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17th Century Turkish Arrow Fletching

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Ron Jachim
I?m trying to make some arrows in the 17th century Turkish style. I?ve figured out most of the variables, but I can?t figure out if the fletching was wrapped just in the front and back, or if it is wrapped along the length of the fletching. Would silk be the appropriate material to use wrap them? This would be for war arrows, not flight arrows.

Thanks,
Ron
Bede
Most of the Ottoman arrows I have inspected were wrapped under the fletching at the nock end. I have not seen any arrows with front wrappings.

In miniature paintings you often see bands painted above and below the fletchings, but I think they meant to be decorative painting on the arrows, not binding.

They may have bound the fletching on arrows intended for ships as the English did, but that is only speculation. I have seen no sign of the fletching lifting off the arrow shafts in the arrows I have inspected.
Gianrico

Ron Jachim wrote:

I?m trying to make some arrows in the 17th century Turkish style. I?ve figured out most of the variables, but I can?t figure out if the fletching was wrapped just in the front and back, or if it is wrapped along the length of the fletching. Would silk be the appropriate material to use wrap them? This would be for war arrows, not flight arrows.

Thanks,
Ron

Hello Ron,

I'm also interested in turkish archery, even if I'm a beginner in archery crafts (and in oriental shooting). I'm waiting for a turkish bow and I would like to try made some turkish arrows. It would be pretty if you can post some photos of your arrow work, if you can. I find nock making very difficult, certainly more than plain self-nocked arrows I usually shoot :wink:

Best regards,

Gianrico
Andrzej Abratowski
Bede answerd you and I would only add that sometimes there are docrations looks like wrapping.
Some Turkich or Polish arrows I egzaminated heve such decorations from thin golden strap glued onto shaft under fletching.
May be next week I will have some pictures of my replikas of XVII arrows.

Andrzej
Ron Jachim
Thanks for the information. I will post pictures if the results are decent.

Well, I tried using hide glue for the first time to fletch arrows. It didn't go very well. How do people here fletch arows? I've been used to using fletch tape which may have made me sloppy. I "painted" hide glue across the length of the prepared fletching and held it tight to the shaft for at leat a minute and even then, the front ends want to pull away from the shaft. Any suggestions?
Alam ed Din, Adnan
Ron,
I recently did some tibetan style arrows with more than 9" long fletchings.
They became a little different as those depicted on ATARN index, mainly
because I didn't have golden eagle feathers and peachbark. Everything else worked out well. I used dark brown full lenght Goose feathers instead and red birchbark for decoration. I barreled the shafts and attached the fletchingsusing hide glue. I started with the ends,applied glue to the quill and used a cloth pin to hold it.Than I worked my way down towards the thicker part of the quill and used a cloth peg there as well. After doing all the three fletchings, at a few parts of it(middle) the fletching wanted to lift. I did some silk binding there as I had seen on the originals, then I applied some more hide glue alongside the quils by using a thin brush. After some drying time it was very secure. Sounds complicated but it was quiet easy. I am not finished yet: I still wait for some tanged arrowheads which I will have to file into shape. Total will be a set of 20. I have developed quiet a routine with this hide glue technique(I hate to get synthetic glue on my fingers).

Greetings & Salaam