Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: Scottski on January 10, 2014, 12:34:40 pm

Title: Fletchings?
Post by: Scottski on January 10, 2014, 12:34:40 pm

Ok there are a lot of people always asking where is the best place to get bamboo. I can find that or cut my own cane. So my question is where do I find cheap turkey feathers? Only cause that's what I prefer. I can't seem to find a good source. Friends tell me they will give me there turkey wings but never come through for me.

Title: Re: Fletchings?
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on January 10, 2014, 01:16:35 pm

Check out "Matt G" on here. Or, slap an ad up in the Trading Post and get some.

Title: Re: Fletchings?
Post by: Mike_H on January 11, 2014, 10:17:30 pm

customfeathers.com  I just ordered a dozen tail feathers from them.  They do zone shipping, the claim it saves the customer money but I don't know.  All I can say is that they ship fast.

Title: Re: Fletchings?
Post by: Zuma on January 11, 2014, 11:56:11 pm

Get friendly with folks at a poultry house. Get some camo, a turkey call and a blunderbuss.
I don't think I ever saw a turkey road kill. Good luck. I have found some where turkeys are constantly around
but not many.
Zuma

Title: Re: Fletchings?
Post by: Dharma on January 15, 2014, 02:06:56 am

Once in a while you can find some good deals at Native American craft stores. They're used for bustles and dance regalia. A Navajo told me about some source for feathers online called Moonlight or some dang thang. Bigger powwows sometimes have them at the craft booths.

Title: Re: Fletchings?
Post by: SamIAm on January 16, 2014, 05:46:26 pm

I live in an area where turkey hunting is a "big" sport, lots of turkey, lots of hunters.  I always have to pass the word just a week or so before season, otherwise they forget.  Never used tail feathers, just wing feathers.

Title: Re: Fletchings?
Post by: Pat B on January 16, 2014, 05:58:50 pm

Tail feathers work well for some styles of fletching.

Title: Re: Fletchings?
Post by: Scottski on January 16, 2014, 10:23:53 pm

I have a few tail feathers but have never tried them for fletchings.I thought they were to soft for arrows.

Title: Re: Fletchings?
Post by: Mike_H on January 16, 2014, 11:02:41 pm

Quote from: Scottski on January 16, 2014, 10:23:53 pm

I have a few tail feathers but have never tried them for fletchings.I thought they were to soft for arrows.

They work best for the eastern woodland two fletch style.  Jackcrafty did this thread quite some time ago http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=13025.0  even though he used secondary wing feathers, tail feathers work just the same way.

Title: Re: Fletchings?
Post by: JEB on January 17, 2014, 11:42:09 am

Not sure what you are looking for but I have many split and ground secondary and tail feathers.  These are ready to be used.  You can either use them full length and uncut or chop them to the shape you want. Most are left wing.

Understand the secondaries and tail feathers are a weaker feather than the primaries but these are still nice feathers to use.