Greetings All,

Never tried before to remove feathers from woodies, but I want to change my feathers to a brighter color.

What do you find to be the best way to strip and refletch? I figure worse case scenario, I'll have to reseal before I can fletch.

How do you do it?

Thanks in advance, Jason

Very carefully with a not so sharp knife blade,and still have a bobble every now and then. Terry

I don't shoot wood, but, lately I've been following a tip and using a potato peeler to remove damaged fletching.

Sounds like a great idea Wild Bill.

I remove fletch with a sharp knife and some careful cutting. Once that's accomplished, turn the blade perpendicular to the shaft and scrape off the remaining glue. I rarely touch up the paint around the glue line.

I use acetone with fine steel wool after I peel the feather off. I have to refinish the nock end but I am not fancy and use spar varnish on my arrows.

I use a utility knife and I do it under full light so I can see well where the knife is going. If you are careful and go slowly it will come out well. The most I have had to do is lightly sand the line where the feather was and brush on a coat of poly again. That's the good thing about polyurethane. Easily repaired.

Whatever you do, take it slowly. I have three old fully painted Ben Pearson arrows that were given to me by a friend. The old vintage glue is easier to remove. On more recently made arrows the glue is still bonded very well. Be careful not to lift/remove wood in the process.

I use a utility knife, with a carpet blade in it. It resembles a gut hook. Take your time and you should get good results.

Thanks Guys,

Will give it a go!

Happy hunting, Jason

Semi dull knife. I don't baby it and strip them off pretty quick.

I stand the shaft on its nock on my desk, start at the front of the feather and work the blade under, then strip it right off. You have to turn the shaft to follow the helical. Some times the quill sticks and needs some scraping.

I can reuse probably 7 out of 10 on stumpers.

DULL utility knife blade...not in the handle!

Been doing this for several years. I use my thumb nail to pick at the feather quill and then scrape what left on the shaft with a dull knife. I find, for me, that a sharp knife grabs the wood.

There is some really nice cedar under all the paint that Bear put on his arrows.

Gentlemen, a sharp knife grabs the wood only if you have the angle wrong.

I use fletching tape on my feathers, and I use a single sided knife blade(edge on one side only) with a little silicone on the edge to remove damaged fletching. Ruined many feathers I could have reused before I started using silicone on the knife’s edge.

Small draw knife.

If you can find a piece of aluminum arrow shaft that will just fit over your wood arrow, just sharpen to edge and slide it over the shaft. It will take them right off.

Get some fur fletch tracers from three rivers and let the darker fletching on. It's cheaper in the long run and doesn't hurt flight at reasonable distance.

ranger3, that sounds like a great idea. I'll have to try that one.

If you have already registered, please

sign in now

For new registrations

Click Here