soft hackle feathers

[paflyfisherman]

What's the easyest and quickest way to dye feathers? Anyone use coffee to dye feathers?

 

[MKern]

I've heard kool-aid and dying kits from craft stores.

I usually just sharpie marker feathers.

 

[littlelehigh]

Charlie Collins uses commercial grade hair dye from hair salons. Always dye darker colors over dark colors example you want black you must dye a brown feather or neck. A white neck dyed black will turn blueish. He talked about this with a few of us at Somerset.

 

[sandfly]

rit dyes work wonders--black tail feathers (schlappen) bleached then dyed=

 

[sandfly]

gray goose wings bleached then dyed with rit;

 

[stevehalupka]

in lieu of any of these dying techniques, do any of them "run"?

I know it's a cardinal sin, but I have been cashing out on sizes I don't use off a metz number 3 grizzly at 1.00 a feather to local salons. They want some color variation.

 

[pheasanttail85]

rit is the way to go in my opinion

 

[jay348]

i'd be curious to try dying some more...i saw the cool-aid post recently and gave it a shot last weekend. came out slightly faded but it definitely worked...mostly bright colors to work with tho.

 

[sandfly]

have to use at least 2 packets of kool aid and make sure you set the dye with vinegar.

 

[JohnnyUtah]

I recommend Rit dyes. Fabric dyes work excellently. I also recommend you pick up Dyeing and bleaching natural fly tying materials, by A.K. Best.