gatewayfeathers.com

Feathers are a strong choice for archery fletching because they give an arrow better control and guidance than flat plastic vanes, especially when shot off the shelf or in wet, dirty field conditions. Gateway Feathers, a US company that has processed feathers for over 50 years, makes hand-selected feather fletchings in a wide range of colors, sizes, and shapes. Choose feathers if you want forgiving arrow flight and natural materials; choose plastic vanes if you need maximum durability and low maintenance.

How Feathers Improve Arrow Flight

Feathers work differently from solid plastic vanes. Their barbs are soft and flexible, so air passes through them rather than pushing hard against them. That gives two practical benefits:

• Forgiveness on the rest. A feather can collapse and spring back when it brushes the arrow rest or the bow's shelf, so small tuning errors and imperfect releases are less likely to throw the arrow off line. Plastic vanes tend to bounce the arrow away instead.
• Guidance and control. Gateway describes feathers as giving "better arrow control and guidance" — the fletching stabilizes the arrow in flight and helps it track straight toward the target.

The trade-off is that feathers are softer and can absorb moisture or get ruffled in storage, so they need a bit more care than vanes.

What Gateway Feathers Offers

The company's catalog covers the main needs of a bowhunter or target archer:

Gateway also sells through dealers and partners in the USA (Lancaster, Kinsey's, Feathers N Wood, 3 Rivers) and in Europe (Bignami, SSA, Black Flash, and Eagle and Merlin in the UK), so you can buy locally if that is easier.

When Feathers Are the Better Choice

Feathers suit these situations:

• Shooting off the shelf or a simple rest. The soft barbs clear the bow more reliably than vanes.
• Traditional and barebow setups. Natural feather fletching matches the style and the expected performance.
• Hunting and field archery. Feathers tolerate contact with brush and gear better than rigid vanes.
• You want color and profile options. Gateway's range of colors, sizes, and shapes lets you match fletching to your arrows and your visibility needs.

Vanes may be the better pick if you shoot high-volume target archery indoors, want fletching that shrugs off rain and repeated handling with minimal care, or prefer the consistency of a molded plastic product.

Practical Notes Before You Order

• Shipping: Gateway advertises free shipping on orders over $40 within the USA.
• Custom work: Custom Printz designs and custom orders (including full-length feather printing) are available by contacting the company directly.
• Order status: The site states Gateway is accepting orders and continuing operations after a fire disrupted a planned merger with Ozark Feathers. Some mild delays are possible, so confirm timing if you have a deadline.
• Contact: 1-520-805-0863 or [email protected].

For more detail on the material itself, the site's "Why Choose Feathers," "Nitty Gritty on Feathers," and "A Close-Up on Our Feathers" pages cover the technical side.

Buy direct from gatewayfeathers.com if you're in the US, want the full Gateway catalog (including custom Printz designs and full-length feather printing), and your order is over $40 so shipping is free. Buy through a dealer if you want local stock, faster regional delivery in Europe or the UK, or prefer to bundle feathers with other archery gear. Gateway itself points customers to both routes, so the choice comes down to where you are and what you're ordering.

What Buying Direct Gets You

Gateway's site states it is accepting orders and continues to operate after a fire disrupted its planned combination with Ozark Feathers. The company describes mild setbacks but says it is "business as usual" for orders.

Direct ordering makes sense when:

• You're in the US and your order exceeds $40. The site advertises free shipping on US orders over $40.
• You want custom work. Gateway promotes custom Printz logos and designs, including custom designs on full-length feathers, and asks customers to contact them for custom orders. These are the kinds of requests a dealer is less likely to handle.
• You want the widest selection. The store lists categories such as DVDs, Mako items, accessories, and 1 7/8" Parabolic fletching, plus colored feathers in a range of "colors sizes and shapes."
• You have questions before ordering. You can call 1-520-805-0863 or email [email protected].

The site has a standard cart and checkout flow, a search function, and login/registration for an account. Pricing beyond the $40 free-shipping threshold isn't shown in the page content, so check the cart for current prices before committing.

What Buying Through a Dealer Gets You

Gateway lists dealers and partners by region, which is useful if you want to avoid international shipping or buy from a shop you already use.

Choose a dealer when:

• You're outside the US. A European or UK dealer is likely to be the simpler route for delivery and any returns, though Gateway doesn't publish dealer pricing or stock levels, so confirm availability with the dealer.
• You're already ordering other archery equipment. Bundling feathers with arrows, nocks, or tools from a single shop can save on shipping overall.
• You want to inspect products in person or get local advice before buying.

