Gene L 0 Report post Posted November 18, 2017 Got one yesterday from J Stockard. I am impressed by the quality of the feathers. Especially the density and uniformity. I recommend them for tying soft hackle flies. Excellent product and the shipping time was fast. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deaddrifter 0 Report post Posted November 19, 2017 Their 4B capes are also a great value and high quality for soft hackles. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fishinguy 0 Report post Posted November 22, 2017 What sizes do you think they'll tie down to? (Replying to both of you.) I'm trying to figure out what I want for soft hackles. Id like to tie at least some down to 18. Going back and forth between hen cape, Partridge skin, and starling skin. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gene L 0 Report post Posted November 22, 2017 The one I have will tie down to 20, and possibly smaller. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deaddrifter 0 Report post Posted November 22, 2017 Overall the hen cape feathers are much larger than partridge and certainly starling. The upshot of the hen capes is you can get them in a range of colors. That being said, I think a good quality partridge skin offers a wider size range of feathers. You do need to be careful of quality on the partridge. I've bought "name brand" skins before that I returned because they were of such poor quality. However, if you can find a decent skin you'll be set for feathers for a long time. I've found a good skin goes in the $25-$30 range. As a side note, you can adjust hen feathers when you put then on your hook to achieve the desired size but IMO partridge works better for smaller stuff. Starling also gets really small and a skin is relatively cheap. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deaddrifter 0 Report post Posted November 22, 2017 Just checked ebay and I'm going to revise my price for a decent partridge skin. Looks like the good ones are going for north of $30. Seems like the nice skins are harder to come by lately. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
notenuftoys 0 Report post Posted November 22, 2017 Just checked ebay and I'm going to revise my price for a decent partridge skin. Looks like the good ones are going for north of $30. Seems like the nice skins are harder to come by lately. Wow! I bought a couple several years ago for, if I remember right, about $24. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deaddrifter 0 Report post Posted November 22, 2017 Last one I bought was a little over a a year ago and it was around $25 if I recall. Heard from a fellow tier that good skins are hard to find right now. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
