Getting ready to buy a feather chopper but have a few questions

The one being sold on the gateway feather site says it can cut 4.5 to 5 inch feathers. Is that the same with all choppers are a different function with that specific one?

Think I want the 5in shield but it would be nice to adjust smaller when i get feathers i can make 2 fletchings out of

Go to 3Rivers they have a bunch of them. the ones I have can be adjusted slightly can not say how much. The full length feathers are getting shorter but most of mine I have been able to get 2 - 4" feathers out of.

Is the one you are looking at a banana cut?

You can sometimes also add popsickle sticks or something to make the cut shorter. OR adjust the bottom piece up.


What chopper are you looking at?

Raptor Archery is a sponsor they have a bunch.

Choppers can be modified in all sorts of ways.

I prefer the shield cuts. I am looking at the 5in shields and wondering if you can use it to make 4.5 in cuts?

I have never cut my own feathers and have great luck with my arrows. I still have 5 arrows from a dozen i bought 3 years ago. So I don't need anything expensive just a simple tool to cut feather i find in the field and from some bird friends of mine

The Little Chopper is the chopper commonly sold by the companies that advertise on this forum.  It has some adjustment, as has been mentioned, but whether a 5" chopper will go all the way to 4.5" is something I don't know the answer to.  I would guess "yes."

There is no guarantee that you will get two 4" feathers out of one full-length feather.  Even less guarantee that you will get two 4.5" feathers.  I just decided not to worry about it and chop one good feather out of the best part of the full-length feather.

There are better choppers out there than the Little Chopper, but for feathers you find or are given, it might be the best one for you, since it is not so sensitive to quill thickness as the higher quality one is.

Thanks for the info everyone