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Eagle/hawk style feathers

14 posts2008live thread
Jos?Dom
I'm looking for Turkey feathers dyed in a way that resembles eagle or hawk feathers. I know the Japanese stores offer arrows with these type of feathers but I didn't have luck finding them yet. Is any recommended place that offer feathers like this?

Thank you.
Stephen Selby
Have you checked Quick's catalogue?
jack farrell
Crazy Crow sells painted feathers which do not act like real feathers when used as fletches because once the vanes separate they will not preen back in place. Real Legal feathers dyes them and they look more like the real thing and will preen. Theres some others on ebay. Indian craft suppliers.
Jos?Dom
Jack, thank you for the advice. You made me save time and money. Just by chance, before reading this, I was checking the Crazy Crow website thinking about placing an order.
jack farrell
JoseDom; Peacocks have very nice wing feathers, sort of rust red. There are several secondaries which are mottled like immature eagle feathers as well as two very long tail feathers the same. An Argus pheasant has feathers which look exactly like eagle. Brown pelican have eagle-looking feathers. Vulture are somewhat a match. Spanish black turkey hybrids are the perfect solution, legal everywhere and 100% natural.

Blue turkey are an interesting variation, Royal Palm another. Anything but barred, very strong but such a give away. However the tail feathers are perfect and nobody seems to know. Barred wing and brown solid tail- these are called Bronze turkey, only slightly different than wild turkey. -j-
Jos?Dom
I can see you know about the subject. There are several alternatives that didn't know. The problem is that these feathers are hard to find. So far I found one place that might have one of these type of feathers (royal palm feathers). It's good to know though.
jack farrell
Experimenting with dying feathers rather than painting them has good merit. The people I know who do this will not share their secrets. White turkey feathers for the basic canvas are the easiest to find. Good, natural, legal feathers are hard to find. -j-
Outlaw
Jose
did you find out eventually a source?
Jos?Dom
Well, more or less. Not the best solution...

I got feathers from Japan painted like raptor feathers, known as "raptor series". Not good enough for the price plus expensive shipping...

I got painted feathers from Real Legal Feathers. These are quite expensive but they look natural and authentic. The seller sold a few for me and when I wanted to place another order he never replied back...

In the end I prefer exotic goose or turkey. There are some types that are close to raptor feathers.

Also, it's good to support a raptor birds rehabilitation center and be friend with the members. You can get some feathers from them if they trust you only will use the feathers for own arrows and not for sale.
J-Boon
Since I'm still currently overseas, and out of Australia, I took the opportunity to visit a local wildlife park which has a falconry/raptor section.

JoseDom, when I read your post, and saw that you were planning to dye feathers to look like raptor feathers, I thought it would be a good idea to post some of these photos I took on 26 December 2010, hoping that it may help you somewhat.

As I have never touched raptor feathers before, I was very surprise at how "thin" and "soft" they all felt. My Turkey feathers on my arrows seems to be way "thicker" and "stiffer". Hope you enjoy the photos.

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Jos?Dom
Thanks for the pics, J-Boon. There are some rare feathers there. Most of them are secondaries, softer and smaller than primaries.

By the way, I didn't want to dye feathers myself, instead I wanted feathers already dyed and ready.
yokhua
Check this out ... primary wine feathers. From the biggest EAGLES in the world (neither vulture nor condor...)... 150+ feathers.. someone's collection...


Don't ask me.... no way to get it.. ! Sorry !!
yokhua
another
J-Boon
Are these feathers from a Manchurian/Japanese crane (Tancho), the 2nd most rare crane in the world? The slotted feather looks similar to a photo I took on 26 Dec 2010, while overseas visiting a wildlife park.

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