Updated arrow vendors?

[Barandir]

Hey all! So I have been wanting to get ahold of/possibly build my own more accurately medieval arrows for my kit, and wanted to know what vendors y’all might be using. The vendor listed in the pinned Getting Started post no longer sells on Etsy, so I figured now is a good time to maybe get some new info on vendors for medieval arrows and arrow making supplies from the crowd.

[A Mayer]

Hey Barandir,

3rivers is a good shop. Great for fletching choices and most tools and supplies.. Although, if you’re wanting goose feathers, I don’t think they carry those. For shafts I use Douglas Fir. I think they’re more robust and consistent than the cedar. Surewood shafts are the maker and I either go straight to them or Feathers n Wood. But again, you may be wanting ash shafts. I haven’t bought ash since being in Germany.

https://feathersnwood.com/store

Hmmm. Maybe I’m not much help.

[Wilhelm]

Goose feathers are illegal to sell in America. My main archery supplier is 3 Rivers. They have almost everything I need. I have sourced better and cheaper full size fletching from Amazon as I cut my own fletching now. For shafts, I prefer ash over everything else. I really don't like cedar at all and I am kind of baffled why its the preferred wood. Forrester makes some fantastic hardwood shafts but they can be pricy. I think they are very much worth it.

[ForgeCorvus]

Goose feathers are illegal to sell in America.

Really?

Why??

Its not like its a CITES issue

[Wilhelm]

Goose feathers are illegal to sell in America.

Really?

Why??

Its not like its a CITES issue

I get it but you will not find them on commercial sites for sale. This is bantered back and forth on archery sites all over the place. I have friends that cruise the parks here and collect goose feathers and use them. I have a bag my wife collected for me. They are not supposed to be sold and can cause issues if some one wants really be a jerk. "The possession of feathers and other parts of native North American birds without a permit is prohibited by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). This protects wild birds by preventing their killing by collectors and the commercial trade in their feathers, and extends to all feathers, regardless of how they were obtained. There is no exemption for molted feathers or those taken from road- or window-killed birds. More information on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the list of MBTA-protected species can be found here."

[Elleth]

Hunh. That shouldn't affect domestic fowl though. I had a ton of Toulouse feathers from our last geese flock at one point, and they looked lovely for fletching. Made nice quills, too.

[Wilhelm]

Hunh. That shouldn't affect domestic fowl though. I had a ton of Toulouse feathers from our last geese flock at one point, and they looked lovely for fletching. Made nice quills, too.

I agree, I am just saying you cant sell them. I don't think its illegal to use, just sell. That's why there is so much turkey sold here. I have even heard its ok to import from UK.

[Manveruon]

Except that turkey is a native North American bird, so there must be exceptions. I always understood that certain birds were considered livestock, and it was therefore permissible to both sell and use their feathers - and this would also include legally hunted birds like goose and wild turkey. But I have also found over the last few years that there certainly does seem to be a lack of solid consensus out there about the exact margins of these laws here in the U.S.

***EDIT*** I am inquiring with an ornithologist friend here in CO who will almost certainly be able to answer this question in great detail! She practices falconry and is actively involved with a number of scientific and conservationist efforts regarding birds, so she should have a pretty comprehensive knowledge of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and what it means to folks like us.

[Wilhelm]

Except that turkey is a native North American bird, so there must be exceptions. I always understood that certain birds were considered livestock, and it was therefore permissible to both sell and use their feathers - and this would also include legally hunted birds like goose and wild turkey. But I have also found over the last few years that there certainly does seem to be a lack of solid consensus out there about the exact margins of these laws here in the U.S.

That's how I understand it, its an iffy topic so most just don't use them. like I said I have a friend that collects them and he uses them for his arrows. I am not ready to split my own fletching so I just get full size turkey. The grey died ones look just like goose.

[Manveruon]

Okay, so she has gotten back to me and confirmed:
- Yes, it is fine to use the feathers of birds you have legally hunted.
- Yes, it is fine to be given those feathers to use, or to give them to someone else to use.
- No, technically it is not okay to use foraged feathers, even if they are from a legal game bird, but this is rarely enforced with a lot of enthusiasm, and in truth it is nearly impossible to actually do so. In other words, you probably shouldn’t do it - but if you do, know that you do so at your own risk.
- Yes it is fine to use feathers from domestically raised geese and other game birds.
- YES it is fine to SELL and/or BUY feathers from domestically raised geese and other game birds.
- However, there just aren’t a very large number of people raising domestic geese in the U.S. because there’s little demand for them, which is why their feathers can indeed be difficult to buy here, whereas turkey feathers are plentiful.

Whew - I think that about covers it! Hope that helps!

[Wilhelm]

Okay, so she has gotten back to me and confirmed:
- Yes, it is fine to use the feathers of birds you have legally hunted.
- Yes, it is fine to be given those feathers to use, or to give them to someone else to use.
- No, technically it is not okay to use foraged feathers, even if they are from a legal game bird, but this is rarely enforced with a lot of enthusiasm, and in truth it is nearly impossible to actually do so. In other words, you probably shouldn’t do it - but if you do, know that you do so at your own risk.
- Yes it is fine to use feathers from domestically raised geese and other game birds.
- YES it is fine to SELL and/or BUY feathers from domestically raised geese and other game birds.
- However, there just aren’t a very large number of people raising domestic geese in the U.S. because there’s little demand for them, which is why their feathers can indeed be difficult to buy here, whereas turkey feathers are plentiful.

Whew - I think that about covers it! Hope that helps!

Very cool thank you.

[ForgeCorvus]

Looks like I opened a can of worms there.

I'm English and I don't have that problem....... I can't get goose feathers easily either though.

[Wilhelm]

I wouldn't say a can of worms. That was good information passed along. The information here is very vague about goose feathers.

[Greg]

The reason Turkey Feathers and Geese feathers are handled differently is because Geese in North America are, by and large, not considered game birds, though there are some seasons in specific areas and conditions. They're migratory birds, and thus protected by the aforementioned Act, whereas Turkeys are non-migratory upland game birds.

[Iodo]

I'm English and I don't have that problem....... I can't get goose feathers easily either though.

ask a farmer who keeps geese (or someone who shoots them if you want the wild goose colors - but for this you only have until the end of January if I remember correctly), that worked for me a few years ago when I wanted some