I keep all my feathers on the skin except for Woodcock.
That bird seems to defy skinning and keeping intact.
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I keep all my feathers on the skin except for Woodcock.
That bird seems to defy skinning and keeping intact.
You need quite a bit of practice on some birds to skin them properly. I ruined a few skins when I first started. You are right about woodcock too, but I only keep the wings from Woodcock now. I also keep practically all my feathers on the skin, and wings etc. intact until I need them. It is much easier to select exactly what you want.
Loose feathers cause very many problems, unless you only have a few dozen at most, and of course they have to be sorted and sized.
Also, if you buy loose feathers you will end up with a lot of wastage as well as frustration!
Some useful info on skinning birds etc;
http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/gener...ing-Birds.html
Complete book here;
http://www.archive.org/details/ladie...ofar00donoiala
Maybe you can persuade your wife to skin the birds for you? :)
TL
MC
I need to start this by stating that I am not trolling for business. I am a data warehousing consultant that happens to have a hobby business selling double ended zipper reclosable plastic bags. This is not a "get rich" hobby... So, if this is inappropriate, please delete.
I have a solution for this conundrum -- a double sided "ziplock" bag. The feathers can always be pulled with their grain out of the bag, and into the bag. Pretty basic idea that works.
I do not have my website linked out of respect to the owners and sponsors of this site, so please PM me if you're interested.
Yep...it has been an annoyance ...pulling one way:cool:
Dang, I never once thought of a double-ended ziplock bag. There is a reason I am not an inventor...
Ingenious!!!!:d
If you are not making these available to the hackle producers, please explain why not. They could package in them as well as offer them singly.
I tried with Metz/Umpqua, and Whiting back in 2005. Umpqua really liked the idea, sent me to a person at Metz, and I was ignored. Whiting -- I just got a "no thank you". I also talked with Hedron (flashabou), and Wapsi. I think I got their attention for a bit, but it was too expensive for a packaging alternative.
I have to say that I am not the manufacturer, so I can not get these for costs that Metz, Whiting, Hedron and Wapsi are probably accustom to.
I have a couple online store's that carry the bags, and I believe Jim Slattery is still carrying them -- including them with hackle purchases, etc..., as a service to his customers.
My full-time gig is as a data warehousing consultant, and as a dad, so the bags are offered on the side as a hobby business. Pretty soon, I may just have them available via the online stores if I can get a couple more sites to carry them.
I have found the bags to be very helpful for capes, and extremely helpful for saddles.