Feather storage?

[Crotalus 0]

How do you guys store your feathers? Specifically pheasant tail, turkey quill, peacock, ostrich?

 

I see lots of photos of guys desks where the feathers are just sitting in mugs and not stored in bags.

 

 

Hoe many of you store them in bags and how many let them out in the air?

 

 

Thanks

Joe

[flytire 0]

All my feathers except pheasant tails are stored in the bags they came in and then in those rubbermaid style storage boxes. And I dont know why my pheasant tails arent stored the same way. Probably too long for those plasic boxes!

[troutgeek 0]

I am very retecent to mention this, but you asked the question. Look at my website -- www.troutgeek.com -- and view my ZDO Feather / Craft bags. That's how I store my feather products -- double ended zipper reclosable poly bags. They safely store feather and flash products, and do not damage the product when inserting or removing from the bag.

 

[KevinP 0]

I keep all of my feathers in the bag they come in. I stick about a 2 inch piece of flea collar inside the bag and store the bag in plastic containers. I keep several bags (all with a 2 inch piece of flea collar in them) inside each plastic container. I also lay a whole flea collar inside the plastic container.

[Ronn Lucas 0]

Both.

 

Happy Trails!

Ronn

[sparkleminnow 0]

I store mine in a mug on my tying desk, only because I first leave them in the freezer for 6 months. This will kill any mites that would otherwise destroy the feathers. I get the feathers free from a friend who raises them. I already have too much stuff so I just keep them where I can. I keep capes, and saddles in the bags they come in. Since the peacock feathers I get from my friend are full size, I can't get bags large enough for them.

 

One alternative might be to use the food saver vacuum bags. They come in rolls, and you only need to seal one end of them, and cut off at length. Not as good as troutgeek's idea,but you can custom make them to the exact size you need. Especially handy for peacock, and phesant feathers.

[conehead 0]

I store most of my feathers, necks, and furs in a rolling cabinet (six drawers). Each of the drawers has three 35 mm film containers punched with a half dozen 1/8" holes and filled with moth ball crystals.

 

I use these same film containers when storing excess materials in large plastic bags.

 

With hackles and feathers kept in baggies on my tieng table, I place a few crystles in each bag.

 

I do nothing for the pheasant tails and turky tail feathers in the holder on my desk (I go through these about every 4-5 months). I have never had any problems with insects, except for when I was a kid (35 years ago) and tried to tan materiels from the wild.

 

I now only use materials I buy at the fly shop or tanned from a furrier.

 

Conehead

[WYKnot 0]

I also used Rubbermaid containers (or the generic equivalent) and store feathers in plastic bags. For hackle, I remove the paper backing and transfer to a clean zip-lock. I add a small cedar block to the container and seal between tying sessions.

[Fly1 0]

My individual feathers are out stuck in foam while I keep capes and such in plastic bags. The fur I keep in an old ammunition case that has a waterproof (smellproof) seal.

 

Ken

[Gilly 0]

I keep all mine in Zip-lock freezer bags in a 3 drawyer rolling craft cart. My home skinned birds, I keep in the same bags after they've spent a couple of months in my frost free freezer, this sort of freeze dries the skins and I've never had bug problems. My pheasent tail, I cut into managable lengths, 8-10", and zip-lock them as well.

[munky 0]

I keep a bunch of feather like my Macaw, ostrick , pheasants, peacock and turkey on my desk for easy access, as well as a few packed away in the storage cabs. All my capes and saddles get sealed into individual bags. All of my full skins get bagged as well.

 

I've heard too many stories on here to chanse losing all my feathers.

[Joe Hard 0]

I also use zip lock baggies, but when not in use I put the feathers in 10 and 20 lb. fish trays with lids on them. This is the season for bugs that will eat your materials. Moth balls work and give off an unpleasant odour. Their is a product made by a fly tying company that is sprayed into cabinets and drawers that only requires one spurt per drawer. I do not have that info on hand but will post it in timely tips later today. It is not costly. I have recently recevied a container that had three different kinds of popcorn in it. I have begun to use this for larger feathers. It has a divider in it for the three differnt kinds. I just got a digital camera and can now take photos of all the things I would like to share with you guys. I am sure their are certian herbs that will repel bugs, but they will not last. One more thing that I use to keep stung feathers is tobacco containers, 100, and 200 grams.