Question regarding left / right wing feathers - different than normal

[cajuntec]

I just came to a realization today while reading another post....

Right wing / Left wing feathers really aren't talking about the wing that the feather came off of, is it?

Looking at a real, full feather, it looks like it can be processed to be either right or left - or if you are careful, some kind of way, it can be made into two feathers - one right / one left (I don't know if that last part is possible).

Thinking of how a feather is made, if you lay it on the table with the quill furthest away from you, it looks like one side of the feather is a right wing side, and the other a left wing.

Is this right, or is this totally off base?  

All the best,
Glenn

[Jeff Strubberg]

Glenn;

Since only the six or eight primary feathers on a wing are used for fletching, they can only be processed one way, right or left as the case may be.

On the softer secondaries, where there is web on both sides of the quill, they could be processed both ways.  You would get a "right" and a "left" from the same feather.  Unfortunately the secondaries are soft enough that they don't make very good fletching material.


Good diagram of what I am talking about   here

[Matt Fowler]

Totally off base!!  If you look at a feather from a left wing and a feather from a right wing you will see the difference. When stripped and ready for fletching, the curve is opposite. A right wing won't fit neatly into a left wing clamp.

[cajuntec]

Jeff,
If I follow what you are saying, then my findings are correct - right?  In other words, a primary feather taken from either the (actual) right wing or left wing of a bird, can be processed as either a right wing feather or left wing feather, depending on what side of the whole feather is "wasted", right?  Thank you for taking the time to reply.

Matt,
Thanks for attempting to reply, but I think you totally misunderstood what I am asking.  I am fully aware that a right wing or left wing (processed) feather can only go on one way - due to the curvature of the finished product, and that you have to use the corresponding clamp.  Got it.  Done it for years.  My question is in regards to PROCESSING a whole feather into a finished product.  If you take a WHOLE feather (primary - as Jeff was talking about above), there is a left and right side of the quill.  If you cut off and process either side, you end up with a finished (fletching) feather, and the "wing" will depend on which side of the WHOLE feather was cut off (wasted material).

The reason I ask this, is my perception before today was that "right wing" feathers came from the actual right wing of the bird, and "left wing" came from the left wing of the bird.  As I am understanding it now, and thus my question, you can PROCESS whole feathers from either ACTUAL wing of the bird into left or right "wing" feathers, depending on which side of the material is cut off from the quill.

Is that a bit clearer?

Thanks again for the responses.

All the best,
Glenn

[cajuntec]

Jeff,
Thanks for the link.  Looking at the diagrams, it appears as if the primary feathers do not have the same shape on both sides of the quill (at least in that diagram).  Therefore, my question regarding this may end up "no" after all - as it doesn't look like you can process the other side of the quill on the opposing wing.  Maybe on turkey's it's different though.  Do you know?  I hope I'm making sense.  Thanks again!
All the best,
Glenn

[Jeff Strubberg]

Correct.  On primary feathers, you only have one choice.  On secondary feathers you can process either way, but they are not used often as they are much softer, less durable and more prone to make noise.

[cajuntec]

Thanks Jeff.  That makes sense.  I appreciate you taking the time to respond.
All the best,
Glenn