Author Topic: Was the two fletch a real standard for the Cherokee?  (Read 20786 times)

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Offline part Cherokee

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Was the two fletch a real standard for the Cherokee?
« on: April 14, 2009, 08:32:47 am »
Hey,
 My name is Matt and ive been hanging around for a while now and i decided to join up.
Some of you may no me from tradgang as sirrobin77. Hey Pat!
 What im wondering is was the 2 fletch a real standard for the Cherokee? The Bowers Boble Vol 2
says that the 3 fletch was standard for the Cherokee and the 2 fletch was used only in emergencies or for kid arrows.
Is this true? Anyone have insight on this?
Matt
OsiYo Tsalagi

Offline Pat B

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Re: Was the two fletch a real standard for the Cherokee?
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2009, 08:57:58 am »
Welcome to PA. Matt. Looking forward to some answers here too. ;)
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Hillbilly

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Re: Was the two fletch a real standard for the Cherokee?
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2009, 09:54:40 am »
From what I've seen, absolutely yes. I live only a few miles from the Eastern Cherokee rez, and they still use it to this day. Almost every example of an old original Cherokee arrow that I've seen in museums or photos is two-fletched. There are a couple of standard-fletched ones, and a few three-feather radial fletches, but the two-fletch seemed to be by far the standard with the Cherokee, as well as many of the other Eastern tribes. I saw that in Al Herrin's chapter, also, and wondered how he could make a statement like that, because it's very inaccurate. Then I realized that he had probably never seen or heard of the traditional fletching style of his tribe. What he was calling a two-feather fletch was completely different from the traditional Eastern Woodlands style. A lot of traditional knowledge was lost with the death of so many elders on the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma, and also there was a lot of homoginization that probably took place over the years after the Cherokee people were forced to live in an unfamiliar area in close proximity to several other tribes who were in the same situation; so much knowledge like this probably didn't survive in the western part of the tribe. Relocation of the Eastern tribes was one of worst chapters in American history, IMO. The Cherokee that stayed here in the Smokies of western NC were mostly the hard-core traditional element of the tribe that refused to be relocated, so they hid out in the mountains and starved rather than be forced from their homeland. Their descendants still remember a lot of the old ways, including the two-feather fletch.
« Last Edit: April 14, 2009, 09:59:13 am by Hillbilly »
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Offline part Cherokee

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Re: Was the two fletch a real standard for the Cherokee?
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2009, 10:47:31 am »
Do you have a pic of a TRADITIONAL Cherokee 2 fletch?
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Offline Hillbilly

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Re: Was the two fletch a real standard for the Cherokee?
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2009, 11:01:29 am »
I don't have a pic of an old Cherokee arrow at the moment, but here's my take on the Eastern Woodlands two-fletch. It varied a bit from person to person then just like our fletchings do now, but the basic things that are consistant is the partially-split feathers and some helical twist. This style of fletching flies great. It's simple, but ingenious the way it's designed.

[attachment deleted by admin]
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Offline part Cherokee

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Re: Was the two fletch a real standard for the Cherokee?
« Reply #5 on: April 14, 2009, 02:39:23 pm »
Do you have any close ups?
 Is the big feather split or is it whole and just tied on front and rear? Is the small feather tied at the rear or just the front?
Sorry i just want to get it right.
Matt
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Offline Little John

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Re: Was the two fletch a real standard for the Cherokee?
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2009, 03:50:58 pm »
Nice arrows Hillbilly , really nice.   Kenneth
May all of your moments afield with bow in hand please and satisfy you.            G. Fred Asbell

Offline MikaelMazz

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Re: Was the two fletch a real standard for the Cherokee?
« Reply #7 on: April 14, 2009, 05:03:24 pm »
I am part Cherokee on my mothers side and I was pretty disapointed with that chapter where that guy talk down on a fletch designe that served our people for thousands of years but I am sure he ment no harm. I will have to read that section again but I think he may have been talking about just the two regular feather fletch because he said they dont spin and this styl dose unless he did not know. But even then regular two fletch does the job. This is the only type of fletch I use.

part cherokee,
      I am not exactly sure what your questions are. Like Hillbilly said there are many differnet variations usng all different sizes of feathers. I make mine by splitting up the quill about 3/4 and then leaving the rest full. I tie them on inverted on the back and then after the sinue dries I fold the feathers forward and tie down the front. The back gets tied down on either sides of the nock and the front gets tied down in line with the nock. I use turkey tail and wing feathers for this. I found that the tail feathers are less durable because the split runs up further more easy but the wing feathers dont split easy. A good tip is to use the very end of the feather  where the quill is thinnest and tie that part to the shaft because you dont split it so it is a full size quill.
It is hard to describe in words. This stly was used all over the eastern united states and it seems to have been more common than the 3 fletch.
Here are some pictures.


« Last Edit: September 18, 2009, 10:18:20 am by MikaelMazz »

Offline hawkbow

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Re: Was the two fletch a real standard for the Cherokee?
« Reply #8 on: April 14, 2009, 05:25:24 pm »
I have never tried two fletch.. do they windplane? or do the extra pieces of feather stabilize the shaft?
IT IS BETTER TO LOSE WITH HONOR. THAN TO WIN THROUGH DECEPTION...


Mike "Hawk" Huston

Offline Hillbilly

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Re: Was the two fletch a real standard for the Cherokee?
« Reply #9 on: April 14, 2009, 06:23:04 pm »
Mike, if they're put on right they don't plane. I've never tried shooting them long range in a haevy crosswind, but for the shooting I've done they fly just as good as any other. Most of the tribes that used these also knew of what we would call "normal" fletching, but used this style instead.
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Offline hawkbow

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Re: Was the two fletch a real standard for the Cherokee?
« Reply #10 on: April 14, 2009, 06:25:31 pm »
I will have to give some a try.. thanks for the info.. Hawk
IT IS BETTER TO LOSE WITH HONOR. THAN TO WIN THROUGH DECEPTION...


Mike "Hawk" Huston

Offline MikaelMazz

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Re: Was the two fletch a real standard for the Cherokee?
« Reply #11 on: April 14, 2009, 06:47:56 pm »
I have shot them as far as I can with my 35 pound bow wich is about 80 paces and they are pretty stable even with no point wich makes them back heavy. I have never had any planing like I have had with some regular two flech stlys. They do spin alot.

Offline huntertrapper

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Re: Was the two fletch a real standard for the Cherokee?
« Reply #12 on: April 14, 2009, 07:17:51 pm »
yeah ive used regular two fletch style tied or glued on like you would 3 fletch, flys pretty good at 15 yards get out there further and it might not fly so straight
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Offline nugget

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Re: Was the two fletch a real standard for the Cherokee?
« Reply #13 on: April 14, 2009, 08:27:48 pm »
Very nice arrows. i mainly use the 2 fletch now. I find they fly very well. No planing at all. They are quicker to asemble and they look real cool.
TJ
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intentions of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body. But rather to slide in sideways, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming....WOW WHAT A RIDE!!

Offline part Cherokee

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Re: Was the two fletch a real standard for the Cherokee?
« Reply #14 on: April 14, 2009, 08:48:00 pm »
Hey
 Thanks a lot guys!!! BIG BIG HELP!!!
OsiYo Tsalagi