How to Decide

Use this quick test:

1. Are you ordering custom-printed feathers or full-length custom designs? Go direct — contact Gateway through the phone number or email above.
2. Are you in the US with an order over $40? Direct ordering gets you free shipping and the full catalog.
3. Are you in Europe or the UK? Start with the dealer for your country (Bignami, SSA, or Black Flash in continental Europe; Eagle and Merlin in the UK) unless you need a custom item.
4. Is your US order under $40? Compare the direct shipping cost against a dealer's price plus shipping; the site doesn't state a minimum order, so both are viable.

Common Snags to Watch For

• Custom orders aren't a normal checkout item. Gateway asks you to contact them for custom Printz designs and full-length feather printing, so don't expect to configure these in the cart.
• The Ozark Feathers situation may affect some plans. Gateway says the fire set back its combination with Ozark indefinitely; if you were expecting combined availability, confirm current stock directly.
• Dealer lists can change. The partners named on the homepage are Gateway's own recommendations; verify that a dealer stocks the specific feather shape, color, or size you need before ordering.

For most US buyers ordering standard fletching over $40, direct is the straightforward choice. For custom work, go direct and contact Gateway first. For European and UK buyers, a regional dealer is usually the lower-friction option.

Gateway Feathers is a U.S. feather-processing company that makes archery fletchings and related feather products, and it sells both directly through its online store and through a network of dealers. The site is worth visiting if you need feather fletching for arrows, custom-printed feather designs, or feather accessories, and you want to buy from a company that has processed feathers for decades. If you are outside the U.S. or need a specific product in a hurry, check the dealer list and shipping terms before ordering.

What the company actually makes

Gateway describes itself as processing feathers for over 50 years, with products made from feathers hand selected in the United States. The site's own framing centers on archery: feathers are presented as giving "better arrow control and guidance," and the company calls its output "the best archery fletchings in the world."

The product range visible on the homepage includes:

• Feather fletching in a wide range of colors, sizes, and shapes
• Parabolic-cut fletching (the store lists a 1 7/8" Parabolic category)
• Custom printed designs ("Printz") — logos or artwork applied to feathers, now also available on full-length feathers
• Accessories, DVDs, and branded apparel such as Team Gateway jerseys
• Custom work for other businesses — the site cites turkey quills made for Zucker Feather and window displays for Louis Vuitton as examples

How buying works

You can order directly from gatewayfeathers.com through its store and checkout, or buy from listed partners. The site names U.S. dealers including Lancaster, Kinsey's, Feathers N Wood, and 3 Rivers, plus European sellers such as Bignami, SSA, Black Flash, and Eagle and Merlin in the UK.

A few practical details from the site:

• Free shipping is advertised on U.S. orders over $40.
• The site offers multiple languages, including Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
• A login/register option exists for account management, and shipping and privacy policies are linked in the menu.

The site does not publish prices on the homepage, so you will need to open individual product pages or the checkout to see costs.

A status note worth knowing

The homepage carries an update explaining that Gateway had planned to combine with Ozark Feathers, but a fire at Ozark set that plan back indefinitely. Gateway states it is still accepting orders and operating as usual, with some mild setbacks. If you are planning a large or time-sensitive order, it is reasonable to confirm current lead times by phone (1-520-805-0863) or email ([email protected]) before committing.

Who this site is for

• Archers and bowhunters building or repairing arrows who want natural feather fletching rather than plastic vanes.
• Clubs, shops, and resellers looking for a U.S. feather supplier with an existing dealer network.
• Businesses needing custom feather work — printed logos, dyed or shaped feathers, or display pieces.

If you only need a small quantity of standard vanes, a general archery retailer may be simpler. If feather performance, color choice, or custom printing matters, Gateway's direct store and its dealer list are the two main paths to start with.

Gateway Feathers offers custom design printing on feathers and feather products through its Gateway Printz service, plus custom orders for select non-archery items. The clearest path is to contact Gateway directly with your design or request; the site lists phone (1-520-805-0863) and email ([email protected]) as the contact channels for custom work.

Custom printing: Gateway Printz

Gateway Printz is the company's custom logo and design service. According to the site, you can get your own logo or design printed, or choose from existing designs. Two details matter for planning:

• Full-length feathers are included. The site states it can now do custom Printz designs on full-length feathers, not just cut fletching.
• Existing designs are available. The site highlights a Batwing design (now offered in 2" left wing) and a Hann-Bun-Kuro design as ready-made options.

