| The J/H challenge arra represents a good approximation of a battle shaft (for want of a better word) but let's not forget that there were other types of arras for different purposes, for example galling arras would be thinner, lighter and of smaller fletchings. These were used to sting the enemy into action at greater distances than they would be able to respond to. So smaller feathers could be used there.
Another thing to think of is would you throw away perfectly good feathers if they weren't long enough, or would you splice them. I know that there is no evidence of this, but it makes sense to me rather than throw away a valuable commodity. I guess they would have to weigh up whether the extra time spent on splicing it out weighed what would otherwise be a waste of materials.
__________________   Tomorrow is cancelled due to a lack of bloody interest.
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