Jax:

Pardon me for jumping in...

In the old days when I used stripped peacock eyes I either stripped an entire eye at once in straight Clorox or a 70/30 solution of water and bleach. The bleach will dissolve the herl on the stem. Stick the eye in the bleach and swoosh it around a bit. The straight Clorox dissolves the herl almost immediately; the solution will take a bit longer. I then put them in a stop bath of baking soda & water for a minute or two; finally rinsing off completely with plain water. I also stripped individual fibers by running a soft pencil eraser over them.

Soaking in water or a water & glycerin mix before use helps to make them pliable.