Feather Question-Real or Synthetic?

[Rob DiStefano]

don't have a pic, van, but it's been around for decades, looks kinda sorta like a feather.

[Bowwild]

I use 4" feathers on carbon shafts -- 28" arrows for 26" draw. I've tried some vaned arrows just for fun and was pleasantly surprised they shot very well off the velcro shelf with the index vane turned up. My arrows are 600 which are the lightest spine available in the Beeman MFX shafts. I dumped the vanes after the experiment because it just didn't seem right on my recurve. I don't hunt in the rain because of a personal ethic having to do with blood-trailing. Like others have said though, do what you like if you can make it work. I have a friendly little litmus test for you though -- let's say you shoot feathered and vaned arrows. Which arrows will you show up in public with at the traditional shoot? Peer pressure bites a lot of folks pretty hard. You might not go to 3-D shoots. But if you do and you take the vaned shafts ... if your form is terrific and your results great... some folks will go home and buy some vanes.

[Zradix]

Rob..
Do the turkey feathers repel water as well as the goose? I would guess not.

Also, do the oils seem to rub off after a few weeks of shooting?
I've thought about using the goose feathers. One thing that worried me the most is the life of the feather. The goose feathers I tend to find are much more delicate than the truefights. What is your experience?

Thank you!

[gudspelr]

Thanks for all the good advice.  Quick question on which feathers, though-do they have to be wing feathers?  I've read folks using left or right wing feathers and needing to keep them consistend.  I'll be getting tail fans from turkeys tomorrow-can they be used since they don't have the same 'curve' that the wing feathers do?

Jeremy

[stringstretcher]

Tail feathers are left and right just like a wing feather.  They can be split and used, but they are softer and will make more noise than a good primary wing feather.  And they will not last as long.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Zradix:
Rob..
Do the turkey feathers repel water as well as the goose? I would guess not.

actually, both are quite waterproof

Also, do the oils seem to rub off after a few weeks of shooting?

i've had natural turk and goose feathers on arrows that saw rain a year after fletching and shooting, and both repelled the water

I've thought about using the goose feathers. One thing that worried me the most is the life of the feather. The goose feathers I tend to find are much more delicate than the truefights. What is your experience?

i've had canada goose feathers on woodie shafts for years, with hundreds of shots logged, and they look just fine

Thank you!

yer welcome!  :D

[Zradix]

Thanks a lot Rob.

Feather Hunting Season It Is!!!!
I'm getting ready to make some arrows for my Son.
He's getting a bow for his Birthday this weekend.
The bow was passed to him from a Very Generous Family here on Tradgang.
Feather hunting with him sounds like time well spent.
Thanks    

[Deadbolt]

Oh no the trad police are on duty today LOL!

Shoot what you want.  To the original question both synthetic and natural will absorb water but natural will repel much better b/c of the oils.  I have hunted int he rainw ith some turkey feathers and they held up nicely.

I have no problem with plastic vanes and if you plan on hunting in very wet/moist areas often I'd suggest a rest and plastic vanes.  In the end we are trying to kill animals here not impress joe next door!

As for the police...if you didn't make your own hickory self bow, make your own string, widdle arrows, use a flint napped head you made yourself and hunt in your deer skin clothing well you aint traditional!  Enjoy your scent lock, carbon arrows, and all natural traditional feathers...

[southpawshooter]

I've shot vanes off the shelf from both recurves and longbows.  Not a problem at all.  The current vanes are soft plastic and flexible, not stiff like the vanes of old.  This allows some forgiveness in case of riser contact.  Tuning the arrow a tad weak and cock feather in normally works for me.  You can get by with a slightly weaker shaft than with feathers because they always recover even when wet.

[Ragnarok Forge]

I have been using wild turkey feathers and recently switched to goose for my hunting feathers.  I live where it rains a lot, particularly during late season. Turkey feathers hold up fairly well to the rain.  The goose feather fletching don't react to being wet at all.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Deadbolt:
Oh no the trad police are on duty today LOL!

...

