How Feather Flights Are Made

[Getagrip]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/688696394511122/

Thanks to David on Darts Advice, Tips and Tricks Facebook group for letting me post this:

Now today we got a really really nice Email from Unicorn darts. About a month or so back a poster had asked about feather flights or if anyone knew how to make them. Nobody was really in the know however we did find an ebay retailer. I sent out a number of emails to the darts companies and most were stumped... until yesterday. A lovely person in unicorn had went to the effort to find an answer for us. It came from no other than Stanley Lowy, the current chair of Unicorn darts who's father and grandfather before him lead the company. And it is detailed as Stanley himself would have played with them himself. So without further ado.

How a Feather Dart Flight is Made

Feather Dart Flights are made from Turkey Feathers.
Only two feathers from each turkey wing are suitable.
Only large strong feathers are suitable.
The feathers typically come from birds of 30lb weight and over.

• The feathers are washed and usually dyed to a desired colour and then dried in an industrial large tumble dryer. A typical washed, dried and dyed feather may be seen in a link to The Unicorn Book of Darts from 1954.
https://www.unicorn-darts.com/upload/dar...bp3_28.jpg

• All processes on the prepared feathers are carried out by hand by skilled workers.
• The wide part of the feather is offered up to a knife in a foot-operated press by holding the feather horizontally by the quill in one hand and the feather tip in the other hand. The knife is in the shape of several flight wings end to end.
• The now shaped feather is clamped at its tip in another foot operated press and the fronds of the series of flight wings is skilfully stripped from the quill which is discarded.
• The wings are then separated.
• A hot animal glue is applied to a wood spigot and four wings are placed round the spigot to form the dart flight.
• The flight is allowed to dry and then the typical red or green binding at the base of the wings is applied by hand using special adhesive tape.
• A single feather flight is either from a feathers from the left or from the right wing of the bird. The feathers are never mixed from right and left wings.

UNICORN PRODUCTS LIMITED 2014

[dartbord]

There are basically two companies left in the United States that still make the old turkey feather darts on a production level. Apex and Widdy. Both from the Philadelphia area.

Apex cuts the feathers for their shape as described and Widdy uses a process of burning the feathers for the shape. Notice the rounded edges. Open a fresh box and you can still smell the burnt smell.

Deco was another manufacture of feathered darts and dartboards. There business caught fire in the 80's. A new company submerge from that called Darto. They changed the look of the dart by using brass instead of lead to hold the point. They recently stopped making darts because of the cost of the metal went up.

Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.Apex Custom Colors by markbrindza, on FlickrGuests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.WIDDY DART & BOARD by markbrindza, on FlickrGuests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.Deco Tournament Darts by markbrindza, on Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.DARTO DART & BOARD by markbrindza, on Flickr

[Getagrip]

Nice one Mark Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

[Regulatori]

That is very cool.

At a local pub we have Widdy's with white feather flights that are given out for people that want to borrow darts/throw at the boards.

Sometimes I'll be playing next to drunk college students throwing Widdy's hard as possible at the board and often hitting the wall (thinking it's funny).

After a few times I tell them, "Try not to damage those...if the feathers break off they have to order a new set and dozens of doves are caught/killed to find perfect feathers for the new set."

Usually it's the "OMG, that's so sad..." (usually from the female) and the whole group starts throwing super careful so not to hit the wall again.

[The Cowboy]

Nice information.

[dartbord]

I know the owner of Apex. He has his wife and another lady working for him. They will make about 500 darts a day.

[Sally Stember]

Hello!
Thank you for this thread. I am enjoying it very much. I am writing a murder mystery spoof and the victims are killed with poisoned darts. It's a spoof, so I don't "have" to be accurate, but I thought it would be fun to actually know a fact or two about darts and feathers and such. I've found a number of ideas here. I hope to find more threads like this one. Thanks!

[Cat]

Way cool....love reading, and mysteries are a genre I appreciate, as well as humor.

[Little al]

At a pinch if you want to go the feather flight route it can be done using fletchings suitable for archery arrows

[Winnetou]

I'm still making my own dart flights for 2BA darts.

I make 2 different size of them

- a wooden (balsa) stern about 9,5 cm long, 3mm diameter
- 4 feathers (shield form) 3 inch long (You can find them in a arrow-bow store)

- a wooden (balsa) stern about 8 cm long, 3mm diameter
-4 feathers (shield form) 2,1/4 inch long (found in France)

This sterns can fit in the shafts from the designa feather darts.
Unfortunately I can't find it in parts, only in fully assembled sets.

[Getagrip]

I'm still making my own dart flights for 2BA darts.

I make 2 different size of them

- a wooden (balsa) stern about 9,5 cm long, 3mm diameter
- 4 feathers (shield form) 3 inch long (You can find them in a arrow-bow store)

- a wooden (balsa) stern about 8 cm long, 3mm diameter
-4 feathers (shield form) 2,1/4 inch long (found in France)

This sterns can fit in the shafts from the designa feather darts.
Unfortunately I can't find it in parts, only in fully assembled sets.

Cool! Have you tried a way to make a thread on the stems?

I have lots of old bases but think they are mostly 1/4" size

[Winnetou]

I'm still making my own dart flights for 2BA darts.

Cool! Have you tried a way to make a thread on the stems?

I have lots of old bases but think they are mostly 1/4" size

No, I use the 2BA shafts from the Designa feather-flights (black ones)

I have 40 year old 2ba shafts of unicorn that are unfortunately starting to wear out.

The sterns are 4mm diameter. You can eventually remake some flights Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

[Getagrip]

I'm still making my own dart flights for 2BA darts.

Cool! Have you tried a way to make a thread on the stems?

I have lots of old bases but think they are mostly 1/4" size

No, I use the 2BA shafts from the Designa feather-flights (black ones)

I have 40 year old 2ba shafts of unicorn that are unfortunately starting to wear out.

The sterns are 4mm diameter. You can eventually remake some flights Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

I see.

Yeah I have some of the old Unicorn ones too, not sure but they are mostly the 1/4" and I think some that are smaller than 2ba too, some are plastic and some alloy.

[Phil D]

I'm still making my own dart flights for 2BA darts.

Cool! Have you tried a way to make a thread on the stems?

I have lots of old bases but think they are mostly 1/4" size

No, I use the 2BA shafts from the Designa feather-flights (black ones)

I have 40 year old 2ba shafts of unicorn that are unfortunately starting to wear out.

The sterns are 4mm diameter. You can eventually remake some flights Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

I see.

Yeah I have some of the old Unicorn ones too, not sure but they are mostly the 1/4" and I think some that are smaller than 2ba too, some are plastic and some alloy.

Have to say, I am interested in feather flights (a bit before my time) but, still find it an interesting subject.

[Getagrip]

I'm still making my own dart flights for 2BA darts.

Cool! Have you tried a way to make a thread on the stems?

I have lots of old bases but think they are mostly 1/4" size

No, I use the 2BA shafts from the Designa feather-flights (black ones)

I have 40 year old 2ba shafts of unicorn that are unfortunately starting to wear out.

The sterns are 4mm diameter. You can eventually remake some flights Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

I see.

Yeah I have some of the old Unicorn ones too, not sure but they are mostly the 1/4" and I think some that are smaller than 2ba too, some are plastic and some alloy.

Have to say, I am interested in feather flights (a bit before my time) but, still find it an interesting subject.

you can still buy them, they are not so cheap though Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.