Just wanted to express a thanx to all who have commented on the boards, phoned, and sent messages to me regarding the feather inlays featured in Rodmaker Magazine ...... Mr. Kirkman, I hope this is OK, but I would like to put in a plug for the gal that I get my feathers from....................As many have asked !
Her name is Kate Davidson, a homey, and super friend. She owns and operates Siskiyou Aviary, Ashland, Or. She retails exotic, domestically grown feathers to many of the best tiers in the world. If your a serious fly tier you probably already know her.
She has an unbelievable, and the most consistantly reliable, source of nothing but the best quality feathers in the business...... for all of us fly tying and rod building crazies.
You can reach her at : 1-541-488-2835.....E-mail : Goose @ mind. net.
She does have a great site that is being re-built, and it would be best to contact her direct for that info. You will find that is great fun to call her direct !
Take Care.....B Meiser

Thanks, Bob
That RodMaker cover was a knockout, for sure, thanks to you and Tom K. It made me kick myself for not buying some variant necks from Whiting that I saw at the Mountain Home Conclave. Dyed (I guess) blue tipped black. Dyed red tipped black. Etc. Just ran out of mad money too quick. I'll be contacting the lady you mentioned. Thanks for the info.
Clyde

I too am impressed with the look of feather inlays. We are just getting into the technique and have to thank the great input and pictures of this I've received from rodbuilders doing this. The current RodMaker cover shows this nicely. Also a while back a very good read on the techinque by Russ Gooding appeared in that magazine. I am impressed by the variety of feather usage, including some very creative ones using various combinations to come up with a pattern or image.

I was, and am constantly asking about types of feathers one might pick up from wild sources, as some of us might be bird hunters that could access probably some beautiful particular feathers for this purpose. Any ideas which species and what part of the bird ??

This is a very interesting idea of decorative art for a custom rod. I'm all ears.

Thanks,
Rich
Solyrich Custom Rods

just got the magazine yesterday,looks awesome. only one question.
what are the little red feathers on the second rod from the right?

Rich and All...... You are right on with the hunter source for game feathers. I've been a tier for a bunch of years, and I have always kept the word out with my buds to save game feathers for our local flyfisher club and personal use. All of the up-land game birds : Grouse,Quail, Partridge...make excellent soft hackles, as well as perfect inlays. All of the Pheasants : Silvers, Amherst, Ring Neck..... too have nearly all useable body fearhers. The red feathers JNail asked about were from the rump of a Golden. There are not many, only a dozen or so, but they are all amazing under epoxy ! All of these skins are very easy to come by and if purchased are suprizingly inexpensive. Domestic exotic Pheasant skins like Little Grays, Rothchilds, Impian Monal, and Sytars have lots of metallic "eyes", and brillant metalic greens. A quality Jungle Cock skin is also great to have around.
Probably the most effective feathers are the green and copper metallics found on birds from the Turkey family : Domestic Occilated and all of our wild Turkeys. The green and bronze metallics from the Occilated Turkey are without a doubt the most amazing of feathers.
A real sleeper is the common Starling. Lots of metallics and cool colors on these little pests....... ambushing the neighbors Parrot, Pet store cage bottoms, and stalking feral Peacocks all become fair game after a while. Oh Man it can get crazy once your hooked !!! Anyways, Yea....lots of cool feathers out there, one just needs to add a bit of creativity, and you can make some real show stoppers !

Take Care....B. Meiser

We have a bird feeder attracting all sorts of birds as you can imagine. The feathers at times in the summer can be found around it.
Of course, the occasional body of one is found as they fall prey to whatever it is that can stalk them.

The info about the gamebirds is appreciated. I have heard mention about the cock 'eyes' which I can see one may want to aquire. The source you mention of Kate is certainly worth checking into.

I would guess many duck species, such as wood ducks or even mallards may have some 'sheen' or irridescent feathers that are of interest. I'll have to remember about the starlings. We got plenty of them around, and grackles too. In my neck of the woods it is the ruffed grouse with is routinely hunted as a game bird and I can see some of the spotted or banded feathers to be interesting.
I would like the idea of some application of feather inlays even on the bigger diameter rods such as musky . A creative fish pattern developing here? I can see this art form progressing further.

I can see now, I may become like you searching in the bush or road kill, or with shotgun in hand ready to 'choose' the best choice for the rod as well as the table. haha

Rich

Look out, Tweetie Pie!
Rich, you sound like Sylvester the Cat with a shotgun. I tawt I taw a puddy tat from Canada.
Clyde

how are the feathers epoxied on the rod? Are they placed on a film of plastic first?

Sanford, I am sure that many have their favorite techniques for feather inlays. This is how I do it.
1. I seal my feathers to the blank with a mixture of Guderod 811 and Isopropyl alcohol. 5 parts of Guderod to 1 part Iso. Guderod is clear and allows a visual while the feathers are being set in place.
2. I fill a stainless mixing spoon with the Guderod and dip the feather in this while attached to a 1/4 camel hair brush. The brush is saturated with the mixture, and the feather, or feathers are flooded so as to allow adjustment as you go.
3. The inlay once done is allowed to dry over night, and can then be epoxied ( Flex Coat) over. The inlay by nature will want to generate lots of bubbles in the epoxy finish, so again, really saturate the inlay with a healthy layer of epoxy while mounted to a motor turner. Once covered, stop the motor, and let the excess drip off, then restart and brush with the feather grain to again remove excess epoxy, and pesky bubbles. A torch can be used as well, but be careful not to singe the feathers ! It may take as many as 3 coats to cover the inlay..... Depends on how wild you get. The feathers can contain contaminates....natural oils etc.which can cause fish eyes, will show up on the first coat. I have found that additional coats of epoxy will cover these.
I also suggest that you check out back issues of RodMaker as they do have an excellent articles on feather inlays as well. I also understand there is another to come.

Hope this helps......Mail me if you wish B. Meiser

Thanks for the info Bob. The articles you mentioned are no longer available, according to Tom Kirkman. I will follow your suggestions. One question I have relates to the size of the feathers. I make spinning rods about 7-8 feet long which means the diameter I have to work with is about 5/8". What feathers would work well on that size rod?
Thanks,
Sanford

Bob,
I also wanted to know if the feathers can be placed over a silk thread underwrap, and whether the silk thread can be coated with a color preserver first?
Thanks,
Sanford

Sanford, Many of the blanks, including the ones pictured on RodMaker have butts in the 5/8 " range. Most any of the feathers previously mentioned will do just fine for you.
As far as inlaying over silk goes.......... I have never done this ! I will often inlay over nylon Guderod thread, always in opaque colors. The same Guderod 811 mixture is used to seal the feathers as the thread, at the same time.
I will often use silk for leg wraps, but never use C.P. for this regardless of silk or nylon. My suggestion is to experiment on your own with this.
Silks can take on dramatic color changes when covered with epoxy, and will almost always leave a unique translucent color finish.( which is why I will often opt to use them ) You can get C.P.s specifically for silks from Anglers Workshop......How this will work sealing the feathers is unknown to me.
I figure that most of the fun with all of this is finding out what will fly and what will sink, now you got me thinking !!!
B. Meiser