Stripping peacock quills with Barry Ord Clarke

This simple technique shows you how to chemically stripping peacock eye quills tops using just a few household items.
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[@smackinbaits6693]

very underrated video...it's a hard to find material for those who don't know how to do it. This video saves people a lot of money and time finding finished stripped peacock quill.

[@Thefeatherbender]

Thank you.

[@robertperman8967]

Nice tutorial! Tight lines🕷️🐜🐛!!!!!

[@Thefeatherbender]

Thanks Robert.

[@Adipper]

Super, thanks Barry. Enjoyed the procedure and like the use of quills for abdomens.

[@borsey]

I've been using this process for quite some time & I really like it much more than the eraser. Never tried the wax but seems like a great way also. Thanks for sharing Barry & tight lines!👍

[@Thefeatherbender]

Thanks James, the wax works!

[@oaklindphoto]

Cool! Thanks for sharing Barry!!

[@davehall8791]

Thank you Barry, I have always wanted to know how to do this.

[@Thefeatherbender]

A pleasure Dave.

[@jimmyp118]

Hi Barry love the videos just got booked for Father’s Day and I’m trying to get back in tying and fishing Can you tell me what scissors you use as you are like a surgeon with them Keep up the good work thanks Jimmy

[@Thefeatherbender]

Excellent, thank you Jimmy I hope you enjoy it. New book out next month!

[@MultiHerf]

Thank you, great information

[@Thefeatherbender]

Thanks Dave.

[@SteveLofthouse_]

Excellent vid. Cheers

[@Thefeatherbender]

Thanks Steve.

[@JohnGardiner1982]

Hey Barry thanks for the video I did something a little extra and it seems to be helping the first time I did it my quills were a bit brittle. This time after rinsing them with water and baking soda a few times and making sure all the bleach was neutralized enough I then soaked it with baby oil let it sit in and then dried it out for the paper towel and they seem to be very strong.

[@Thefeatherbender]

Excellent John, I'll give that a go!

[@alanbuckle7890]

Brilliant. And thank you.

[@Thefeatherbender]

Thank you Alan.

[@smickerflies]

Excellent tutorial Barry, especially using wax bud.

[@Thefeatherbender]

Thanks Dave.

[@seanmooney3907]

Thanks Barry, Now I know why my stripped herl is so brittle. I left them in the bleach far too long. All the best, Sean

[@TheStuartYork]

Hi. Yet another interesting tutorial thank you. A small correction if I may. Household bleach is strongly alkaline, to neutralise this an acid must be used. Baking soda is in fact alkaline, with a ph of 8.3. Stuart

[@unionse7en]

yes I was thinking the same a base is not going to neutralize a base.

[@kurzhaarguy]

If they are a bit brittle, I've found that a little soak in water with hair conditioner works, too.

[@michaellewis7758]

I usually just wet them and gently use an eraser to take the fibres off, no bleach but does take a little bit of time & the quills are reasonably strong too.

[@Thefeatherbender]

Hi Michael, that works too, but its a little more time consuming!

[@michaellewis7758]

@@Thefeatherbender Yeah, I saw the end of the video, looks like a quick way to get bulk number of quills. I just got your book - its great, thanks for publishing it - I had a few months of lockdown and got a bit jaded, but the book has got me back into tying up a lifetime supply of flies again. All the best.

[@hankvana2149]

Thanks Barry! Perfect timing - I need to prepare a few eyes for the winter fly tying season. Working with quill is new to me as I fish nymphs, emergers and streamers and always dubbed my bodies. If you wouldn't mind helping me with a couple of questions: Do you soak or otherwise prepare the quills before using them? When tying, do you wrap the quills over a varnish (lacquer) or CA coated base? For finishing, to you prefer to leave the quill bare or coat it with varnish or UV resin? Cheers, Hank

[@Thefeatherbender]

Hi Hank, Thanks. If you are careful not to over bleach them, they don't need any prep before tying. I don't like wrapping them over anything really, because whatever you tend to use comes up in-between each turn and makes for a uneven finish. Just wrap and coat with UV resin I find is the best.

[@hankvana2149]

@@Thefeatherbender Thanks Barry! I'll follow those suggestions! ATB! Hank

[@brianlane9534]

Beginner here. Thanks

[@Thefeatherbender]

Thanks Brian, good luck with it. Let me know how you get on?

[@phillipimsdahl3563]

If using the wax I imagine that you could not then color them as the wax would prevent pessary penetration?

[@tobiaslindstrom0]

I just got hold of six 1,2 m long peacock feathers. Do you have any tips what to look for in terms of quality on these?

[@Thefeatherbender]

Hi Tobias, Lucky man! On full tail feathers, its the top 30 cm up to the eye that are normally the best quality. This is because the lower part of the tail feathers are bunched or crammed naturally together on the bird when the tail is not fanned. This damages the herl on the lower part. But this also to a degree is dependent on where the feather was located on the tail. Being 120 cm long if you don't keep them standing in a jar, they are difficult to store, so I tend to cut them down into a manageable length, about 30 cm long. You should look for straight unbroken herl with a good dense fibre, also look at the length of the herl. There is no point using a super long herl that will work perfect for a large fly on a small fly and wasting it!

