New arrows

[Pat B]

If this isn't the appropriate place for these, please move them....
  I made these Plains style(my version, not authentic)arrows for a trade with Minuteman. They are red osier dogwood shafts with self nocks. I used fletch tape to set the feathers but wrapped them fore and aft with sinew. I mounted the trade points(from 3Rivers) with pine pitch glue and sinew wraps. All wraps and the shafts were sealed with pine pitch varnish. The decorative feathers at each fletching is guinea feathers and were used by the Plains Indians when available. The cresting is earth pigments set with glue water made with Elmer's white glue.
  I only had 5 trade points so I hafted an obsidian point, made by a friend, on one arrow and on that arrow I used hide glue to set the feathers in addition to the wraps. Also, the shafts have lightning grooves cut in.
So here they are.....
 
 
 

[Shaun]

Nice Pat. Dogwood make a great heavy and tough arrow. Very authentic look.

[CheapShot]

Nice arrows, not only purty but functunal as well. I've had good luck with cane, but I have a hard time with shoot arrows. Can't seem to get them straight enough to shoot well. looks like I need to give them another try.

[mastin03]

wow...nice work on those pat.  Very pretty arrow

[ranger 3]

Very nice Pat

[Pat B]

Thanks guys. These were a fun set to make. Their weight runs from 691gr to 753gr and 3 of them are 735gr. I don't like the dogwood as well as I like sourwood but they do make good heavy arrows. Many of the Native Americans used dogwood arrows.
These were hand planed to about 3/8" in Diameter.
  Shoot and cane arrows don't have to be all that straight. As long as the nock and point line up and they spin true. Two of the arrows in my avatar are quite crooked. The one with the red fletch(sourwood) has a snaky front end(gave it to Bernie). The one at the bottom(Am. beech) is just a wall hanger(gave it to ArtB) although it shot OK to 10 yards. After that it looked like a pinwheel.

[Art B]

Nice batch of arrows there Pat! Looks like you got the hang of getting 'em straight. Hey, got an obsidian point just like yours, we must know the same maker! How do you like those trades from 3R's?

Hey, got one of those canes straightened and drying that you sent. Will let you know how the sizes work out later.

ART B

[Pat B]

Art, For show the trades are fine. I wouldn't use them for hunting. They are too narrow anyway.
This red osier ain't sourwood. They make good, heavy arrows but are hard to straighten and keep straight. I'm hoping the lightning grooves will help.

[chrisg]

Hi Pat, Nice arrows, making them from scratch is a lot of work, those turned out good.
Just a question; guinea fowl are African birds! Called after the nation in West Africa but occur all over. I know of three species, Helmeted and Crowned that we have in Southern africa and Vulturine from central and east Africa. The helmeted is the most wide spread of all, seen all over the continent. Where did the plains Indians get those feathers?
chrisg

[Pat B]

From Africa. The guinea foul came over with the slaves and headed west with the pioneers, I guess. I have seen pics of Native(not only Plains) arrows with guinea feathers on them.
   Making arrows from scratch is a lot of work. I've been working on this set for a month or so. The straightening process takes the longest time. I only work a few crooks in each shaft at one time, let them rest over night, at least, and go to the next few crooks. If you try to rush them you end up re-bending what you already have straightened.  I consider it a labor of love and psychiatric therapy. d;^)

[Roy Steele]

HI PAT
  It's a lot easer to make a bow than to make a hunting arrows.But it looks like you no that.Really nice arrows even if you say there not hunting arrows.
   I know it's not surpose to be here but you sound like the person to talk to.If not maybe someone else will read this.
   I have 2 things I need.I will buy but would like to trade some O'sage billets I've had seasoning for at least 10 years.
   I need some raw river cain and any kind of flint.EMAIL me at [email protected]
    Pat email me.

[George Tsoukalas]

Pat, great looking arrows. Nothing like the look of an arrow made from a shoot shaft. Jawge

[Pat B]

They are my favorites too George although cane comes in a close second!     Pat

[Pluck Yew]

Nice arrows Pat! I've yet to make a set of primitive arrows...those make me want to get off my butt and build some!!

   

Shawn...

[Pat B]

Now is a good time to collect shafts.

[chrisg]

Hi Pat I thought that may have been how from domestic birds. I know the Romans domesticated them. We have so many wild ones here that domesticated birds are uncommon, recently I read that the domesticated variety are a problem as they interbreed with the wild stock and fertility drops plus their disease resistance drops. They are popular on golf estates and quite tame.
It is a wonder that the slaves brought them over to the US or was it the 'slavers'? From what we read about the slaves they had precious little on those ships and caring for guineafowl would have been a feat.
chrisg

[Pat B]

Chris, Lots of things came to America with the slaves(or possibly slavers). Peanuts, okra and the banjo are a few that come to mind. I have no actual personal knowledge of how they got here but I have seen Guinea foul feathers on NA arrows in museums.
  Guinea foul are cool birds but too noisy to have around. They are excellent to have on tick infested property because they will eliminate the ticks in short time. There are many domesticated Guinea foul in this country.