If you want a custom logo on fletching or full-length feathers, the site's instruction is to contact Gateway for custom orders rather than completing a standard checkout for that item.

Custom orders beyond archery fletching

The homepage also lists custom-order work outside its core feather fletching line:

These examples suggest Gateway takes on specialty and commercial feather work, but the site does not publish a custom-order form, price list, or turnaround time. Treat pricing and lead time as things to confirm directly.

How to request a custom order

1. Decide what you need: a logo or design printed on feathers (standard fletching or full length), or a custom item such as darts or turkey quills.
2. Contact Gateway by phone or email with your design and quantity. The site's custom-order links all route to "contact us" rather than a product page.
3. Confirm details before ordering: whether your artwork is usable, minimum quantities, pricing, and delivery timing are not stated on the site, so ask.

Buying standard products vs. custom work

Standard feathers, accessories, DVDs, and branded apparel appear to be orderable through the online store, and the site notes free shipping on US orders over $40. Custom Printz work and the specialty items above are handled through direct contact. If you are ordering standard fletching and also want a custom design, expect to handle the custom portion separately from a normal cart checkout.

One practical note from the site: Gateway states it is accepting orders and continuing operations after a fire disrupted a planned combination with Ozark Feathers. It also lists US dealers (Lancaster, Kinsey's, Feathers N Wood, 3 Rivers) and European partners (Bignami, SSA, Black Flash, Eagle and Merlin in the UK) as alternative ordering routes. For custom work specifically, going direct to Gateway is the route the site describes.

You can order from Gateway Feathers directly through its online store using the cart and checkout, or through listed dealers and partners in the USA and Europe. Direct US orders over $40 ship free; for anything else, check the Shipping & Privacy Policies page or contact the company by phone or email before ordering.

Ordering Directly from Gateway Feathers

Gateway Feathers runs its own online shop with a standard cart and checkout flow. The site also offers account login and registration, so you can create an account if you want to track orders or store details.

Step-by-step

1. Browse the store. Use the Store or Shop menu to view product categories. The site lists categories such as DVD's, Mako, Accessories, and 1 7/8" Parabolic fletching, along with custom Printz logo designs and full-length feather printing.
2. Add items to the cart. Select the products you want and add them to your cart. The cart shows an item count and running total (for example, "0 items - $0.00" when empty).
3. Review your cart. Confirm quantities and product options before proceeding.
4. Check out. Go to the Checkout page to complete your order. If you have an account, log in; if not, you can register.
5. Confirm your order. After checkout, keep your order confirmation for reference.

Expected result: Your order is placed and you receive confirmation. If you have questions at any point, the site lists a phone number (1-520-805-0863) and email ([email protected]).

Before you order

• Check current status. The homepage states Gateway is accepting orders and continuing business as usual, while noting mild setbacks from a fire at Ozark Feathers that delayed a planned combination. Orders are being taken, but confirm lead times if you are on a deadline.
• Custom work needs contact first. Custom Printz designs, full-length feather printing, and custom orders (such as turkey quills or display work) are handled by contacting the company directly rather than through a standard add-to-cart flow.
• Account optional. You can register or log in, but the site does not state that an account is required to check out.

Shipping Terms

The free-shipping offer applies to US orders over $40. The homepage does not state rates, carriers, or delivery times for orders below that threshold or for international shipping, so check the Shipping & Privacy Policies page or ask directly.

Ordering Through a Dealer Instead

Gateway lists dealers and partners as an alternative to ordering direct:

• USA: Lancaster, Kinsey's, Feathers N Wood, and 3 Rivers
• Continental Europe: Bignami, SSA, and Black Flash
• UK: Eagle and Merlin

This route can make sense if you want local service, faster regional delivery, or combined shipping with other archery gear. The trade-off is that dealer stock, pricing, and shipping terms are set by the dealer, not Gateway, so confirm availability with them.

Common Snags

• Assuming every item ships free. The $40 threshold applies to US orders; smaller orders and international shipments are not covered by the stated offer.
• Trying to buy custom work through checkout. Custom logos, full-length feather printing, and special orders require contacting Gateway first.
• Expecting immediate fulfillment during the Ozark transition. The company says it is operating normally but acknowledges mild setbacks; ask about timing for time-sensitive orders.
• Looking for international shipping terms on the homepage. They are not listed there—use the policies page or contact the company.