Feather Hair Extensions

[Mike O]

You can google this, it's amazing.

On another board there is a discussion of the use of feather hair extensions and how it is reducing the amount of genetic hackle available on the market.

I would like to hear from the guys at the shop as to whether this is happening locally?

Mike

[Andy Guibord]

It is very true. We are selling more hackle to these hair designers than fly tiers.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

It is so big that it has actually exhausted the inventory in the United States right now.

Whiting Euro rooster saddle patches are the most popular in grizzly and also grizzly died wild colors.

Right now almost none are available through all the normal distributions.

They like really thin, long rooster grizzly saddle hackles so it won't affect all the fly tying feather market.

The Whiting Euro grizzly rooster saddle patches have just gone up from $37.00 to $60.00 but none are available yet.

The dancing girls in places like Los Vegas will pay much more for the big perfect plumage than us fly tiers so this is nothing new.

The hair dressers charge ~$10.00 per feather, installed in your hair......

[Hogan Brown]

a Buddy of mine at a fly shop in the bay was selling his old hackles for $3 a feather to hair dressers under the table...do the math a whitting 100 packet $300!!!!! He said he made more selling his old hackle then he did working in an hour. Fly shop was cool with it as it allowed the shop to keep their hackle stock up for actual tiers.

[Jay Murakoshi]

Talk about feathers..... The wholesaler ( Swafef & Son ) who sells to Wapsi, Hareline, etc is just down the street from where I live. I've been there a number of times and I'm still amazed at all the feathers, long and short. They were telling me that most of the business is to costume designers. Also a large company where I use to purchase my 8" white, black and red strung saddle hackles did the same thing. Fly tying materials is just a spare time project for them. I have a few pounds of yellow, red and chartreuse marabou. Fantastic feathers and great vibriant color.

Jay

[Rich Leonetti]

I saw a girl buy 680 bucks worth of hackle the other day..... and I thought when I spent 100 bucks on tying materials I was nuts.

[Bob Laskodi]

Almost all fly tying materials originate from the clothing/textile industries and are products made for costume/clothing manufacturers. The amount of this stuff that actually ends up in tyers hands is miniscule compared to those uses, and the fly tyers market is small potatoes.

[coolrivertx]

The shop I worked at in Austin sold more Eurohackles to women than the tyers! I had about six that would come in regularly and drop $100 -$200. I would talk to Tom Mullin at Whiting, and he would always be out of the hot colors. With the price increase, that might take a little wind out of their sails.

[Steelie-Stalker]

I saw some girl at my high school the other day with a few pink/green died grizzly hackle feathers in her hair. I kind of did a double take and was like...wait what did i just see?

[k.hanley]

Say hey Maodiver,
It's all true enough. Whiting sent out a two-page letter to all of us on thier tying team. The letter layed out the situation and how it was going to be for the next year.

Fly tying has always been a small part of "the feather industry." The fashion industry rules the roost.
Cheers, Ken

[Mike O]

I saw some girl at my high school the other day with a few pink/green died grizzly hackle feathers in her hair. I kind of did a double take and was like...wait what did i just see?

Shoulda followed behind her with a hand-held vise all ready. When she asked What thell you were doing, you coulda told her you were waiting for her to drop one.

[Charlie S]

I saw a gal in Medford last weekend wearing a bunch of them in her hair. At least it's not as permanent as tattoos but she seemed a bit upset when I called her "chickenhead".

[Jay Murakoshi]

I made some friends at Costco. I was in there this morning and noticed the gal I always go to, had a grizzly hackle in her hair, dyed brown. I asked her "how much did the hackle cost" she looked at me like what are you talking about. Then I said the feather and she instantly responded $10.00, with a frown.
I told her that I have boxes of those feathers in all different colors, so real bright and some natural. REALLY, how much do you sell them for. I bunched up a bundle and took them to her and needless to say, she was happy. There had to be 80 long hackles in the bundle. I think she could see $$$$ signs. All these for free? I have more if you want some. Now I have other clerks wanting long, skinny, feathers.
I wonder what my Hoffman #1 super saddles would bring. I have 4 of then in the freezer.
Hackles are at least 18" and can tie down to 18-20. These were the first original hoffman super saddles.
Maybe I'll drive by a hair salon and wave it in the window :-)

Jay

[Scott V]

Jay maybe you should open a hair salon specializing in feather extensions.:D

[Jay Murakoshi]

Hey at $10.00 a pop, I could buy that new camera I want. The Hoffman could be worth $500.00 :-) Not for sale. I wonder what a real non-split jungle cock neck would bring in tinsel town. Lady Gaga would fine some use out of it.

