Dyeing Pheasant tail

[pmelle]

I have a ton of pheasant tail and I'd like to dye some of them. What dyes do you like to use, any easy to do techniques or pointers you have? What types of dyes to use? Thanks!

 

[outsider]

I use powdered Rit dye. Use a cheap or old pot on your kitchen stove. Put a little dye in, add some salt, stir it until it almost comes to a boil. Remove from the hot surface. Put the feathers in (the longer in the dye, the stronger the color). Remove with a plastic fork or utensil you don't care about and place on newspaper. Then rinse in cold water. You can also blow-dry with a hair dryer in a colander. Jack Mickievicz showed me this process, and he is a master at dying materials.

 

[pmelle]

Will rinsing them in cold water as opposed to blow drying remove any of the dye? Can you buy that dye locally from craft stores or purchase it online?

 

[fishngun]

I have been looking into dyeing material as well. It seems what I have been reading all suggests a hot solution as well as vinegar(acid) to set the dyes permanently on organic material(feathers and fur). What I haven't had chance to really look into yet is finding color recipes that meet my needs. The last thing I want to do is end up with a bunch of dye I'll never use or ruined materials due to trial and error experiments.

 

[FGSIII]

If you want to dye the tails light or bright colors you will need to bleach the color out of them first. Basically use womens powdered hair bleach (clairol bw2) mixed with peroxide.

 

[outsider]

pmelle wrote:
Will rinsing them in cold water as opposed to blow drying remove any of the dye? Can you buy that dye locally from craft stores or purchase it online?

Let the feathers sit on the newspaper for a few minutes. Cold water rinse does not remove the dye. Even if you use a hair dryer, you should rinse the feathers, unless you want dye on your fingers. A hair dryer helps to fluff-up feathers.

You can buy dye at craft stores and big box stores. You can also mix colors.

 

[Tack-L-Tyer]

Try a search for "Veniards". There are some dealers stateside who carry their dyes and degreasing products that offer a serious alternative to Rit. The spectrum of color offerings is huge and can be tweaked for a wide array of choices. Not cheap. You will literally be able to go commercial if you choose. Embarking on this journey can be a slippery slope! HaHa!!!!! Good Luck! (PS. Two good reads are, "Dyeing and Bleaching Natural Fly-Tying Materials" by A.K. Best, and "Fly-Tying Materials, Their Procurement,Use,and Protection" by Eric Leiser.)