Technical merits of different feathers?
Knowing very little about different type of feathers, I thought of gathering technical information/opinion about different types of feathers for arrows. I don't intent to stir any ethical debate about what sort of avian the feathers come from, just merits of the different feather given all things being same (shape and dimensions). For example, Is one type of feather more stiff, or another type better suited for making arrows glide better, or maybe another type of feather is less prone to fraying? Things like that.
Of the top on my head, I can think of Goose, Turkey, Pheasant, Eagle. Are there more exotic type feathers that have been used in traditional archery? Duck? Owl? Parrot?
What are the main points when decided how a particular type of feather is good for arrows? (i.e Softness,Hardness?) and what species of bird feathers are avoided for arrow making? By the way.. do people ever use Raven/Crow feather?
Of the top on my head, I can think of Goose, Turkey, Pheasant, Eagle. Are there more exotic type feathers that have been used in traditional archery? Duck? Owl? Parrot?
What are the main points when decided how a particular type of feather is good for arrows? (i.e Softness,Hardness?) and what species of bird feathers are avoided for arrow making? By the way.. do people ever use Raven/Crow feather?
Here are some ideas:
Some feathers lack 'body' - they are too downy. They are not suitable.
Some are very stiff and do not 'lay down' as they pass the hand/grip causing some disturbance to the shot. (Do not over-estimate the effect of archers' paradox). Such feathers are also not suitable.
Goose quills are very hard and stiff: they need to be filed down before they can be used, otherwise they will scratch the archer's hand. Duck feathers are oily and don't adhere well with glue.
Some archers like decorative feathers. Pheasant feathers are both soft and decorative, so they are quite popular.
In North Asia, there was a tradition that you should use feathers of a hunting bird (raptor) for success in hunting. Raptors were a totem of good fortune in ancient times. The Mongolians like the feathers of the Steppe Vulture. The Tibetans like the feathers of owls. This is nothing but superstition.
Some feathers lack 'body' - they are too downy. They are not suitable.
Some are very stiff and do not 'lay down' as they pass the hand/grip causing some disturbance to the shot. (Do not over-estimate the effect of archers' paradox). Such feathers are also not suitable.
Goose quills are very hard and stiff: they need to be filed down before they can be used, otherwise they will scratch the archer's hand. Duck feathers are oily and don't adhere well with glue.
Some archers like decorative feathers. Pheasant feathers are both soft and decorative, so they are quite popular.
In North Asia, there was a tradition that you should use feathers of a hunting bird (raptor) for success in hunting. Raptors were a totem of good fortune in ancient times. The Mongolians like the feathers of the Steppe Vulture. The Tibetans like the feathers of owls. This is nothing but superstition.
Personally I like feathers from swan and turkey. They are obtainable and legal in my area and have good qualities (suitable stiffness and adhesion) - it would be problematic to use feathers from birds of prey, since they are illegal to kill and proving that my feathers are collected from sheding birds is quite difficult.
BTW: Strangely enough, the japanese belived that feathers from owl were bad luck, so don't plan on making arrows for a yumi with owl feathers ;-)
BTW: Strangely enough, the japanese belived that feathers from owl were bad luck, so don't plan on making arrows for a yumi with owl feathers ;-)
Thanks for sharing Stephen, its information like this which I was looking for. Pheasant feathers which are softer, are they less durable than turkey feathers or are they just as good ?Stephen Selby wrote:
Goose quills are very hard and stiff: they need to be filed down before they can be used, otherwise they will scratch the archer's hand. Duck feathers are oily and don't adhere well with glue.
Some archers like decorative feathers. Pheasant feathers are both soft and decorative, so they are quite popular
Speaking of Eagle feathers, I came across a Youtube video on Native American archery http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJu9DZdEKco
and at around 1:06, the person says, "There are fletchings of Hawk & Wild Turkey feathers and Eagle feathers are seldom use at all, because they were fragile" and "Wild turkey wings are more suitable under many conditions and more durable"
In the ATARN thread http://atarn.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t ... ight=arrow. Dusan mentions using fletchings of Hawk and "Kormoran" (I'm guessing camorant" a type of water bird. I might have mistaken the word 'Kormoran' for the wrong bird) and dklynx mentions that his/her arrows are fletch with swan. After reading Stephens comments, I had the impression that water based bird feathers should be avoided because they potentially they may be oily (Just thinking out aloud), after reading this comments, I guess its a case by case basis and generalities should not be used on 'all water birds'
In another thread http://atarn.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t ... ight=arrow . Ashbow mentions using some feathers from a dead Buzzard (roadkill), and comments that the feathers are quite soft. I guessing from the Youtube clip and Ashbow comments, raptor feathers in general are soft and possibly not as durable? (or is this a over generalization on my part)
To consolidate points so far good = Not Downy (lack of body), Not Oily, Lay down well (otherwise might disturb shot when passing through hand/bow, maybe like plastic vanes), Not too hard (might cut hand), not too soft (might be fragile).
