What Is a Fletcher: The Arrow Maker's Trade Explained

A fletcher is a skilled artisan who crafts arrows — from selecting the shaft wood to attaching the arrowhead, fletching, and nock. The word comes from the Old French flechier, meaning "arrow maker." Understanding what is a fletcher helps explain why arrow-making was once one of the most specialized trades in existence.

Why the Fletcher's Trade Mattered

In medieval times, what a fletcher does was common knowledge — armies depended on them. Arrows were the primary projectile in both battle and hunting, and a skilled medieval fletcher could produce hundreds in a single day. Their expertise was so valued that fletchers were often employed directly by kings and nobles and granted exemptions from taxes and other obligations.

How a Medieval Fletcher Made an Arrow

Wood Selection and Shaft Preparation

The arrow maker began by selecting straight-grained wood — commonly birch, ash, or hazel — then split it into strips using a froe. Each strip was planed and shaved to the correct thickness with a draw knife or spokeshave, and tapered to shape. Any knots or defects were removed before the shaft advanced.

Attaching the Arrowhead

Stone and bone arrowheads were socketed over the shaft end and secured with a resin-based glue made from pine pitch, beeswax, and animal fat. Metal arrowheads used a tang — a thin metal extension inserted into the shaft and fixed with glue or binding cord, then hammered to form a retaining barb.

Fletching Attachment

The fletching on an arrow — traditionally bird feathers — was glued or bound to the rear of the shaft. The fletcher sorted feathers for consistent size and trimmed them to length. Two outer feathers were angled slightly differently from the middle feather, creating a gentle spin that stabilized the arrow in flight — the same aerodynamic principle behind modern vane offset and helical configurations.

Nock Cutting

Finally, the nock was cut into the shaft's end, sized precisely to seat on a bowstring without being too tight or too loose. The arrow crown at the shaft's tip completed the arrow at the opposite end.

The Fletcher's Role Today

A fletcher arrowsmith also repaired damaged arrows, produced crossbow bolts and quarrels, and sometimes crafted other wooden items such as tool handles. Today, what is a fletcher still describes anyone who builds or reflethes arrows — whether by hand or with a modern fletching jig. The trade has changed in materials, but the core skill of what a fletcher does remains unchanged: producing arrows that fly true.