Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: Broken Arrow on May 14, 2007, 08:30:55 pm
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I was wondering if chicken feathers make good fletching? I would think they would work. What about duck or goose? Would the duck feathers fly better? I just bought some chickens for eggs and meat, and I wanted a source for fletchings.
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Goose fer sure others I have no idea
Dana
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Goose is great. I've heard some people say they've used duck but I never have. Duck is reputed to be good for flight shooting but the same sources say that duck feathers are good for only a couple of shots. Personally I prefer peacock to goose.
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I have heard mention of using duck, chicken, grouse, and even crow feathers for fletching arrows, but I have never used any of these myself. My experience is limited to Turkey, Goose, and Peacock, the Goose being my favorite. The primary flight feathers from these larger birds make the best fletchings. Feathers from smaller birds will work, but will tend to be significantly less durable. Even the secondary flight feathers of the larger birds tend to be a little on the fragile side. I have used wild turkey secondaries to fletch flu-flu arrows, and they wear out very quickly! Best use for secondaries. as well as the feathers of smaller birds, is for kids arrows.
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With the smaller feathers you can lay 3 or 4 full length feathers along the shaft(one on each of 3 or 4 sides), with the outside of the feathers against the shaft. I have a few primitive arrows made by different people done this way. Pat
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Pat, if you care to, bring your arrow boxs to Hickory. Might be nice to display them. No touchey,
>:( only lookey, 8) unless you are there.
Dick
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I had planned on it Dick. ;D Pat
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dave ive used chicken with success.
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Pat, maybe you should post some pictures of those arrows. You know the rules around here. WE WANT PICTURES! Justin
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Justin, I will try to remember to when I get home. ;) Pat
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Awesome. Thanks guys. I just thought if I had some chickens, I would have a steady supply of feathers. I thought about getting turkeys or ducks, but they were 5.99 a peice as apposed to 1.99. Next year, I might get a few but for now I'll stick to chickens.
How do you guys get peacock feathers? You farm them? Do the feathers look good on the arrow? Are they radiant like the tails?
Sorry for the child-like questioning, but Im new at this and have a ton of questions.
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Sorry for the child-like questioning, but I'm new at this and have a ton of questions.
We are all like little kids with toys when it comes to our bows. ;) Peacock wings are just grey. I actually have some white peacocks, but the feathers look like white turkey feathers. I have seen arrows at the museums that were fletched with woodpecker. They were only about 3/8" tall. So I imagine you are only limited by your creativity. Justin
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Almost any kind of feather can be used as a fletching, and even things that aren't feathers! I've perosnally used crow and cardinal feathers before. I even got a few nice flying arrows with a thin peice of birch bark uesd in the seminole one fletch method. Worked great out to twenty yards. Tear all to heck if the hit the dirt, but work nicley if you don't miss too much ;D!
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Peacocks roam free in my neighborhood. Not only are feathers good fer arras but, ahem-they taste like chicken ;D......bob
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Here are a few of the 2 fletch arrows I have. The one with the large arrow head was made by James Parker. I don't remember who made the other. I've seen James make arrows from dog fennel stems and fletch them with pine needles. All you are doing is slowing the aft end of the shaft so it will fly straight. Pat
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Yeah, I read in TBB (#3 I think) That the only purpose for fletching is to keep the back from passing the front. I noticed on the travel channel's show Tribal life (Pumpah tribe i think) The natives dont use fletchings. I think its because they shoot vertical more than horizontal.
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...and their arrows are probably longer. Pat
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Like Pat said, they were probably longer. I think Tpoof has a set of aboriginal bow and arrows that were very long. Pretty cool things 9fly well too)
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Awesome. Thanks guys. I just thought if I had some chickens, I would have a steady supply of feathers. I thought about getting turkeys or ducks, but they were 5.99 a peice as apposed to 1.99. Next year, I might get a few but for now I'll stick to chickens.
How do you guys get peacock feathers? You farm them? Do the feathers look good on the arrow? Are they radiant like the tails?
Sorry for the child-like questioning, but Im new at this and have a ton of questions.
Peacock wing feathers do not look like tail feathers. Most of the ones I get are cinnamon, sometimes white, sometimes chocolate but the chocolate ones usually are not that good.
Cinnamon peacock feathers look great on arrows. Take a look
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t46/lloydwwinter/Archery/militaryarrow1fletchingcloseup.jpg)
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Yeah what Loyd said, I love the red wing feathers of the peacock, to me they look like redtail hawk tail feathers without the black band that the hawk has of course, ........ Now the Cherokees and Creeks used Guine feathers alot because they raised them, and Ive used guine feathers to, they look way cool black with little white spots. Trapper
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Thanks Guys.
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Yeah, I read in TBB (#3 I think) That the only purpose for fletching is to keep the back from passing the front. I noticed on the travel channel's show Tribal life (Pumpah tribe i think) The natives dont use fletchings. I think its because they shoot vertical more than horizontal.
'Return of the tribe' a British tv series brought six members of a Papue New Guinea tribe to England to see how we lived (they werent impressed ;D),these men were all Bow Hunters so they were overjoyed and a little confused when they went to a archery club and had a go on the Longbows.Everyone was expecting them to be wonderful shots but they couldnt hit the boss!when asked what the problem was he said "its these things on the arrow" pointing at the fletchings,his people had never used a fletched arrow,he got his own Bow and arrow out and he was hitting the bullseye ;D.His arrow was twice as long as normal,it flew pretty straight at close range which is all they've ever needed.
Bit of info on the series.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/showbiz/tv/todaystv/tm_headline=return-of-the-tribe&method=full&objectid=19063980&siteid=89520-name_page.html
I like the the Peacock Lloyd uses (Kings arra's those beauty's),i mainly use Turkey but will take Goose and Swan when i can get it ;D.
These three are Turkey,I know the whipping's a disgrace but hell,they fly!
(http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/1207/nicefeathersdg0.th.jpg) (http://img514.imageshack.us/my.php?image=nicefeathersdg0.jpg)
The other end :D
(http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/7206/pointsnk2.th.jpg) (http://img129.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pointsnk2.jpg)
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I've used gunie hen,chicken, crow you name it , here is one fletched with pigeon feathers.
(http://www.freebirdarchery.com/images/pigeonfletch.jpg)
Ralph
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Broken Arrow - The peacock feathers I have are buff (primaries) and black (secondaries). I got them from a friend of my parents who happened to have a dead peacock. I'm planning on getting myself a camera this summer, and when I do I'll be posting a LOT of pictures... lol. The peacock primaries work great! They are as stiff and durable as any turkey or goose I have ever used, the buff color is beautiful, and they fly quiet enough for a good set of hunting arrows. The secondaries were good as well, but I prefer stiffer feathers.
I have never tried using smaller feathers to fletch arrows with the two-fletch, whole-feather method, but after looking at those pictures I think I'll give it a try. They look really cool. Perhaps I'll fletch a set of cane arrows that way this summer. The geese are molting right now, so there are plenty of feathers available at the park near my house. I look forward to getting a camera and sharing some pictures with y'all :).