If I take all this in to account, I'm guessing for 'within my reach' the best choice would be turkey feathers because of ease of procuring them. I think maybe, the point of 'availability of feather type is also another point to throw in the list? I'm guess in the days of old, people use whatever natural materials are most commonly found around the areas where they live that gave the best performance. No DHL, Fedex or EMS in the old days to import feathers.
As a side topic, I decide to consolidate 'feather superstition' for fletching.
Raptor (birds of prey) feathers : North Asian traditions feel using them as good luck, Mongolians use vulture feathers (not sure if for performance of for superstition). Tibetans like owl feather but the Japanese view Owl feathers has bad luck. Are there any other superstition about bird feathers that others wish to contribute?
I am sure that everybody will have their own preferences.
It is true that bird of prey feathers of the different sorts have been used worldwide for fletchings. Today there is a moral issue with their use and in my country a real issue with the legality of their use. This also goes for just about any wild bird feather.
Among the other ideal feathers are turkey, which are even stronger than eagle or any others. I prefer secondaries as being softer or primaries of smaller birds. Heritage turkeys fill the niche of beautiful, useful and legal. Most bypass the tail feathers which I prefer over barred wing. The barbs lay at a lesser angle to the quill in the manner of bird of prey feathers.
Many types of pheasant fill the ideal status, even some tail feathers, those more fragile than wing.
Waterfowl wing are ideal (I have not tried duck, but feathers are easy to wash) Swan and goose are superlative. Cormorants do not float on the water and do not contain oils like ducks. I have examined many others which seem well suited, if legal to use. Some seagull feathers are quite spectacular, easy to find.
Those which I do not enjoy are pigeon, crow, owl, and parrot because of extreme softness and lack or resistance to dampness, like dew on grass.
Most birds of a large size have feathers which can be used.
I have seen an ancient (700 BP) NA arrow fletched with a species of woodpecker feathers associated with shamans.
It is true that bird of prey feathers of the different sorts have been used worldwide for fletchings. Today there is a moral issue with their use and in my country a real issue with the legality of their use. This also goes for just about any wild bird feather.
Among the other ideal feathers are turkey, which are even stronger than eagle or any others. I prefer secondaries as being softer or primaries of smaller birds. Heritage turkeys fill the niche of beautiful, useful and legal. Most bypass the tail feathers which I prefer over barred wing. The barbs lay at a lesser angle to the quill in the manner of bird of prey feathers.
Many types of pheasant fill the ideal status, even some tail feathers, those more fragile than wing.
Waterfowl wing are ideal (I have not tried duck, but feathers are easy to wash) Swan and goose are superlative. Cormorants do not float on the water and do not contain oils like ducks. I have examined many others which seem well suited, if legal to use. Some seagull feathers are quite spectacular, easy to find.
Those which I do not enjoy are pigeon, crow, owl, and parrot because of extreme softness and lack or resistance to dampness, like dew on grass.
Most birds of a large size have feathers which can be used.
I have seen an ancient (700 BP) NA arrow fletched with a species of woodpecker feathers associated with shamans.
the crow feathers are very hard to skin . and too soft . goose and turkey . but I have to mention that the turkeys from US must be huge in comparison with ours , because their feathers are much more stiff , thick , durable .
dklynx wrote:
BTW: Strangely enough, the japanese belived that feathers from owl were bad luck, so don't plan on making arrows for a yumi with owl feathers
That?s not quite correct: its only the eagle owl (Bubo Bubo) which feathers are not used. Japanase think it as a "bad" bird.
Owl feathers where and are used for "soundless" arrows, like the soundless flight of owls.
BTW: Strangely enough, the japanese belived that feathers from owl were bad luck, so don't plan on making arrows for a yumi with owl feathers
That?s not quite correct: its only the eagle owl (Bubo Bubo) which feathers are not used. Japanase think it as a "bad" bird.
Owl feathers where and are used for "soundless" arrows, like the soundless flight of owls.
