and forums.
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