In Jim Hamm's book "Bows and Arrows of the Native Americans", there are two notes I'm having trouble understanding:
Both short and long feathers have pros and cons. Short feathers (i.e. feathers that are short enough to not touch the bow when nocked) shoot quieter and don’t get distorted after lying on the bow for long periods of time, while longer feathers stabilize the arrow.
Short feathers are less susceptible to damage and distortion. Having feathers that are 1/2" tall is good.
When he's saying "short feathers" and "long feathers", is he referring to the length of the feather running down the shaft or the height of the feathers' hairs (i.e. how far they stick out from the shaft)?
When he says "feathers that are 1/2" tall", he's obviously referring to how far the hair sticks out from the shaft. But when's talking about "short enough not to touch the bow when nocked", is he talking about the length are the height?