bleaching peacock herl

[nsw]

i've always tied buzzers with stripped peacock herl but the herl always seems darker than when they are shown in the magzines is it possible to bleach them and if so how long do you soak them

[Aaron P]

Apparently a fairly difficult process due to the herl dissolving in the bleach or becoming too brittle, AndersonAngling on this forum sells packs of bleached peacock herl if you were looking to buy , phone Neil on 01307 466366 , hope this is of help.

[jindra]

Try the cheapest bleaching solution for human hair you can buy. I don't know how it works in the UK, but in Czech drugstores you can buy a tube of 9% hydrogen peroxide that ladies use to bleach their hair. It works with stripped quills too

J.

[humungus]

ive tied over 50 quill buzzers in the last 2 days using the bleach process domestos in a shallow plate leave to soak for 10 seconds 1 swipe of the rubber and theyre herl free work for me i then wash them in fairy liquid and as far as brittle goes very few snap hope thi helps

[nsw]

Originally Posted by humungus

ive tied over 50 quill buzzers in the last 2 days using the bleach process domestos in a shallow plate leave to soak for 10 seconds 1 swipe of the rubber and theyre herl free work for me i then wash them in fairy liquid and as far as brittle goes very few snap hope thi helps

certainly sounds the easiest solution thanks i'll give it a go, does the herl rub off easier after bleaching then ?

[humungus]

definately pal use a decent rubber pal

[shortea]

sorry to sound thick but apart from making it easier to strip the herl does the bleaching make the quill lighter in colour

all the best Nick

[humungus]

no pal it doenst for some strange reason

[mancfly]

Originally Posted by nsw

i've always tied buzzers with stripped peacock herl but the herl always seems darker than when they are shown in the magzines is it possible to bleach them and if so how long do you soak them

nsw, it sounds like you are using the quill from the main part of the feather, i.e. the bronze herl that is used for bodies. That quill IS dark, also narrow, and bleaching doesn't lighten it.

The part of the peacock tail feather that is used for quill bodies is the actual 'eye' itself. The quills on these herls are very pale grey/ivory in colour, with a dark stripe on one edge. They also taper quite steeply. The wider part of the quill is where it should be tied in.

Bleaching doesn't lighten the quill, it's already light anyway But it helps remove most of the fibres. Any remaining fibres can be removed with a firm rubber, (more like plastic than rubber (Staedtler), or an ink rubber if still available!)

The bleaching can make the quills a bit brittle. Just massage some hair or fabric conditioner into the stripped eyes, leave a minute or 2, rinse and leave to dry naturally. Nice soft quills

Hope this is a bit more helpful

Alan

[emerger1981]

Originally Posted by mancfly

nsw, it sounds like you are using the quill from the main part of the feather, i.e. the bronze herl that is used for bodies. That quill IS dark, also narrow, and bleaching doesn't lighten it.

The part of the peacock tail feather that is used for quill bodies is the actual 'eye' itself. The quills on these herls are very pale grey/ivory in colour, with a dark stripe on one edge. They also taper quite steeply. The wider part of the quill is where it should be tied in.

Bleaching doesn't lighten the quill, it's already light anyway But it helps remove most of the fibres. Any remaining fibres can be removed with a firm rubber, (more like plastic than rubber (Staedtler), or an ink rubber if still available!)

The bleaching can make the quills a bit brittle. Just massage some hair or fabric conditioner into the stripped eyes, leave a minute or 2, rinse and leave to dry naturally. Nice soft quills

Hope this is a bit more helpful

Alan

so what about peacock (hearl) thats been bleached then dyed??
is it not bleached? prime example look on youtube Davie mcphail CDC yellow may dun with a bleached and dyed peacock rib.. thats not P.EYE as its to long so it is done, i'll ask him next time i speak to him where he gets it.. probably, i dare say it.. Glasgow angling centre
give them a ring