As for the police...if you didn't make your own hickory self bow, make your own string, widdle arrows, use a flint napped head you made yourself and hunt in your deer skin clothing well you aint traditional!  Enjoy your scent lock, carbon arrows, and all natural traditional feathers...

please, don't go there - there are no 'trad police'.  

what's 'trad' for you is your call, not mine, and that's all that matters most.

and for me, i'll draw the line at nothing other than feathered fletches on hunting and roving arras.  ymmv.

[Killdeer]

Feathers are my choice too. But I remember back in the Pre-Cambrian period, when I was a teenager, vanes are what I had. Mom bought me a set of matched silver Bear target arrows for my Ben Pearson Colt. Rubber vanes, and they flew so nice! I was using a Bear Weatherest, I think. Little plastic fin stuck out of the side plate for the arrow to sit on.

Killdeer

[redant 60/65]

Deadbolt    

[Deadbolt]

Originally posted by Rob DiStefano:
 

Originally posted by Deadbolt:
Oh no the trad police are on duty today LOL!

...

As for the police...if you didn't make your own hickory self bow, make your own string, widdle arrows, use a flint napped head you made yourself and hunt in your deer skin clothing well you aint traditional!  Enjoy your scent lock, carbon arrows, and all natural traditional feathers...

please, don't go there - there are no 'trad police'.  

what's 'trad' for you is your call, not mine, and that's all that matters most.

and for me, i'll draw the line at nothing other than feathered fletches on hunting and roving arras.  ymmv. [/b]

I only walked through the door you opened Rob.

I dont force my morals, values, and opinions down anyones through nor should anyone else.  Your comments come off very strong and as if you are saying that is the ONLY way.  I have been around the block a few times and know how to read these posts but new comers take most peoples word for law so be carefull how you word things.  Thats how garbage is spread.

[Ssamac]

I would agree that the alum arrows are more consistent and when learning, that means a lot. You are correct about artificial feathers vs the natural feathers vs the plastic vanes. Plastic vanes just don't do it on trad equiptment.

Beyond the dying and sometimes striping, I'm not sure how different the "artificial" feathers really are from natural.
They should perform pretty well for you

sam

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Deadbolt:
 

Originally posted by Rob DiStefano:
   

Originally posted by Deadbolt:
Oh no the trad police are on duty today LOL!

...

As for the police...if you didn't make your own hickory self bow, make your own string, widdle arrows, use a flint napped head you made yourself and hunt in your deer skin clothing well you aint traditional!  Enjoy your scent lock, carbon arrows, and all natural traditional feathers...

please, don't go there - there are no 'trad police'.  

what's 'trad' for you is your call, not mine, and that's all that matters most.

and for me, i'll draw the line at nothing other than feathered fletches on hunting and roving arras.  ymmv. [/b]

I only walked through the door you opened Rob.

I dont force my morals, values, and opinions down anyones through nor should anyone else.  Your comments come off very strong and as if you are saying that is the ONLY way.  I have been around the block a few times and know how to read these posts but new comers take most peoples word for law so be carefull how you word things.  Thats how garbage is spread. [/b]

what door got opened?

thomas, i dunno where yer coming from, but i don't see where anyone so far in this thread has espoused it's my way or the high way.

feather fletches aren't the only way for everyone to approach trad archery, just my way.  i still use 1.5" kurly vanes on carbons with one of my longbows ... off the shelf ... for 'target archery'.

no preaching needed by anyone, surely not you or i.

[Deadbolt]

Originally posted by Rob DiStefano:
[QB] trad archery means using feathered arrows.

plastic vanes are inferior substitutes for feathers in every respect save one - water resistance.

if getting yer feathers wet is a big concern, you have two choices (and one of them is NOT to use plastic fletching) - treat the feathered fletches with a waterproofing agent or use natural turkey or goose feather fletches.  

Rob someone could percieve that the wrong way...am I wrong?  That was your post from page one...now you are back peddling on your comments.

[Bowferd]

When I returned to traditional archery I had aluminum arrows set up with vanes. They worked fine but the traditional urge kept tugging my sleeve.
Then 3 years ago, I found TradGang. With due respect, after a few drags on the carpet, couple of trips behind the woodshed by the mods and some members, you oughta see me now!!!!  
Find what works and enjoy all of the valuable information made available.  

[DesertDude]

Nice looking cane......