[@tobiaslindstrom0]

@@Thefeatherbender alright. :) thank you. Keep up the good work.

[@ipod1978]

Very helpful Barry, no need to rinse them off after the bicarb solution?

[@Thefeatherbender]

Hi Junior, thanks, no not really but you can give it a rinse if you like.

[@kerrypitt9789]

Thanks Barry! You are so correct that time is everything! I have done this but not for years! Never coloured with them. I will from now on. Hey I wonder if you can use hot wax give your herl a Brazilian? Sorry the Devil made me say that. Great video

[@Thefeatherbender]

Hi Kerry, never tried given herl a full Brazilian, but you can rub off the herl with wax.

[@michaelo6124]

Hot wax to give herl some Brazilian, so we can eat salmon, the other pink meat.

[@robertandersson331]

great

[@Thefeatherbender]

Thanks Robert.

[@franciscodaschagasolinda4438]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@user-xf1xw9te5f]

Всю красоту смыл.)))

[@florianc2663]

with a fingers is good too

[@3000waterman]

18 deeply strange people down-ticked this excellent instructional video. You do have to wonder have some people get the food from the plate to their mouths.

[@Thefeatherbender]

It is unfortunately the nature of the beast. Haters will hate...

[@stuartjones7903]

Excellent video Barry, how would you go about dying the Peacock Eye rather than use a spirit-based pen, say yellow, would you dye the Peacock Eye before you stripped the herl off or after

[@Thefeatherbender]

Hi Stuart, I don't actually do a great amount of dying but when I do I use, as most other fly tyers do, Veniard's dyes. No I would strip them first.

[@stuartjones7903]

@@Thefeatherbender Many thanks Barry

[@garygormley3842]

Sorry it should say can you dye them after stripping them

[@Thefeatherbender]

Hi Gary, yes you can but you can also colour them with waterproof felt pens if you coat them with a UV resin after tying.

[@michaelterry1147]

How big is the jar? Won’t fit in Quart jar

[@Thefeatherbender]

Hi Michael, you don't need a big jar its only the peacock eye feather you need to bleach, these are the best and toughest quills! So a regular jam jar will do!

[@michaelterry1147]

@@Thefeatherbender tried the 1200ml 300 bleach: 900 hot water in quart size canning jar and over flows. So thinking 2 quart jar.

[@garygormley3842]

Can you did them after that?

[@Thefeatherbender]

Hi Gary, sorry I'm not familiar with did them, can you elaborate please?

[@user-bs1yp2ce6j]

Можно зажигалкой подполить и всё 😉👍

[@Thefeatherbender]

Thank you.

[@user-bs1yp2ce6j]

@@Thefeatherbender что по русски можно 🤔

[@davidedis9817]

I often read that the herls near the eye of a peacock sword are the strongest. I always find they break easily - have I just got poor peacock ?

[@Thefeatherbender]

Hi David, generally speaking they are! But you may have got some poor quality!

[@robertcornelius3514]

It has been two years since this video. Have you made a new decision on how to neutralize the quills?

[@Thefeatherbender]

I only wash them well in warm water, the bleach isn't that strong.

[@ralphmartin684]

Das Mittel zum entfernen ist leider nicht verständlich

[@mateuszkaczmarczyk9984]

Hi, Can you write all ingredients for me ?

[@Thefeatherbender]

Hi Mateusz, 300ml household bleach, 900ml hot water, and for washing afterwards normal baking soda in water.

[@mateuszkaczmarczyk9984]

@@Thefeatherbender thanks

[@davidwillacy4796]

I’m still confused if the use of baking soda is of any use whatsoever as a neutralising agent, as those whom seem to have some knowledge of chemistry think it doesn’t do a scrap of good so who is right?. But besides this point a great video.Thanks

[@Thefeatherbender]

Hi David, thanks, yeah I'm no scientist but baking soda has been used as a neutralising agent for calcium hypochlorite and hydrochloric acids in many crafts, rinsing them with warm water also works well... It stops the burning process anyway.

[@unionse7en]

yes, David, seems strange to neutralize a base with a base, vinegar might be better r. I suspect just diluting /rinsing with water is more appropriate than the baking soda. Just a thought

[@brianlane9534]

I would surmise that the baking soda after the bleach further advances the process started by the bleach alone. Although an alkaline agent, and it is used for whitening, it's properties differ from bleach. But when mixed with bleach it enhances the bleach. It also is a softener compared to bleach or just plain water. I imagine it also provides a cleaner rinse for the bleach. I would just follow the recipe handed down. Maybe a second rinse in warm water? I don't know. First time I've ever seen anything like this.

[@erlendmarthinsen7202]

hæ? bor du i norge?

[@Thefeatherbender]

Hei Erland, Ja det gjør jeg!

[@erlendmarthinsen7202]

@@Thefeatherbender det var gøy å høre :) følger med på videoene dine ! stor inspirasjon:) tusen takk for at du deler

[@flybookies4403]

Why make such a complicated thing for something I rarely need?

[@Thefeatherbender]

Hi, you may rarely need stripped quills but they are used every day by many tyers.