Fixing feathers tip

[daveO]

Just a quick tip for anyone who finds a feather worth keeping but thinks it might be a bit too damaged to be worth while saving. Hold the feather in the steam coming out of a kettle while you brew a cup of tea and most of the time it will snap right back into shape.

I just did this with a tail feather that had been a bit chewed but I've done the same with some very nice red kite primary feathers in the past.

Before:

After:

You can now preen the loose stands back into place by combing them lightly between your fingers and then tuck into your hat, dreamcatcher or however you decide to display them. Hopefully something better than just sticking them in a mug on your desk like I do

 

[bobnewboy]

Yep, works on arrow fletchings as well. Very handy.

 

[Toddy]

Neat idea I'll mind that.

See if you pop them into the microwave for 20 seconds or so too ? it'll kill off all the buggits that are inclined to be on the feathers. Makes it 'healthier' when dealing with urbanised children.

M

 

[Macaroon]

Never knew that, a good tip thanks.

 

[Toddy]

H&S went nuts when I suggested using 'real' feathers with children to use as quills
So, had to figure out how to sort it easily, and how to safely advise teachers if they were going to copy the idea too.

Had a huge great row with a German lady who insisted that, 'We do not have that in Germany!!", and then the argument went kind of nuclear when I pointed out that they most certainly did and that ecoli was endemic in sheep flocks too (we were working with fleece) and even Scouts weren't allowed to camp in fields where there had been sheep within three weeks.
It's not my place, nor hers, to challenge someone else's children's immune system, even if madam believed that germanic purity would overcome it.

Nowt so queer as folks

I'm not being racist here; just a realist.

M

 

[Stew]

Nice tip! So simple!

 

[oldtimer]

I'd given up bringing interesting feathers home unless I found them near home on the way back because they seldom survived the journey. Now I'll start doing it again. Thanks for the tip.

 

[daveO]

Yep, works on arrow fletchings as well. Very handy.

Nice, I'll remember that. Fletching is something I really want to try at some point.

 

[Fadcode]

Nice, I'll remember that. Fletching is something I really want to try at some point.

Ok I'll have a coffee.................oops sorry I thought you said fetching.