stripping rhea

[metalhead]

does anybody have a way to keep the membrane from becoming brittle after you have soaked, stripped and let the rhea hackle dry??thanks.

[Tim Cottage]

Although I have not tried this specifically with Rea, a bit of hair conditioner in your soaking bath does wonders to soften most other feathers, including the stem. You will need to experiment with amounts and soak times. If the feathers have been bleach or dye burned (a far too common occurrence), the effect of the conditioner will be less but still worth a try. If your supplier consistently supplies brittle feathers find a new supplier.

TC