Jay

[FISHEYE]

Jay, watch it. You might get dragged into a dark alley and mugged. Or maybe kidnapped and held for a feather ransom. I bet your wife would have to think long and hard about that one. Phil

[Hairstacker]

Jay, watch it. You might get dragged into a dark alley and mugged. Or maybe kidnapped and held for a feather ransom. I bet your wife would have to think long and hard about that one. Phil

Or she might think short and easy about that one and . . . . :lol:

[Woodman]

Finally saw this for myself. Bagger in trader joes had about 1/4 of a Hoffman saddle hanging from one side of her head.

I just don't tie that many dry flies any more, and a friend gave me a garbage bag of Whiting floor sweepings several years ago...

Maybe I can figure out a way to retire soon.

[Hairstacker]

Next thing you know, the ladies will be debating Whiting versus Hoffman. :lol:

Come to think of it, hopefully this doesn't steer breeders to select for hair enhancement qualities versus dry fly qualities.:shock:

[PaulC]

I have some Euro saddles that would make for a mean mullet extension.:)
Been seeing a lot of this working at a client down in Anaheim.
Grizzly hackles in hair, various earrings, etc.
My Sister in law was asking about feathers I had a while back.
I started with some nice feathers individually.
How the tide changed when I started bringing out feathers with heads attached, etc.
I think bringing out the dyed calftails was the final straw.
-P

[Hairstacker]

I think bringing out the dyed calftails was the final straw.
-P

If that didn't do it, I bet the hare's masks would have. :lol:

[Jeannie W.]

Hi guys and gals, here are some photos of what they are doing with the saddle hackle feathers. Unbelievable!! And at ten dollars per feather!

[Jgoding]

That little girl makes me jealous....

[Jay Murakoshi]

At $5.00 to $10.00 bucks per hackle, she's already looking at retirement :-)
I got a few offers on my Hoffman super #1 saddles, especially the grizzly and grizzly dyed olive. Just waiting too see if the price will go up. I have to wipe of the saliva after they look at it.
I knew keeping these frozen of 25 years would pay off

Jay

Come on Hollywood

[Darian]

This practice must not stand!!!!! (Gotta admit they look pretty good on Jeannie W, tho. :unibrow: )

[Jgoding]

I dunno Jay, I almost want to look at my inventory and see what I could offer but then again, I ain't selling my stuff so people can stick it in their hair. At the same time I can't be mad at any suppliers or Whiting etc.... for raising prices because well, that's what the game is all about isn't it.

I was never much of a saddle guy any way.... a dry fly deserves a cape feather....

[Jay Murakoshi]

yeah, I use to have a whole bunch of #1 Hoffman grizzly necks but they were given away when I quit tying dries, or I'll rephrase that when I couldn't see the hook to tie them.
The Super Saddles can tie down to 18's and if you really pick the hackles you'll find some 20's. The saddles could be gone tomorrow :-)

Jay

[Jeannie W.]

Hi Darian, Thank you but I don't wear the feathers! I use them to tie flies with!!!! I just posted pictures so that people could see what they are using them for!!!

[Jay Murakoshi]

Don't know how people are getting my email but I have received 4 messages for long feathers. Looks like most are from the LA area. Damn, I have one offer for the Hoffman - $350.00. I'll take a couple more offers then SELL. It could be my new G12 camera

Jay

[Jgoding]

wow, $350 isn't bad at all. I pulled out a gold grade grizzly, never been opened last night.... 12"-14" long feathers..... Don't think $350 would do it for me even though that's much more than what I paid for it. I have a silver grade midge saddle as well but feather's weren't quite as long but they sure are slender. I was never much into dyed hackle feathers so those were the only grizzly I had except a flatwing utility saddle but it's not so great.

I was surprised at how many saddles I actually have though, but now that I think about it I was on a quest when I started tying again to have matching saddles and necks in the most popular colors. I still need a good cree. I tried Conranch a few times but I just get blown off for that and a whole jungle cock skin.

[Tony P]

Don't know how people are getting my email but I have received 4 messages for long feathers. Looks like most are from the LA area. Damn, I have one offer for the Hoffman - $350.00. I'll take a couple more offers then SELL. It could be my new G12 camera

Jay

Send the offers my way. I have a bunch of #1 Whitting Saddles & Necks. :D