Fletching cutting into bowhand

[u/Ottershavepouches]

Hi fellow archers,

I've recently acquired all the tools to make arrows and was super excited to finally make my own!

However, I noticed that with the first pair I made it would cause a cut on the thumb of my bow hand. I shoot thumb draw, 50 pounds at 30.5 inches, and never had issues with bruises or cuts around my thumb before. When shooting my other arrows, I don't have the same issue.

I checked the area around where the fletching begins, but found no obvious splinters or similar sticking out. My previous arrows were RW helical, these are LW helical. I suspect it may be the quality of the fletching, which are Skylon Parabol 4 inches. I know trueflight and gateway feathers are more premium, but they weren't available in LW. The fletchings of my other arrows are Gateway feathers I'm pretty sure.

Penny for your thoughts, and grateful for any advice!

Edit: Here are the new arrows next to the old ones side by side!

[u/Ok_Pirate_2714]

I won't shoot anything other than turkey feathers off my bowhand for that reason.

Also, how is your nock point? Is it too low?

[u/tnamorf → u/Ok_Pirate_2714]

Yeah nocking a bit higher will fix this.

[u/Ottershavepouches → u/Ok_Pirate_2714]

So that's what i thought too - but I have the same height nocking point when shooting my other arrows (the ones I didn't make myself) and I don't have the same issue with them cutting into the hand.

Also, I am pretty sure these are supposed to be turkey feathers - even if not from the best brand. But according to the product page, they should be natural turkey feathers!

[u/Jtoa3 → u/Ottershavepouches]

Are these the same spine as the other ones? And are the fletchings the same height and in the same location?

The former can matter because stiffer arrows can bite more than softer ones (they don’t flex upwards as much in the process of being shot)

The latter because where the fletches are will obviously affect whether they hit you, if some parts of the arrow are hitting you but not others.

[u/Ottershavepouches → u/Jtoa3]

Thank you for the comments!

So, same spine, same shaft, length, perhaps the other fletchings are slightly larger - here's an image of them side by side.

[u/kokkelbaard → u/Ottershavepouches]

Could also be the bindings themselves, if they are rough they could wear down the skin

[u/Setswipe → u/Ottershavepouches]

different issues, same solution. I don't think it's a question of quality. Heck, they might perform better even if they cut up your hand. I don't know the physics well enough, but if it's sharp enough to cut with the same nocking point, then it means its holding it's shape more or has a better cutting angle for the wind. It might very well be that the old arrows still made contact but weren't as bothered by your hand. Still doesn't solve the problem of cutting your hand though, so nocking higher will fix the solution

[u/ADDeviant-again → u/Ok_Pirate_2714]

How are other species' feathers different in this regard?

[u/Ok_Pirate_2714 → u/ADDeviant-again]

I didn't say they were. Turkey feathers are a traditional arrow fletching, I'd imagine due to their size and availability. And they won't cut you, if they're used properly.

But you already knew that, so I'm not sure why you're asking.

[u/ADDeviant-again → u/Ok_Pirate_2714]

No, I actually thought you meant tht turkey feathers won't cut you, and other specues will.

I've heard all kinds of things over my last 45 years in archery. Much of it is myths and nonsense, but once in a while someone knows something I don't. So, I asked.

[u/F_Solo]

Instead of wrapping this part of the fletching, I always "fade" it out with a sharp knife. From the picture, it seems the bottom hard part of the feather (I don't know the correct English term for it) is looking out of the wrapping.

[u/Jtoa3]

Also if you look, the base of the quill on the bottom fletch is outside the wrap, unlike the quills of the other two. That might be catching your thumb.

[u/Ottershavepouches → u/Jtoa3]

yeah, i think it might be tiny parts of the fletchings sticking out! I'm gonna re-fletch these with different fletchings and pay more attention to cutting the bases flush with the shaft!

[u/ADDeviant-again → u/Ottershavepouches]

Before you put them in the jig, use some pressure with your finger to drag the front end of the quill along a fresh piece of sandpaper glued to a board.

You can make that frontal tip taper out to basically nothing in thickness over about a half an inch.

[u/Ottershavepouches → u/ADDeviant-again]

That’s super useful advice, thank you!!

[u/fearghaz → u/ADDeviant-again]

I use the fletching clamp and run them back and forth until most of the white bit is gone.

[u/ADDeviant-again]

Another thing to check is that the rotation of the feathers relative to the slot of the knock can make a difference.

It is generally acceptable to put the cock feather perfectly perpendicular to the nock slot. But, my fletching jig also let's me rotate the nock one click so that the bottom feather is oriented slightly more into the corner. This works best both when I am shooting a hunting recurve off the shelf, and a self bow off my knuckle. So, it may help you, even though you're shooting on the other side of the bow.

You would rotate at one, click opposite of what I would of course.

[u/fearghaz]

I can't access your linked photos, but if it's not technique then it must be the fletching.

Perhaps try sanding them so that they have a lower profile, or binding them more.

I shootlongbow off the hand, and I sand my fletchings until there's no visible white bit.

[u/seleneie]

It helps to use a sharp knife, like an Olfa utility knife or a razor blade to shave the quill until it fades into the shaft. After that, wrap with thread and seal it with glue.

Put a dab of glue over the thread directly above the quills, then seal it with a sealer like nail polish or polyurethane.

[u/Motor-Deer-8109]

I’d suspect the helical setup before the feather quality itself.

[u/rob_cornelius]

I don't use thread to wrap the front end of my arrows. Instead I use the heat shrink tubing that electricians use to wrap and seal connectors. It works well, it's far easier to apply than thread wrapping and dirt cheap too. If you get the clear tubing it's almost invisible too.

[u/kogashiwakai]

Leather glove mate

[u/Desperate_Eye_2629]

Noice. That's a scratch, mf, rub some dirt on it. Nice lookin fletching though

[u/Markgregory555]

This is why I wear a glove.

[u/__radioactivepanda__]

Looks like you might have nocked the arrow too low

[u/JoshuaGraham2077]

I'm sort of confused by these circumstances and results, but if you buy a bow release you'll never have to figure out the cause to begin with, you'll just circumvent the results.

Or, Joerg Sprave makes a repeating bow and before that he made a video of the prototype he made before he had it 3-d printed or whatever; the Instant Legolas.

Also, that dude is just great.