Q & A

[Tsawla Eltu Tsamsiyu]

This thread is for questions and answers. My first question: Hide tanning? Does anyone know how to, where to learn, or is willing to teach?

[bagget00]

You could proly find it online or in a book somewhere.

[Tsawla Eltu Tsamsiyu]

I know, but I was wondering if anyone here knew.

[Txon Taronyu]

I know how but have not done it

[Yeynari]

My first question: Hide tanning? Does anyone know how to, where to learn, or is willing to teach?

http://www.braintan.com/tanown/index.htm - there you go

[Tsawla Eltu Tsamsiyu]

Irayo.

[Tutean-tìhawnu]

My turn:

Is there anyone who is any good at fletching?

[Yeynari]

There are many arrow-making guides on YouTube, this one is pretty good imo:

Making Medieval Arrows

All of the modern tools in the video can be replaced with older types. Fletching jigs for example are not neccessary.

[sezawte]

I can do some fletching, mostly just applying fletchings and the tip of the arrow but I wouldn't want to rely on it

[Swokéyan]

Nice video but its gonna be really hard for us to fletch without all these materials

[Yeynari]

You need string, feathers, wooden staves or thin straight branches, arrow points, a sharp knife and glue. Anything beyond that is shortcuts The only part that HAS to be as straight as possible is the shaft, the feathers should be slanting a bit to give the arrow a spin in the air (makes it easier to pierce the thick hides of larger animals).

[Swokéyan]

Hmkay always nice to have someone like you that knows alot about these things

[Txon Taronyu]

stright branches are hard to find I like using bamboo

[Yeynari]

Bamboo doesn't grow everywhere, I've never had the chance to try it. Won't it shatter too easily once it's dry?
I use willow or aspen saplings, I can post pics after I've finished the next bunch of arrows (just have to wait until the seabirds start molting so I can get new feathers).

[sezawte]

Bamboo arrows shatter and also don't have the necessary mass required to reach the momentum required. It's already been said but the most crucial thing about an arrow is that it's straight (I know from experience that even the slightest bend or curve ruins the flight path) although it's also been said that it's difficult to find branches straight enough, so in that situation what you do is you get a bit more wood than you need and whittle it down to size in an arrow-making jig.

[Txon Taronyu]

only if the bamboo is very old and dry if it not that old it will stay together and yes it is light but then fill it with sand or something and its no lighter then a modern arrow which are made from plastic

[sezawte]

It's not actually plastic it's carbon fibre or sometimes aluminium. Sometimes bamboo won't shatter but often it will, I personally would say it's not reliable enough to be used for arrows

[Ikranä mokri]

from a branch you can make straight shafts, it takes time but it can be done!! its just a matter of splitting the brach until its the right size and then carefully making it rounded.

im siplifying it a lot but thats the sorta process

[Txon Taronyu]

But banboo is very quick to make and once its in an animal it does not matter if it breaks in the middle you just make more and bamboo grows fast so its effective. And I would not say it would often shatter I have shot many of my bamboo arrows and it has only broken on really old ones (like I made several years before) or on a dry day. If we are in a jungle it will be very moist so personaly I like it

I have to say I thought those arrows were plastic

[sezawte]

Fair point I suppose, but equally do you want to be pulling lots of bamboo splinters out of your food in a worst case scenario?

Also I think we're off topic, maybe we should make a new thread for fletching related discussion