Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: knap_123 on December 01, 2009, 10:03:22 pm
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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
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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