A feather clamp can be created for trimming quills for fletching. This is a simple-to-make clamp that holds a feather while you trim and sand the quill down. It's made from two blocks of poplar. The dimensions are 1" x 2" and about 8 inches long. I rubbed bees wax on both inside faces to help grab the feathers. Across the bottom I glued a piece of leather as a hinge.
To use, place a split feather in between the blocks with just the quill sticking up. Squeeze the blocks with one hand and take short strokes with a sharp knife starting from the large end of the quill. If you take too big a bite, you'll likely cut through the quill, so take small flat strokes.
Once the quill is fairly flat, you can sand it down for a final touch.
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Mike Richardson resides in Anchorage, Alaska.