How to Make Arrows for a Longbow

Modern longbows don't look much like their historic counterparts.

The longbow has been a staple of hunters for hundreds of years, and the technology has come a long way since the days when roving hunting parties stalked large game with stone-tipped arrows. Modern archery equipment can be as simple as the classical bow and tipless target arrow, or as high-tech as some guns. Store bought arrows are expensive, and it's easy to lose them in a wooded area. Fletching your own arrows can be a money-saving practice, but it's not for everyone.

Things You'll Need

• 1/4 inch dowel rod, 3 feet long
• Wing or tail feathers (turkey is recommended)
• Arrow point
• Hacksaw
• Knife
• Silk thread
• Superglue

Instructions

1. Prepare the arrow shaft by notching both ends. The nock end should be a simple V notch, while the point end should be a half inch deep slot. Use a sharp knife, such as a box razor, to cut out the nock notch and use a hacksaw to cut the point notch. A bench vice may help you keep your work straight.

2. Split a feather along its quill. If using tail feathers, this will produce two usable fletches; wing feathers only yield one. If using wing feathers, use feathers from only one wing per arrow to improve flight stability.

3. Cut the fletch down to five inches and then trim half an inch of feather material at both ends from the quill. Do this by clipping the feather material -- known as barbs -- at the base of the quill and pulling off the clipped pieces.

4. Attach two to three fletches to the arrow shaft with two small dots of super glue. If using two fletches, both should be in line with the nock and point notch; if using three, one should be vertical to the notches and the other two should be positioned evenly around the shaft using the first as a starting point.

5. Tie the fletches in place with silk thread at the front and back. Use another dot of glue to hold the thread down when finished.

6. 

   The end result should look something like this.

   Fit the desired arrow point into the head notch. Use a dot of glue to hold it in place, then tie it firmly with silk thread. The thread should be wound tightly around the shaft and point base, looped over the base flanges of the point (if it has them) several times each in an X pattern, and then wrapped a full inch up the bare shaft to help prevent splitting. Use another dot of glue to bind the thread to the shaft.

Tips & Warnings

• Points made for modern arrows will not work for this method; the head must have a tab for a base, not a screw.

• These arrows may split if fired from a compound or heavy draw weight bow. To prevent injury, only use them with a low to medium draw weight.

• It's best to use dowel rods that have a straight grain that flows the length of the rod.

• Turkey feathers are recommended because they're easy to get and because the birds themselves are not endangered. Other feather types may work better.

• The head notch may require more than one cut to reach the thickness required to fit the arrowhead. Sandpaper can also be used for minor adjustments.

• Box razors are extremely sharp. Be careful when handling them or you could cause serious damage to your hands or other body parts.