Hans and all:

Perhaps you did use hackle pliers to twist floss for a rib. I didn't say I originated it, It was simply unknown to me. <G> Now that I've figured that out...

On the married wing simplification. The reason I didn't go into that is that it's too complicated to explain without photos, and I've yet to buy myself a digital camera. I tried on an e-mail to my students from the classes, and only a few could understand it.
Even though it is hard to explain in writing, seeing it makes it yes, so easy. (comparatively). You'll just have to trust me on that.
The easy part about it is that the feather slips are clipped but left on the paired quills. Then the cut slips pulled out at the moment of use for a quill tail, or wing, and matched up using the feather stem as a handle to hold the pair of quills (which I tape together because that's how I bought them at Hille's in Williamsport, PA, when I was a kid) feather while positioning the quill barb slips together. See ... it's hard to explain. But compared to cutting & removing each individual slip of barbs prior to marrying them together, this is so much easier.

So it will have to wait..

By the way, Mantis, Andy is not my girlfriend. She's already married! Ha! LOL ROTFLMAO! <G> <G>



[This message has been edited by Don Bastian (edited 31 March 2005).]