Question on leather/feathers

[Marci MN]

I'm sorry if I put this in the wrong place but I couldnt find a better place to ask for a tip or two.

I need some input on how to get feathers on to the leather strap of walking sticks. I'm either going to carve the feathers or use a real one. Do I glue it to the leather? Wrap it with something?

If I use wooden feathers would I just drill holes and leave out the shank (not sure on what to call that part of the feather)of the feather or use the shank part to wrap to the leather?

Anyone put danglies on the leather ends of the walking stick straps?

One more question: If I use a large white turkey feather and wish for it to look like an Eagle Feather.. how do I do this? Would regular acrylic paint work?

[Hugh]

Marci, if your going to use real feathers, you should make sure the feathers are not from a protected species. Not sure of US regulations, but in Canada, its illegal to have any part of a protected species. To fasten the real feathers to a leather thong, you might make a small hardwood disc, drill it to pass the thong through and wire or glue the feathers to the disc. I have made wooden feathers for the thong on walking sticks, they are more durable made from thin strips of hardwood. Its a little more difficult to burn in the quill and barbs. Drill a hole in the feather before you start to carve it, then carve and detail the feather to suit.
Also you can use the small eyelets that you use on Christmas ornaments. Drill a small hole in the wood the feather is to be carved from, dip the eyelet in glue, and screw it in the hole. Carve the feather with the eyelet already in place.

[GILLY]

If you want to dye turkey feather to look like eagle feathers I think an acid dye would be your best option, especially if they were to get wet then no worries of the dye runnning. Jacquard dye or even jello gelitine mixed with vinegar, dyes feathers nicely. I had the sites bookmarked for these two dye processes but have since cleaned up my PC and got rid of them.......just google it.....good luck.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I think you are asking the name for the "quill", you could make a couple of small slits in the leather, run the quill thru one and out the other and the little wooden disk(like Hugh said) or a piece of dowel with a hole in it and glued to the end of the quill would hold it in....I think however that the feathers will look pretty ratty after awhile if the stick is used, you can't help but lay it down or lean it against a rock or a tree now and then, the same with a wooden carved feather.....we put some leather thongs on a couple of sticks and my wife put some different kinds of macrame beads on the leather and it looked great!

[AlArchie]

You might try taking a fine copper wire and wrapping it around the quill end, then twisting a loop into the wire to hang on the leather thong. I've done this and it works quite well. I'll try to get a pic and post it of one I did.

In the US be careful of whaich feathers you use, too. Not only are eagle, hawk and owl feathers illegal to possess, unless you are Native American, but most migratory songbird feathers are also prohibited.

Don't quite understand why you can't use feathers that you find inthe woods, but hey..........

Al

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

This site is still not right after the security updates! what is this &quot stuff that keeps showing up? and I still can't get smilies??

[Nancy-ID]

Originally Posted by AlArchie

In the US be careful of whaich feathers you use, too. Not only are eagle, hawk and owl feathers illegal to possess, unless you are Native American, but most migratory songbird feathers are also prohibited.

Don't quite understand why you can't use feathers that you find inthe woods, but hey..........

Al

Isn't it ridiculous! #$&%*$#!. I won't even begin to go there.

[AlArchie]

Here's the pics of the feathers I have used....these are NOT the wire wrapped ones, they went to another party. These are capped with brass tubing and then wrapped with rawhide strips. the brass tube is pinched flat onthe end, filed round and then drilled with a 3/16: hole to tie the feathers.

I'll post a sketch of the tube configuration as soon as I scan it in

Al

[AlArchie]

Nancy, it only gets more ridiculous.....there are FFS rules now that prohibit folks from gathering driftwood from shores, downed wood from certain forest and desert areas, rocks from the great lakes shores, and rivers. To make it even less understandable, you can collect driftwood for campfires on the beach, but NOT to remove from the shore.

Al

[Plain_Ol_Ed]

Marci, Here's a picture of my flute. The leather thong is threaded clear through the long plastic bead and the vein of the feather goes in along side it. Tug on the thong a big and is secures the feather into the bead. When the feather gets all beat up like this one, it can be removed and a new one inserted. If you have a good hobby/craft store around both feathers and beads are available there. Don't try dying the bead like I did. It didn't work, gonna have to buy some brown ones.