FLYMPH FORUM

I would steam those tails and bring them back into alignment.

Personally, the only one of those I would keep is "A". I'm surprised about the others, as both Nature's Spirit and Cookshill are known for their high quality products. "B" and "C" are pretty shabby and the barbs on the Cookshill feathers are too skinny and short for my liking. Steaming as Bob suggests might help some, but meh ...

You could also wash the feathers using Woolite in a tub and swishing them around so that they remarry. Don't know how well this would work on dyed feathers but it works wonders on Golden Pheasat tails. The best pheasant feathers I ever got came from a hunter friend of mine who only hunts wild birds. He believes that farm raised birds will ruin a good dog.

Tom

I have found some very nice Spirit River PT's but there is some inconsistency with them. I have always done well ordering PT's from Jim Teeny's site. A guy who knows pheasant tails. I prefer the Antique gold over the natural. For naturals I've had good luck on eBay ordering full tails out of Nebraska and the Dakotas.

As a side note, Moscow Hide and Fur has some really nice ring-necked pheasant skins available which include the tails. I have a pair of them.

https://www.hideandfur.com/inventory/3170.html

Wow, I just ordered some select PT’s from Cookshill. In the past I’ve been very happy with their products, but if mine are like those in the photograph I will be asking for my money back!

upstatetrout wrote: ↑Thu Dec 13, 2018 11:46 am You could also wash the feathers using Woolite in a tub and swishing them around so that they remarry. Don't know how well this would work on dyed feathers but it works wonders on Golden Pheasat tails. The best pheasant feathers I ever got came from a hunter friend of mine who only hunts wild birds. He believes that farm raised birds will ruin a good dog.

Tom

Could you explain the technique in detail; proportions, time, water temp...? I'd love to give this a try!

As a dyer I'm careful about using detergents that contain optical brighteners. Turns out it makes a difference when hunting. I don't know but they might have an effect on fish too.

https://survivalcommonsense.com/treat-c ... g-success/

I’ve just received my PT’s from Cookshill, at first sight I was disappointed, but further examination showed me that the barbs on at least four of them were 2 inches or better on one side of the feather. I had been hoping for center tail feathers which these are not. Yes, they are scruffy and could do with a rinse, but since I’m removing four or five barbs at a time this is no big deal. Would I call the Super Select as I ordered, no, but they will do the job tying PT’s and the like. Frank Saywers PT’s are pretty scruffy so what was good enough for him is good enough for me
Barry

For several years, I did buy pheasant tails in various places, including (once) at a flower shop where the PTs were being used in floral arrangements.

But, I've been lucky, in that I've been able to get several VERY NICE PTs recently due to hunting some wild Iowa pheasants......I didn't get to down too may pheasants as the corn crops were still in, but a young fellow who was hunting with us, took me to his family farm, went inside a barn, and brought me out a handful of wild Iowa rooster pheasant tails ....I'm now set for quite awhile.