I hate to lose an arrow but I am very happy and thankful if I get one back. I found one of my arrows recently with the feathers packed down. The two hen feathers came back but the cock feather remained squashed. Then I remembered a 'waller mentioned steaming natural feathers to restore their shape. Well, I boiled some water in the kettle and, voila, it came back. Thanks unidentified 'waller.

My everyday arrows usually get steamed a couple of times a month.

I bought an inexpensive clothes steamer just for steaming feathers. Works very well, and always handy.

Steaming is just like magic. Been doing it forever, works great, and I can't tell you how or why! And in today's world, it just saved you about 50 cents.

Peroxide can't be beat for cleaning bloody feathers, then rinse well with just water and steam when dry. I use a small pot with minimal water for vigorous boil covered tightly with aluminum foil with just a single small hole about the size pencil lead would make. It makes a thick jet of steam.

I've found hot tap water does the job.

Tea pots really work. The shoot out a stream of steam.

Bowmania

"Tea pots really work. The shoot out a stream of steam."

Yes, that works very well. I have a dedicated tea kettle that my wife tried to throw out when the color became passe'. :^)

A plain old pan will work just fine too. Steaming is a great way to get old feathers back in shape and doesn't take very look to do it. I always just turn the arrow over top the steaming pan and you can normally see them react.

Another thing I would do is to wash them (after killing a deer or something) then use a hair dryer. I would set the point on a hard surface, lightly support the arrow with the tips of my fingers, and blow the feathers with the dryer. The arrow will spin like crazy. Keep moving it up and down the feathers keeping it spinning and they will dry nice and perk right back to normal.

I have good luck with all but bald eagle feathers.

Yeah, but a bald eagle tastes so good that they are hard to pass up.

Bald Eagle is a little too fishy for my taste. As for the sound of feathered shafts in the air ... all sound like the same loud ringing to me...kind of like a teapot out of control.

Californa Condor feathers are superb. Also, they taste alot like American Eagle from the North West.

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