Why is it so hard to make Fake Feathers?

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0:00One reason all craft feathers are real –though not the main one– is that there are lots of real

0:04feathers out there that need a job. Every chicken, turkey and duck that ends up in a

0:09sandwich once had a whole lot of feathers, which can be used for insulation in blankets and coats,

0:14or they can be dyed fun colors and used for boas, and fans. And, because all birds naturally molt

0:20their feathers throughout their lives, even fancier feathers –like those from ostriches

0:24and peacocks– are pretty easy to come by. But the bigger reason we don’t make fake

0:29feathers is that we cannot convincingly replicate real feathers with plastic – which is often the

0:34easiest and cheapest way to make fake stuff. Fake leather is just flattened plastic adhered

0:39to fabric that’s both cheap and a pretty believable imitation of real leather.

0:44The same goes for fake hair; plastic can be stretched into long, wiry strands for wigs.

0:48If you attempted to mold a feather out of plastic,

0:51it would end up looking more like a leaf – it would be cheap, but not feathery at all.

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