[robtattoo]

Definately down to the vanes mate. To prep the feathers, you'll need to split the quill with a sharp knife & peel it in half (you'll find that one half of the feather is much stronger than the other, this is the half you'll need) Hold the feather upto a bright light & you should see an oil line in the feather, this is the portion you'll need to use (the fresher the feather, the stronger this line'll be) Cut it down to your desired length & sand the quill almost flat by rubbing it on some very fine sandpaper, then simply glue the fletch in the normal way. Be aware, you'll probably only get 2 useable 4" or 1 5" fletch from each feather, so stock up mate!