Latest- Primitive Fish Arrow

Md 25v

Md 25v

Joined
Jun 11, 2008
Messages
1,409
I just finished an arrow that is designed for shooting panfish and eels in shallow water. The shaft and points are bamboo. The points are wrapped and then held with pitch. The fletching is right wing crow primaries (my new favorite fletch) and is tied on with artificial sinew.

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Briarbrow said:
Where's the fish?:D

What criteria do you use to determine favorite fletch?
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I think its universally accepted that turkey feathers are the best fletching to be found. Goose pointers are slightly less durable but their natural oils make them more efficient for wet weather hunting. Both of these are superior to the traditional archer.

I'm mainly a primitive archer, not a trad guy

I have been using crow off and on for a couple years. One of the things I like is to make thing out of materials that I get with primitive means. I have not been able to take a turkey by self bow yet, will try again in March when the season here opens again, but I have shot a few crows with my home made equipment.

I have been very surprised at the water resistance of crow feathers. They are about halfway between turkey and goose in terms of water repelling.

They are easier to split with a knife than goose feathers because they have a divided quill like a turkey.

They are less durable than either turkey or goose but not by much. They are more durable than hawk raptor feathers, which can only be in your possession if you are a falconer.

I think that when harvesting birds by primitive means for fletching feathers the crow is a nice choice for its abundance, long hunting season, and flexibility in ways to legally take the game.

The biggest down side to crow feathers is that you only get six per wing that are suitable for fletching.

Hope that answers your question.

I use right wing feathers and my hunting buddy always uses left wing so we share every bird we get.
 
Maybe, if you adopted the term archer:D

Please understand I am for you not against. Boards are not primitive, artificial sinew is not primitive.

I am only pointing these out as you seem be stating some criteria of exclusivity. I don't feel such divisive labels serve the community of archers

To me the best fletch is the ones you got. I'll stop for a roadkill hawk or owl -maybe not everytime but oft.;) I hope the LEO are as understanding as those in my soliloquies.

I have tried goose, but most of mine come from other vital primitive skills: beg and barter. I've never harvested a turkey but have several wing tips

When I asked, I just wondered. Availability was my guess, but maybe there was more;)
I did not plan this reproach:eek: if thats the right word. It just doesn't seem from what I've seen that you are a "primitive archer" you're more like the rest of us: archers; with quiver, and bag of tricks and pray well; a warm belly

peace
 
Briarbrow said:
Maybe, if you adopted the term archer:D

Please understand I am for you not against. Boards are not primitive, artificial sinew is not primitive.

I am only pointing these out as you seem be stating some criteria of exclusivity. I don't feel such divisive labels serve the community of archers

To me the best fletch is the ones you got. I'll stop for a roadkill hawk or owl -maybe not everytime but oft.;) I hope the LEO are as understanding as those in my soliloquies.

I have tried goose, but most of mine come from other vital primitive skills: beg and barter. I've never harvested a turkey but have several wing tips

When I asked, I just wondered. Availability was my guess, but maybe there was more;)
I did not plan this reproach:eek: if thats the right word. It just doesn't seem from what I've seen that you are a "primitive archer" you're more like the rest of us: archers; with quiver, and bag of tricks and pray well; a warm belly

peace
Click to expand...

All of that is perfectly true and I agree with it wholeheartedly.

I only use the artificial sinew because I'm out of backstrap. I don't use leg sinew for fletching (personal preference). I have some backstrap sinew coming next week from a guy on paleoplanet. Once it arrives, I won't be using the artificial stuff till it runs out.

I don't consider my board bows primitive either and they all end up being gifts for friends. I have already given the bow from the build a long to fellow forumite Acutus.

I cut my trees in the winter and have two white oaks to fell this year. Each should yield five or six good staves. Those bows will be the ones I hunt with and will likely trade throughout the year, mainly for flint knapping supplies.

I think you may misunderstand my statement about not being a traditional archer. I have gone to a few 3d shoots and a few trad target shoots. I'm always amazed at the craftsmanship of their equipment. By comparison, my stuff looks like it was made by a child. At the same time I will always use completely found or traded natural materials to make my equipment. When I'm short on something (like sinew) I'll use the fake stuff so I can still make things but everything I make with fake materials is quickly traded or given away.

I wasn't trying to be exclusive about the primitive archery. I just didn't want to insult the real trad craftsman by making it sound like my stuff is in the same league.

Also, I didn't post the board build a long or this fish arrow on paleoplanet because of the use of non natural materials. I can post that stuff here because it just for fun:D
 
I started by hunting frogs. It'd been cool if we knew how to make these points.

Actually my first hunt was chicken. Or it is one of those false childhood memories psychiatrist say we can invent later in life.
The man who taught me how to go from feather to fletch said he and his brothers used chicken feathers when they were young. with willow shafts...

Atlatl, spear, blowgun, throwing stick...sling; I just cannot come up with any other ancient technology weapon so easily made, used by a single person that is so potent as the bow and arrow. I love it, and am glad you do too, cheers
 
Yep, another favorite. His work is awesome, especially the knapping.
I just posted the link that appeared first in my computer's history. I really like the knapped heads on the second and forth sets with the long 4to1 profile. That is way beyond me at this point. I can make 2to1 heads but they are not perfectly symmetrical and I still have trouble running the back flake (like in Clovis points) evenly. I deeply envy all the trad guys arrows over there and one day when I have the right supplies and equipment I would love to try my hand at it.
 
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