how do you cut your feathers?

[Ed Brooks]

I have been cutting feathers from the thick end to the tip, I found, for me any way that the secondary feathers were easier to cut so, I've been using more of them and avoiding the primary feathers. This past weekend I tried to cut one of the primaries from the tip down toward the thick end and will never cut the other way again. from the tip to the big end I start a cut and then the quill just pulls apart leaving a clean pretty even quill. Ed

[Knotty]

I cut them in the same way with a razor blade, and sand the fletchings smooth.

[JoJoDapyro]

I cut the opposite way. I also strip them now instead of grinding them. Much cleaner.

[Ed Brooks]

I cut the opposite way. I also strip them now instead of grinding them. Much cleaner.

I do also like to strip the 2nds, haven't had much luck with the primaries for stripping. Ed

[Pat B]

I use a burner but when I do cut them I find cutting against the grain(from the tip back) works best.
 Ed, you might need to rehydrate the primaries first before stripping. Put them in a ziplock bag with a damp paper towel for a day or so to rehydrate.

[Aaron H]

I have also noticed that "fresh" feathers strip better than older ones,  but i I hadn't thought about rehydrating them.   Thanks Pat!

[loon]

You strip them so that nothing or very little of the quill remains?

...What is the tip? Not the part originally contacting the bird?

I guess sharper barber's scissors may work OK

may cut shield feathers to be more low profile

[Pat B]

...from the tip to the quill.

[bjrogg]

I strip my primaries from not quite tip to base of quill. 1st I have cup of water and put thumb and index finger in then stroke quill and repeat. I also use my knife to scrap quill from middle of quill to base several strokes. I just do this on thicker part of quill. Usually quill comes of clean and I just narrow quill with scissors. Works for me before this method I ruined a lot of feathers.

[Ed Brooks]

Thank you for the replies, I will have to try to soak the feathers before I try to strip them again. Ed

[gutpile]

with scissors

[Buck67]

I use a small ball peen hammer and a steel anvil to lightly break the spine of the feather first, then I use scissors from the thick end to the thin.  Breaking the spine first makes a big difference.  Then I clamp the feather, use a sharp knife to clean up the spine and remove bumps and then sand flat and smooth before using.

[cantshoot]

Wow. There is more too this than I imagined. I have some feathers coming this month and will be trying the bamboo arrow build along that's pinned above. Luckily the feathers are the last part...

[mullet]

I use Choppers, I trade for preground feathers.