Stripping feathers

[JW_Halverson]

$1.67 has a point.  If feathers are older and "well cured", they are a pain to strip.  They will tear out and short-strip enough to make the most seasoned stripper wanna go home.  I use steam on mine.  Just like steaming fletching on an arrow shaft to renew it.  Just slowly run that feather thru the stream of steam from a teakettle on the stove and VOILA!

Hot, steamy stripping!

[Pappy]

  I have done both and usually like to grind them,just easier to get in the clamp. Both work fine,just a personal preference for me. Takes a little longer to grind ,but it takes me a little longer to fletch if I strip them so works out about the same.
   Pappy

[Don Case]

Thanks for the replies--and mental images
Don

[Dan K]

Depends on the application. I prefer to use stripped on shoot shafts that I'm going to bind up the whole feather with thread or such and no glue.They sit flatter on an irregular shaft.
    On the other hand the split and sanded work better if you are gluing on a machined shaft. JMHO. Try them both and see what works better in your situation.

+1
Also, stripped is much faster once you get the hang of it. You can prep a whole set of fletches in 15 min. You don't have to smooth the front end of the fletch either, just wrap and seal.

[bow101]

Can you then fletch a feather either way straight , left or right after its stripped..?

[Mohawk13]

I fletch mine straight either way, but you can add helical also...

[Aaron H]

I'm a stripper!  although I have dabbled in grinding as well. 

[Roy]

Tried stripping them, it is easy, but I prefer feathers with the quill sanded down. Here is a video of Trapper Rob stripping a feather. You don't wanna see him stripping..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY0AuoeRDhM

[Outbackbob48]

Strip, Just seems quicker any easier for me. To each his own Bob

[dmenzies1950]

I'm lazy, I strip mine.         Dale