Hoop Pine and Peacock Feathers

How to make a Bow, a String or a Set of Arrows. Making equipment & tools for use in Traditional Archery and Bowhunting.

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hunterguy1991
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Hoop Pine and Peacock Feathers

#1 Post by hunterguy1991 » Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:46 pm

So a fair few blokes over in the UK have been raving over using very long peacock feathers (8-9") on sets of war arrows for heavy bows. Sure I agree that the brown of a peacock primary feather is quite striking on the end of a tapered shaft, im not so convinced with the excessive length.

Anyway, I decided that if I could get a hold of some primaries I would make up at least one for a flight arrow for my warbows. Here is the end result.
Hoop pine and peacock standard 1.jpg
Hoop pine and peacock standard 1.jpg (95.59 KiB) Viewed 2970 times
Hoop pine and peacock standard 2.jpg
Hoop pine and peacock standard 2.jpg (88.9 KiB) Viewed 2970 times
Its a culmination of 2 peoples work, my own and Mickaluger's. Mick was kind enough to make up a few bodkins and send them up to me to play around with and he also scrounged up some hoop pine from his work classes and ripped me some 14mm arrow blanks.

I decided to go with a 3/8 to 1/2" taper for this arrow as its a proven design and would suit the heads. I got a hold of a bunch of peacock feathers from another friend down in Vic but only 5 were proper primaries and 3 from the same wing so just enough for one arrow.

Hand tapered the shaft with hand plane and then hand fitted the horn insert. Nock all done with hobby files and then the shaft sanded butter smooth.

Feathers had to be split and then sanded down to be useable (first time doing it on pretty hard to get feathers was somewhat intimidating but I got there... Just), trimmed to 7.5" long and cut to 5/8" high with a natural trailing edge. Bound on with some red silk and the arrow is nearly done.

Total weight is 55g and it is 30" from nock throat to socket.

Let me know what you all recon of the arrow lads!

Col

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perry
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Re: Hoop Pine and Peacock Feathers

#2 Post by perry » Sat Oct 01, 2016 3:17 am

They look the goods Colin. Look forward to seeing how durable the Peacock Feathers are and if they have any notable flight characteristics. I have never examined a Peacocks Primary Feathers. There is a flock of Wild Peacocks up around Rocksberg that regularly make the Papers with Residents complaining they Poop on the Washing. Might be worth a bit of research to see where they Roost and ask permission if you get my drift. I wonder what Peacock tastes like, and no body tell me Chicken :biggrin:

Hoop Pine in my view is one of the finest Arrow Woods I have ever used, tough, well weighted and recovers from Paradox as quickly as the likes of POC and Sitka Spruce.

regards Perry
"To my deep morticication my father once said to me, 'You care for nothing but shooting, dogs and rat catching, and you will be a disgrace to yourself and all your family.' "

- Charles Darwin

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greybeard
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Re: Hoop Pine and Peacock Feathers

#3 Post by greybeard » Sun Oct 02, 2016 1:21 pm

Hi Colin,

I like the appearance of the arrow, almost camo and I would not like to be on the receiving end of it.
hunterguy1991 wrote:So a fair few blokes over in the UK have been raving over using very long peacock feathers (8-9") on sets of war arrows for heavy bows.......... im not so convinced with the excessive length........
I suppose the appropriate length x height to get maximum control over the arrow without introducing too much drag.

The Manchu archers in the 1800's used long fletches.
Manchu Archers 1872.jpg
Manchu Archers 1872.jpg (81.54 KiB) Viewed 2919 times
Cheers,

Daryl.
"And you must not stick for a groat or twelvepence more than another man would give, if it be a good bow.
For a good bow twice paid for, is better than an ill bow once broken.
[Ascham]

“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” [Einstein]

I am old enough to make my own decisions....Just not young enough to remember what I decided!....

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perry
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Re: Hoop Pine and Peacock Feathers

#4 Post by perry » Tue Oct 04, 2016 11:23 am

Long Feathers compared to whats in common use today have been around for thousands of Years and used in Cultures all around the World. Otzi the Iceman's Arrows had traces of Feather still on the Shaft that I'd reckon to be as long as those in the Manchu Photo. The clue is they where cut long and low and had as great a surface area as a shorter higher cut Fletch. Arrow Shafts where also commonly much longer than commonly used by Archers today. Many answers to questions we may not be aware we are asking to be found in the past.

I had a look around and there are plenty of interesting references just in this one link. Always a good day when you either learn something or remind yourself of something forgotten.

https://leatherworkingreverendsmusings. ... ck-arrows/

regards Perry
"To my deep morticication my father once said to me, 'You care for nothing but shooting, dogs and rat catching, and you will be a disgrace to yourself and all your family.' "

- Charles Darwin

cadet
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Location: Western Vic and Macedon Ranges

Re: Hoop Pine and Peacock Feathers

#5 Post by cadet » Wed Oct 05, 2016 8:46 pm

perry wrote:I wonder what Peacock tastes like...
It's outstanding stuff...
I'm planning on getting some suitable feathers for fletching in January...

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rodlonq
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Re: Hoop Pine and Peacock Feathers

#6 Post by rodlonq » Tue Oct 25, 2016 7:15 pm

Looks like a top result to me Colin.

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