Author Topic: leather fletchings?  (Read 2267 times)

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Offline stuckinthemud

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leather fletchings?
« on: December 30, 2019, 09:23:03 am »
Can you use thin leather for fletchings?  If so, then how would you go about it?  Presumably you groove the arrow?

Thanks in advance,
Andrew
« Last Edit: December 30, 2019, 10:04:55 am by stuckinthemud »

Offline Mr. Woolery

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Re: leather fletchings?
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2019, 10:42:52 am »
I’m not at home or I’d go through my back issues. One of the articles about museum treasures showed what I think was a Turkish arrow (I could be totally wrong about the Turkish part, but it surely was an arrow) with leather fletching.

When you think about the characteristics of thin leather and modern plastic vanes, I don’t suppose it is all that different. For that matter, a lot of people seem to be using duct tape for vanes.

I’ve not tried leather, but I know I like feather fletching better than plastic vanes.

Patrick

Offline Hawkdancer

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Re: leather fletchings?
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2019, 02:05:35 pm »
I would think the leather has to be stiff as well as thin.  Grooving and wrapping along with glue, perhaps.
Hawkdancer
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Offline Pat B

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Re: leather fletchings?
« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2019, 04:35:01 pm »
Once the arrow has been launched I don't doubt leather fletching would work fine. Getting around the bow might be a different story.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Strelets

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Re: leather fletchings?
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2019, 12:34:10 pm »
Although leather was often used for fletching crossbow bolts in the Middle Ages, I have never come across any reference to it being used for arrows. I would not shoot a leather-fletched arrow off my knuckle.

Offline EdwardS

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Re: leather fletchings?
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2020, 02:23:26 am »
Parchment I've seen.  It works very well.

Offline Deerhunter21

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Re: leather fletchings?
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2020, 03:27:37 pm »
I think thin rawhide would work! Wet it and mold it and sew it or glue it!
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