Little Chopper

[AlanF]

Recently I received a used Little Chopper in 5.5" Shield configuration.  It is not marked and I cannot tell if it is for rightwing or leftwing.  Can anyone tell me how I can tell the difference?

Thank you,
Alan

[Mike Most]

The easiest way, when it sits in front of you the point of the feather on a rw chopper is to the left.    

Good luck

Mike

[Benjy]

I use the same chopper on right and left wing feathers. I don't see a big difference.

Benjy

[Bowferd]

That's why I like the Nanna chopper.
Right side up, inside out, upside down?
Just make sure that the feather being fletched is correlated.
I chopped a dozen one time and then realized that I'd backed the horse into the starting gate.

[Bowferd]

Seriously, I don't see how a RW chopper could work on a LW feather except for maybe Nanners.

[string bean]

I chopped some LW with a RW chopper and they were some of the loudest feathers I've ever heard.  Like a duck on steriods or something.

[stringstretcher]

If I read it correctly, per Lil Chopper's web page or somewhere, the cut both.

[Rob DiStefano]

it'll cut left or right just fine.

i actually prefer the li'l chopper right wing jig for left wing feathers - easier to keep the feather aligned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I chopped some LW with a RW chopper and they were some of the loudest feathers I've ever heard. Like a duck on steriods or something.

first time i ever heard that, something don't sound right ...  

[Tree man]

You can use a left wing chopper on RW feathers or vice versa.....but you need to orient things so that the "lay" of the feather fibers runs from front to back on the chopped fletch. This means that you have to position the "wrong" feather  so that the natural curve of the quill cups down on the ends when the feather is laid in the chopper. The bottom line is that  positioning the "wrong" wing feathers for a proper chop is a bit more tedious........which is why they make designated choppers.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Tree man:
You can use a left wing chopper on RW feathers or vice versa.....but you need to orient things so that the "lay" of the feather fibers runs from front to back on the chopped fletch. This means that you have to position the "wrong" feather  so that the natural curve of the quill cups down on the ends when the feather is laid in the chopper. The bottom line is that  positioning the "wrong" wing feathers for a proper chop is a bit more tedious........which is why they make designated choppers.

with the exception of the banana shape - there is no concern for feather barb orientation since back is front and front is back.  

[string bean]

LOL maybe they was on steriods Rob.  I forgot I was shooting with my compound at 300+fps.  I'm gonna give it another go with my slo-mo-bow and see what happens.