Just recieved another couple of dozen Trueflight full lenght. They are very thin. This is the second shipment in the last year like this. I dont mean the base but the feather. I have compared these to my other feathers and they are about half the gauge. You can almost see thought them. At 9.95 per doz. for the bared I am pretty pissed.
Any one else notice this.
Rich K.
The problem is, they're raising birds to slaughter weight so fast nowadays that they don't grow large/full feathers anymore. The birds are just too young when slaughtered. Time was, full length feathers were 11-12 inches long or longer. Now, most of them are 9 inches or less, and lower oil line and thinner to boot. About the only good barred feathers nowadays come from wild birds.
Thanks Orion.
I hear what you are saying. Some of my arrows are over 8 years old. They look better than the ones I made 6 months ago. The edges are fraing.
Guess I am going to have to buy the 50 packs of the Gateways. I just did not want to spend another 70 on feathers.
Rich K
I have noticed the length issue most. I chop alot of my own fletching and I used to easily get two 4 inch fletchings per feather. Now it is a rare feather that gives me two.
Dave
I got 100 full lenght white feathers a few months back. You could see right thu them.
Are they shilling off some secondary feathers?
Is there any 'oil web' to speak of on your full lengths?
Barebow,
I can see thru my orange that i made six months ago. BTW - I could see thru them when i made them.
I bought them from a major supplier. I would guess they know.
Rich K.
Maybe you guys are ordering there new feathers designed specifically for spiral wrapped flu flu's??? They are made thin to wrap easier???
Question....
IF..I know it's a BIG if..But if they last ok wouldn't thinner actually be better??? Less weight etc..
This is a really bad news that the qualityis dropping when the price is arising.
Time to start raising turkeys... :rolleyes: I sure love it when I can get ahold of some wild turkey feathers! Way more superior!
I sure like AMG Feathers, They seam to hold up real well.....
Zardix,
We are not talking balistics here. Thinner means they dont last.....
Chris, No. Ordering standard feathers.
Rich K
That's what I meant. Didn't know if they really did wear out faster. If so that really sucks.
I also noticed my last batch was shorter and thinner.
I noticed the same thing. The Truflights I have are about half the thickness of the wild turkey I have.
What's the guys name in MO that sells feathers? I bought full length from him at MOJam for years. Great quality.
Mike
I compared the last few dozen i received two months ago for my son,(he wanted some colors i did not have) with the bags i have left from the late eighties.There was absolutely a very noticable difference in the quality. These were purchased from the same company too. I did notice it right away. :(
Same here, the last Trueflights I received had some feathers in the packages that were too thin to use.
THIS SUCKS! I thought one thing I could count on was good feathers from truflight. Nuts!!
As I noted in my earlier post, the feather suppliers/processors are dependent on the turkey producers. There's not much they can do about the reduced quality.
Guess trueflight will have to start raising turkeys..lol
I know what you're saying Orion.
Trickle down theory at work.
I have had discussions will all the maufacturers:
Tru Flight
AMG
Gateway
Here is what I understand from gathering all that:
Yes the commercial growers are growing birds faster. Many are butchered youbger so overall smaller. Some are allowed to grow larger, but probably an issue of feed, hormaones and crowded conditions attribute to the thinner and more fragile feathers.
A big part of this is that a WHOLE LOT of Amercian Turkey feathers are going to China! They buy every feather on the bird and use them for many purposes. Arrow fletchings are just a part of it. Of the arrow fletchings, many are going to foreign companies and I beleive that some go to USA companies like AMG and Gateway.
This was not cinfirmed by those companied themselevs but from other sources. Maybe someone from each company would jump in here since I believe they all look in here.
I have tried all the brands, The Tru Flight still has the best grind and the brightest colors. They are also the only company that claims their feathers are 100% US, cleans and pest free.
They have now gone to "Commercial Grade" on the feathers. Since I only use full length and burn them - I have been very dissapointed over the last few years about the rise in price and the drop in quality. Same thing is true about other products as well.
I have been making arrows for over 45 years and have sure seen the gammit of dealers, products and changes over the years.
This is one place I sure do miss 'the good old days'!
Call me old fogey, but all the metal I need on my bow or arrow is the point, and I can live with stone. Other man mades are fine if you like them, but I still prefer 'all wood' on my bows.
I put a thread out about raising wild (or darker heritage breeds) turkeys, but was discouraged from the replys from guys that tried it. Apparently the wild ones can fly away, so you have to clip their wings. Soooo..No wing feathers! Maybe a major coop with a net or wire mesh roof to keep them home. This thread may get me thinking again.
Don't have to clip both wings, just one. That's what was done in the past. And, since most "clippers" were right handed, it was easier for them to grab the bird and clip the right wing. That's one of the reasons that there were generally more left wing than right wing feathers available in the past. Nowadays, birds are raised in pretty tight confinement, seldom with room to fly if they could.
Same here could not get 2 4" from FL.New ones 8.5 old 11.5
Thanks, you just solved the mystery of my feathers wearing out faster than they used to.
Which are the better ones to buy now and from where?
Yes, what's the consensus? I need to buy quite a few. Thanks!
say it ain't so.just ordered a bunch of full length feathers from tru-flight.might show up today.i'll let you know the quality.
got my tru-flights from three rivers.very thin and ragged.chopped them with my little chopper.fletched a dozen.6 sheild 6 bannana.one bannana missed the target and went under the grass in the yard.it was desroyed with one missed shot.they should hold up better than that,but than again i should not miss and shoot them in the grass.hope you have better luck than i did.steve