Kyudohund: Thank you for clarifiing this!
I allways found it strange if samurai did not take advantage af the silent owl feathers for fletching, but all the references I found on the topic said that owl feathers were avoided for flething (allthough I also foun sources telling that only certain species of owl were considered bad luck while other species were depicted for good luck).
Sometimes I like to find that I was wrong :wink:
I allways found it strange if samurai did not take advantage af the silent owl feathers for fletching, but all the references I found on the topic said that owl feathers were avoided for flething (allthough I also foun sources telling that only certain species of owl were considered bad luck while other species were depicted for good luck).
Sometimes I like to find that I was wrong :wink:
I recently met somebody who keeps a lot of parrots and got two big bags of absolutely beautiful feathers. Unfortunately they are all useless, very soft no resistance to flattening and very soon loose their shape completely.....
A little off-subject; but while we're collecting superstitions, many tribes in Papua Niugini who hunt with bows and arrows (unfletched) believe that any animal (including humans) must only be killed with a bone point from the same animal. So a group of such arrows will have pig bone, human bone, bird bone etc. for their points. 8)
they have Dracula bone ? :twisted:
no ? then ... I'am not worried about my safety . 8)
no ? then ... I'am not worried about my safety . 8)
They are using the famous Transsylvanian garlic-tipped arrows? :twisted:osmiu wrote:
they have Dracula bone ? :twisted:
no ? then ... I'am not worried about my safety . 8)
It can be also seen that the type of feathers used is reflected in the shape of fletchings made of them, for example the fletchings on the two Tibetan arrows I've seen are most apparently owl, as we know the owl feathers are very soft, but here the problem was overcomed by making the fletchings very long and very low, I measured the feathers on one of them and they are nearly 9" long, but only 1/8" high, that is quite low.
As opposed to the West, in Asia the vanes have been mostly stripped from the quill, except from Japan as far as I know. This practice may also affect the overall stiffness of the fletching.
Goose feathers are usually softer than turkey, but again won't be affected as much by rain as turkey.
Swan feathers are bigger than goose, thus better suited for large fletchings, peacock flights were also sometimes used in Europe, they are slightly harder.
Usually the waterfowl feathers have a very distinctive 'oil line', the part of the feather above the oil line is best to be dicarded, as it's not as durable.
As opposed to the West, in Asia the vanes have been mostly stripped from the quill, except from Japan as far as I know. This practice may also affect the overall stiffness of the fletching.
Goose feathers are usually softer than turkey, but again won't be affected as much by rain as turkey.
Swan feathers are bigger than goose, thus better suited for large fletchings, peacock flights were also sometimes used in Europe, they are slightly harder.
Usually the waterfowl feathers have a very distinctive 'oil line', the part of the feather above the oil line is best to be dicarded, as it's not as durable.
Great post all. Since my last post, I took the opportunity while overseas to visit a local wildlife park which has a raptor section. I took some photos of the exhibit and since we are on the topic of feathers thought of putting up a couple of photos.
At the exhibit I found out why owl feathers are silent in flight. (See attached photo). Which made me think more, if the soft fringes along the owl feather break airflow, allowing silent flight, wouldn't this property be lost when fletching with owl feathers since, the feathers are cut to shape, causing the soft fringe to be lost?
[external image]
At the exhibit I found out why owl feathers are silent in flight. (See attached photo). Which made me think more, if the soft fringes along the owl feather break airflow, allowing silent flight, wouldn't this property be lost when fletching with owl feathers since, the feathers are cut to shape, causing the soft fringe to be lost?
[external image]
![[external image]](http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m578/j-boon/Archery%20pics/Owlfeather.jpg){kind=link}
Here is a picture of a Tibetan arrow fletched with, presumably, owl feathers, the fletchings are cut to a long and very low profile. Apologize for the low quality of the picture.
[external image]
[external image]
![[external image]](https://lh6.ggpht.com/_Z6PThatMUkQ/TSINhjtha9I/AAAAAAAACVM/cf01piXmMqI/s640/DSCF4322.JPG){kind=link}
J-Boon,
the case why owl-feathers are soundless is, the bottom side is even and the upper side is somthing like "furry". As you know, the air flows faster over the upper side because its concave, so there is a small film of not moving air which causes soundlessness.
Peter
the case why owl-feathers are soundless is, the bottom side is even and the upper side is somthing like "furry". As you know, the air flows faster over the upper side because its concave, so there is a small film of not moving air which causes soundlessness.
Peter