Feather pricing ?????????

[Pasty Face]

There is somthing I just cant figure out. Why do 5.5in high-backs cost more then 5in feathers? It takes 1 full length feather to make both. Do they do somthing with the left over from a 5in feather? I just dont get it.

[Timberghost]

Lots of times when I am stamping fletchings,   I can  2   5.5" HBs fletchings from one feather - wild turkey feathers, that is.  

Rarely can I get 2  5.5" fletches out of a commercial, domestic turkey feather.  They just aren't long enough.  But I can get a 5" and a 3" a lot of times and sometimes a 5" and a 4".  

Maybe cost for the larger feather is passed on to the consumer...

[Pat B]

...and why should full length feathers cost more than pre-cut feathers.   Pat

[Sal]

I remember when full length feathers were cheaper because die cuts took more labor.  Buying the full length was the economical choice, not anymore.  The change happened about 10 years ago, and the price of feathers spiked about three years ago.  I'm not entirely sure its just market forces that are driving the price.

[dino]

Pasty,
Trueflight uses every centemeter of the feather.  Die cuts are not taken from full length feathers because they get a premium price for full length premium feathers by themselves.  Die cuts are made from "shorts".  Try some 2 1/4" feathers some time.  Most of them are the tips or bases of the quill.  With the cost of the raw material every fraction of the feather has a cost and therefore 5" would be cheaper that 5.5". dino