Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

Feather grinding

Jamie

Senior Member
5,691
177
Ohio
I realize that this is of interest to only a handful of people around here, but if you have turkey feathers from wild birds or can get them for free, this is great service to use. With the cost of full-length domestic turkey feathers at $115/100 and full-length wild feathers over $25/dozen, this is an affordable way to have the finest feather fletching for a reasonable cost. Primary flight feathers from wild Turkeys are the very best feathers for fletching, hands down. they are more durable, a little stiffer and 10 times more water resistant than domestic feathers and they just look cool.

For many, many years I sent all the wild turkey feathers I could scrounge from my turkey hunting friends to a place in Idaho that would grind them for 25 cents apiece. They no longer grind feathers, so I found a new place in Indiana called Wild Fletching. I have had many hundreds of feathers ground like this over the years, and this is as good of quill grinding that I've seen. The cost has gone up since the last time I sent any away, but even at 50 cents apiece plus a little shipping it is the best deal going for feather fletching. The turnaround time went well beyond what I was promised, but I didn't really need them, so no big deal. Besides grinding your feathers, Josh sells feathers, cut fletching in various profiles, and other stuff. There are not many places that grind quills these days, and none that do it better.

IMG_3716.jpg


the great consistency of the ground quill thickness that will be your gluing surface is what matters here, and this is superb workmanship done with a perfectly tuned and adjusted machine.
IMG_3717.jpg
 
Last edited:

Jamie

Senior Member
5,691
177
Ohio
I think so. He does sell fletching already cut, but I don't know if he does it to order. don't see why not. you can only burn them when they are already on the arrow, otherwise, you gotta chop or hand cut them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jagermeister

Jamie

Senior Member
5,691
177
Ohio
Yes, Raven Arrows was the place for a long time. Now that I think about it, it might have been 10 years since I sent any feathers out for grinding. 😬 time flies.
 

triple_duece

Ragin Cajun.
9,126
159
Got my buddy to save the ones he kills. Should have plenty to play w and give away. Pm me your info please. Also can I use the ones inside the barred ones like the brown ones next to them or are they not stiff enough?
 

Jamie

Senior Member
5,691
177
Ohio
Yes thanks. So it’s just the white and black barred ones or can you use the ones that’s brown (feathers closer to the body)? Also I need right helical feathers, which wing do I use and does anyone need the other side, I will ship for free.
There are only 5-6 pinion feathers on each wing of an average size adult bird. These are what you want for fletching. Some guys use the secondary feathers, too, but I do not as they are not as stiff or durable in my experience. Use the right wing feathers for right helical.
 
  • Like
Reactions: triple_duece