I stopped by a major outdoor supply co. on my way home from work to pick up some fletching tape, and when i asked the guy on the floor in the archery dept for some fletching tape he said WHAT IS THAT NEVER HEARD OF IT. i looked at him in shock i said OMG, are you kidding me, i looked at him and walked out. Now he has been with the co for awhile so i know he's experianced, But so he asked another sales person on the floor if he knew what fletching tape was and he too said no. I told them forget it, I won't mention the co, name i don't believe in online bashing, but you would think they would know about the tape.
Good man, for not bashing the uninformed!
Good for you! It's only been around for like 20 years. Well maybe 15 years.
Most of those bigger shops and the guys that work there are wheel bow guys.Those guys probably use vanes only and have never heard or use fletching tape for vanes.
Your right, that would be my guess.
None of the bigger archery shops around here have any clue about it either. The local traditional archery shop, however, knows all about it.
Educate them then :) It's a great product, so it in their interest!
I`ll second what SveinD said.
Take in a really nice arrow that you have made up with fletch tape, and SHOW them.
Make their experience with a trad archer one they remember in a positive way... :archer2:
QuoteOriginally posted by SveinD:
Educate them then :) It's a great product, so it in their interest!
Good idea SveinD, I'll do that tomorrow, and have them order it.
I have been tolarge sporting good chains, they are a lost cause. I stopped at 2 different stores (different chains) and neither archery department knew what bowfishing was. You can assume they didnt sell the gear either.
Just another reason to plan ahead and deal with the great vendors that help sponsor this site.
QuoteOriginally posted by Green:
Just another reason to plan ahead and deal with the great vendors that help sponsor this site.
Agreed !
Dan
I would call mike at the nocing point or if you are close to hutchinson get it at the kba next weekend
QuoteOriginally posted by Jake Fr:
I would call mike at the nocing point or if you are close to hutchinson get it at the kba next weekend
I think the knocking point is in correct me if im wrong, in winchester ks. im about an hour E of there. but worth a try.
I had the same experience at one of the big outdoor stores. Most of the guys in there are clueless to traditional archery, although there is one guy that does shoot traditional. About two years ago I went in with a long bow that I made looking for something that I could not remember and the young guys in there almost wet their pass when they saw my bow. There exact words were, "Dude he is old school". I just laughed. I agee check with Mike at the Nocking Point. Mike is a great guy.
Did you really say "OMG" and walk out?
Most big sporting goods stores stock items that will sell and fletch tape probably isn't one of them. Next time explain what it's for and that you're willing to buy it. It will probably make a better impression than what you did before.
Big box stores are of no use to me anymore as a re most local shops.The only thing I buy at them anymore are some wheel bows or recurves(New bear TD) shafts ammo fishing stuff or scents.Most of my shopping is done online now since I require specilized stuff.Hate to not buy local but that's the way it is.
I say the heck with the big stores when it comes to trad stuff anyway. We dont need them, plenty of Mom and Pop places Id rather do business with.
In all honesty, if I hadnt switched over to traditional a few years ago, I would not have any clue what it is either.
I ordered mine from 3Rivers, and I agree with what Svein said. Just a couple of clicks on the web will show them what they are missing. I'm sure their supplier has it and all they have to do is order a half dozen rolls and see how quickly they disappear.
I've ran into this same problem before with some of my locals, one place in particular didn't know what Duco cement was. So I had the guy look it up and he said they would start carrying it for me. Well it ended up being a 2 headed snake because they priced the stuff so high that it's cheaper for me to order it off the internet and pay the shipping. I don't have the heart to tell the guy after he decided to start carrying it, but I guess that's how it goes? At least I know he has it in case I need some right away.
I stopped at a local archery shop a while back and asked the lady behind the counter if they had any finger tabs she had no idea what I was talking about.She had never shot a bow with out using a trigger release. Kinda sad I know a lot of kids have never shot a bow with out a release.
They will most likely never know the feeling of letting that string slip from there fingers.
Trad tackle is a niche market. Big stores usually don't supply markets like that.
Trad is not mainstream and its not going to become mainstream.
Is that really worth complaining about?
Use the energy another way:
Introduce a kid to trad archery. Take your friend out to the 3d range. Articulate to someone new the joys of instinctive archery.
Joshua
I picked up some fletch tite at a local shop last weekend. Started talking with the guy and told him I'm tuning in some carbons.We started talking about point weight and I mentioned I'm using 275 grains up front. He couldn't fathom it ! Said he doesn't think there are carbons made stiff enough for that kind of point weight out of a 57 lb bow. When I told him I'm footing the carbon with alum I think he just wrote me off as crazy !
Sometimes good things happen at uneducated big name stores. One year, the local one near me had 125 grain vented Magnus II heads for $10 a pack!! I asked if the price was right and was told they made a mistake ordering them and were getting rid of them. I bought what they had and they made a good profit for St. Judes!
Agree with an earlier post, try Mike at the Nocking Point. I drove out to his place when I lived in KC. Nice way to spend an afternoon and he has a place to shoot out back if you need to tune or try out equipment. Nice guy as well from what I can recall.
I stopped trying to even to go into chain sportinggood stores to get trad stuff. I just do my kustom king order or 3 rivers...
I had a funny episode one time when I tried to get a shooting glove, lost mine in the woods....ddnt bring back up.....well the guy tried to sell me a release...then when I said I shot a recurve he tried to sell me a compound bc he said recurves dnt penetrate......
Went back to that sporting goods store and asked the MGR, if they could keep in stock a small amount of fletch tape explained to him what it was and he sail they will consider it. WOW
Looks like im online buying.
You might give Mike a call at the Nocking point if he doesn't have it he will probably be more than happy to get it for you...
fwiw, fletch tape was expressly invented and used for naa and fita target archery arrow spin wing and kurly vanes, not for trad archery/bowhunting feather fletching. it was a no-brainer to cross over to the trad world.
I was in a big chain store last year when I was stateside and thought I'd take a look if they had any traditional youth size bows. I saw a recurve that had the poundage written on the limb, but did not specify @ what length. So, I asked the guy, "Is this weight @28 or @24 for a youth?" He replied, "Oh, the draw length doesn't matter 'cause its a recurve."
:confused:
I didn't bother to even TRY and explain. Just said "thanks".
I ended up getting several GREAT youth longbows from Mike at Maddog Archery later that year.