Feathers

Feather fletchings are very forgiving and stabilise the arrow very quickly.  They have a built-in natural spin when fletched straight or are commonly fletched with a helical to increase spin and maximise arrow stability. 

They are often used on traditional bows that are shot from the shelf or hand, as feathers do not deflect in the same way as a plastic vane, but simply brush past.   

Although they are sold as ‘left wing’ and ‘right wing’, this does not reflect the hand of the archer but the wing of the bird.  A left handed archer can shoot a right wing feather perfectly well.  Just do not mix them!  Choose one or the other and you are all set.