How to make fletchings from wild turkey feathers - making arrows

Here, we'll take a look at how to make your own fletchings form turkey feathers. I show the split & grind method in detail, as well as show how to strip feathers if you want to go that route.

[thomasbarrett]

Thanks for simple and easy to understand videos.

[ernie]

Clay, you make some Great videos! Easy to understand, very helpful! Thanks for making them!

[clayhayeshunter]

Hi Alan, they will work on carbon or aluminum as well as wood. One thing I've noticed about wild turkey feathers is they hold their shape much better in the rain than processed commercial feathers.

[stevenrussell]

excellent, straightforward instruction. Wish I would've seen this one first. Good job!!!

[MathieusChainsawCarvings]

I got some feathers from domesticated turkeys, gonna try making some fletchings now. very helpfull video, i didnt know anything on how to start, now i do. thanks

[ilsdmspjs]

This was very helpful, thank you. I'm dispatching a couple farm turkey's this week and turkey season is next month so I've been looking forward to building a bunch of arrows. You pointed out a bunch of things that I wouldn't have thought about. Great video!

[flamefinger]

Awsome video this will help so many people out. Thanks for all the time you put into it.

[Kurtdog]

Splitting seems best option. Exacto knife good to split or maybe carpet cutter. Thanks for sharing Clay!

[devinderkumar]

Everything explained very beautifully... Thanks sir

[clayhayeshunter]

Yes, I'm planning on doing an arrow building vid. We'll cover self nocks, sinew wrapping and all. It may be a few months before I get around to it. Elk season is just around the corner.. Stay tuned.

ch

[larryreese]

Hey clay, if you don't have a belt sander a clamp made out of two blocks of wood held together with screws and a flat piece of wood with sandpaper will work. Put the feather upside down in the clamp and sand away on the quill. Trim the sides of the quill with an exacto knife. But the belt sander looks to be quicker. Think I'll try it.

[PsychonautTV]

I wish I had one wing. Lifetime supply of arrows.

Nice vid! :D

[armedhippy]

Love the videos thanks for all your work and time.  Gonna pick up your book soon.

[clayhayeshunter]

I've used goose feathers. They work, but they're a little soft. I believe that's what the English fletched all their arrow with back when the longbow was ruled the battlefield. Worked for them...

[Fossil_]

Gonna try this some time. Perhaps the softer part of the wing could be used for youth arrows.

[Soviless]

my friend showed me a great trick! use super glue! cut your fletch to size, leave an inch or two of quill membrane at the front of the fletch so you can handle the fletch easier. put a little glue at the back of the fletch and hold it on the shaft with tweezers! then when its dried, put a tiny bit and let it run down the membrane channel of the base of the fletch, make sure you leave a tag end so you can grab it and hold it tight and sight down the shaft from behind and quickly lay the fletch in the proper orientation . start with the cock feather! thanks jason :)

[blackriflex]

you made that look easy !!! i believe i can do that .. thanks for the video!!! ever use cicken feathers?

[ryukage]

Clay, your videos are awesome and really motivated me to start making my own arrows. With that, question: I have a right wing turkey feather, but both side of the quill is about even... after splitting it down the center, would both sides of the same feather be considered right wing?

[clayhayeshunter]

If you do find a bird with lice, you can stick the feathers in a trash bag and spray a little insect killer in there. Tie it up and leave it for an hour or so. no more bugs. that's also a good idea with bobcat hides which harbor fleas.

[chrise]

Great video. I just got my first recurve and would love to do some flu flu arrows out of homemade feathers someday.