Fletching

**Fletching**
Release date	25 March 2002 (Update)
Members only	Yes
Minimum level; for Hiscores	15; as of 12 Dec 2017
Players with; 99	173,715; as of 4 Feb 2023
Players with 120	3,666; as of 4 Feb 2023
Players with; 200M XP	1,059; as of 4 Feb 2023

RSC OS

This article is about the fletching skill. For information on training fletching, see fletching training.

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Fletching level-up tune

Fletching involves the making of bows and arrows. The products of this skill are primarily used in the Ranged skill. It also provides material with relatively high alchemy prices, so its products are often used to train Magic as well.

At higher Fletching levels, the skill can be trained without losing any coins, although a decent amount of working capital is very useful.

A player uses the Fletching skill to carve a log.

A general rule of thumb for fletchers is to wait until you hear 3 "plucks" of the log being strung to know when you are done. This is an especially helpful tip for those who tend to be multitasking on other things when fletching. The plucking noise only applies to unstrung bows being strung though. Generally, however, each 5 logs that are fletched result in one plucking sound. Since 14 is the number most commonly used for fletching (14 of one type of log, 14 bowstrings), around 3 plucks are needed. Of course, if you are just cutting the logs with your knife then all you need to do is wait until you do not hear any more animation of the cutting to check back on your character. You can make 5000 unstrung bows in 3.13 hours.

The current minimum requirement to be ranked (at approximately rank 862,013) on the hiscores for Fletching is level 15. As of 04 February 2023, there are 173,715 current members that have achieved level 99 in Fletching. There are 3,666 current members that have achieved level 120 in Fletching.

Materials used

Fletching requires various items, depending on what a player wishes to create. These items are relatively universal, with slight differences based on exactly what is made. All sorts of fletching require logs, a knife, and other various supplies, which can be found below.

General

Item	Notes	Grand Exchange Price
Knife	Knives are used to whittle wood into unstrung bows/crossbows or arrow shafts. Every player has a knife on their tool belt.	111
Beaver	The beaver acts as a knife (for fletching only). To fletch with a beaver you use your log on your beaver. You will need 33 summoning to summon this familiar.	1,614
Chisel	Used to turn cut gems and wolf bones into bolt tips.	68
Logs	Logs are obtained from trees via the Woodcutting skill or bought from fellow players or the Grand Exchange.	291
Sacred clay fletching knife	The Sacred Clay Fletching Knife is obtained from Stealing Creation with 20 Stealing Creation Points. They are used to cut logs, like an ordinary knife. They can be operated to give 24,450 bonus experience.	Not sold
Volatile clay fletching knife	The Volatile Clay Fletching Knife is obtained from Stealing Creation with 20 Stealing Creation Points. They are used to cut logs, like an ordinary knife. They can be operated to give 29,340 bonus experience. When transforming, it becomes a random volatile tool and uses 10% of its bonus experience.	Not sold

Making weapons

Bows

Picture	Item	Notes
	Bowstrings	Bowstrings are one of the materials used to make bows. They can be spun from flax.
	Flax	Flax can be picked in Seers' Village, in the Taverley courtyard right next to the fountain, on the Lunar Isle, directly south-east of The Grand Tree, and in Lletya. Also if you have completed Throne of Miscellania you can have your subjects pick flax for you, Also upon completion of the quest you can pick Flax yourself on Miscellania. It can be spun into a bowstring on a spinning wheel. There is a spinning wheel on the first floor of the house north of the churchyard. Spinning flax gains 15 Crafting experience. There is also one on Neitiznot, which is the closest one to a bank. Another spinning wheel can also be found on the first floor of Lumbridge Castle, which is just downstairs from a bank. Flax plants give multiple flax per plant but do not last forever. They require time to "grow" or spawn again. Flax is a common way of making money. Flax can be picked and sold (96 coins each), or they can be spun into bowstrings to sell for more.

Crossbows

A player strings a crossbow with a crossbow string.

Picture	Item	Notes
	Crossbow strings	Crossbow strings are one of materials used to make crossbows. They can be spun from sinew and tree roots below magic trees.
	Crossbow stocks	Fletched from logs and are used in the production of crossbows. Most can also be purchased at the crossbow stall in Keldagrim. These are also available in the dungeon under White Wolf Mountain. Note: This requires the 'Fishing Contest' quest.
	Metal Limbs	Smithed from metal bars, metal limbs are used in the production of crossbows. Most can also be purchased at the crossbow stall in Keldagrim. These are also available in the dungeon under White Wolf Mountain. Note: This requires the 'Fishing Contest' quest.
	Sinew	Sinew can be made by using a piece of raw beef or raw bear meat with a range and choosing to make sinew.

