Can you get two 4" feather out of a turkey primary?

[J. Cook]

For you guys that grind your own wild turkey feathers, I have a question.  If you cut a 4" feather, can you get 2 feathers out of the primaries, or you still only getting 1 complete feather regardless of whether you cut a 5" or 4" feather?

[stickandstring]

I usually can, but the second will have a slim rear quill.

[hitman]

X2 from above. I usually cut mine out of the best part of the feather , eliminating the thickest part and the thin part of the feather.

[AkDan]

U can easily thin the width on the thicker end.  A straight clamp and block sanding will do it.  No fancy jig needed.

My answer, can you? I say maybe!   Some are damaged, some are short (ever see a 16 lb 3/4-1" spur longbeard)? Some are plenty big.  Depends on the bird.

[sweeney3]

Generally yes.  It can be a little touch and go but as a rule of thumb, yes.

[Orion]

Out of wild birds, I can easily get two 4-inch feathers.  Commercial full length feathers have become shorter over time because they're butchering the birds at younger and younger ages.  On those, I can usually get two 4-inchers, but as others have pointed out, the quill might thin toward the back end of one of them.

[FerretWYO]

Same experience as stated above here as well.

[eckterling]

I agree, most good primaries you can easily get two 4" feathers. If you get a really big turkey sometimes you can get two nice 5" feathers.