Making projectiles

Arrows

Picture	Item	Notes
	Arrowheads	Arrowheads can be bought in a ranging shop or smithed. 15 arrowheads can be made from each bar.
	Arrow shafts	Arrow shafts can be made by using a knife on some logs. 15 shafts can be made from each pile of logs.
	Grenwall spikes	Grenwall Spikes can be used as an alternative for arrow shafts. These can be obtained by hunting Grenwalls
	Feathers	Feathers can be acquired by killing chickens. Chickens drop an average of about five feathers each. Feathers can also be bought in various places such as Shantay Pass, Fishing Guild, Lumbridge Fishing Shop, Port Sarim, Shilo Village, Ava's Arrow Shop, and various other places. Each shop has a player stock of 1000 feathers, and feathers can be bought for 6 gp, or 13 each from the Grand Exchange. You can use coloured feathers for this too, but they are more expensive most of the time. You can get coloured feathers from hunting.
	Nails	Smithed from metal bars, nails are used in the production of Brutal arrows.
	Wolfbone Tips	These can be made by using wolf bones with a chisel. They are used to create Ogre arrows.

Bolts

Adding bolt tips to bolts

Picture	Item	Notes
	Barbed bolt tips	Barbed tips are rewards from the Ranging Guild activity.
	Feathers	Feathers may be acquired by killing chickens. Chickens drop an average of about five feathers each. Feathers may also be bought in Port Sarim, Lumbridge, the Fishing Guild, Ava's Arrow Shop, Shantay Pass, and various other places. Shantay no longer has unlimited stock, though feathers can still be bought for as low as one gold each.
	Gem bolt tips	Gem bolt tips are attached to finished bolts (use feathers with unfinished bolts) to make gem tipped bolts. They can be made by using the gem with a chisel. Every standard gem in RuneScape, including the Shilo Gems, (Opal, Jade, Red Topaz, Sapphire, Emerald, Ruby, Diamond, Dragonstone and Onyx) can be made into gem tips, needing higher fletching levels progressing upwards. Finished bolts can be enchanted using Magic.
	Pearl bolt tips	Pearl bolt tips can be made by using an oyster pearl with a chisel.
	Unfinished Bolts	Unfinished bolts can be smithed from metal bars. Each bar can smith 10 of these.

Darts

Picture	Item	Notes
	Dart tips	Dart tips can be smithed from metal bars (Tourist Trap quest required). Players get 10 dart tips every bar.
	Feathers	Feathers may be acquired by killing chickens. Chickens drop an average of about five feathers each. Feathers may also be bought in the Fishing Guild, Shantay Pass, Shilo Village shop, Port Sarim, the Lumbridge fishing shop, and various other places.

Making the items

Weapons

Bows

A player stringing a shieldbow (u)

To fletch bows, players must use a knife on a log to whittle a shortbow or shieldbow of that wood. Then, a bowstring must be attached to the unstrung bow. Bows, especially yew shieldbows and magic shieldbows, are frequently high alched as a means of income or Magic experience. Yew shieldbows are often made by many fletchers because of their high profit and experience.

Bow	Level	Experience (unstrung)	Experience (to string)	Total experience
Shortbow	1	5	5	10
Shieldbow	10	10	10	20
Oak shortbow	20	16.5	16.5	33
Oak shieldbow	25	25	25	50
Comp ogre bow	30	45	45	90
Willow shortbow	35	33.3	33.2	66.5
Willow shieldbow	40	41.5	41.5	83
Maple shortbow	50	50	50	100
Maple shieldbow	55	58.3	58.2	116.5
Yew shortbow	65	67.5	67.5	135
Yew shieldbow	70	75	75	150
Magic shortbow	80	83.3	83.2	166.5
Magic shieldbow	85	91.5	91.5	183
Elder shortbow	90	101.2	101.2	202.4
Elder shieldbow	95	116.4	116.4	232.8

Players may gain twice the normal experience per log that is made into a bow (u) with the sacred clay fletching knife that is awarded through the activity, Stealing Creation, it costs 20 points to obtain. However, the knife will disintegrate after a set amount of xp is gained (which means it will last longer for lower level bows). For more information, see Fletching training.