Home > Arrows and Arrow Making > Vario Clipper Feather Chopper
Reviewed By Steve , 16 August 2009
There are upwards of 20 different shapes available as standard and there is an option to create your own custom shapes, tell the suppliers what you want, a sketch will do, and however bizare the shape they will custom make the cutter for you.
Cutters are available in left and right wing versions and in 4" or 5" models.
The chopper itself is quite robust, it has to be because the technology behind it involves a rubber mallet to power it.
Place the feather in the mounting strip, close down the jaws of the cutter and give it a sharp whack, the feather is cut !!
Of course the first time you use it you realise that the mounting strip has been cut along with the base plate, over time these will need replacing, I was surprised how long the mounting strip will actually last as I have cut dozens and dozens of feathers and it is still going strong. Spares are available and quite cheap, mounting strips are around £3 and base plates in the region of £7.
Changing the cutters is simplicity itself, a screw holds it in place, it takes less than a minute to change to a new shape.
Of course the draw back is that each time you want a new shape or size you have to buy another cutter - I have quite a collection now but never seem to have the one I want.
It's a great little tool as now even shield can be hard to get hold of.
The only other option for making your own shapes lies with a scissors or a feather burner.
How do you shape your feathers ?
| Rating | |
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| Features & Design | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
| OK it's a little primitive, but it does work | |
| Performance | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
| The only draw back is that you have only the choice of cutters that you own, but it does get the job done | |
| Value for Money | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
| Not really particular value, there are better ways to spend these ££'s | |
| Overall | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
| If you buy the chopper and a couple of cutters you are already in the territory of the feather burner which is a much more versatile tool | |
Steve Nicholson and Andy Gilfrin, are real archers interested in the best archery suppliers have to offer. In our search for the very best bow, arrows and equipment we have shot, used and worn pretty much everything on offer.
We value feedback from users and suppliers and are keen to hear from you if you wish to contact us about anything on the website.
Contact Steve .. steve@archers-review.com
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| Essential Details | |
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What : Vario Clipper Feather Chopper Price : £50 chopper unit / £12 cutter |
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A simple yet effective solution to cutting feathers

A rubber mallet has always been one of my favourite tools, but this time it is actually the right tool for the job.
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Magazine |
Magazine
We were very pleased to give our support to the James Whale Kidney Foundation shoot which we cover in this months magazine. We were also contacted by Lars Pilø with news on the archery related finds on Jovfonna, and while we couldn't get out there ourselves Lars kindly filled in some background information for us.
A mixed bag this month, me in the South West, Geoff putting the record straight, a chat with Keith Stay and the wisdom comes from South Cox of Stalker bows.
We take a tour the length and breadth of the British mainland to visit Scotland with Border Bows, Yorkshire with Aidy Hayes, the Wirral with Jason from thelongbowshop.com, down South with the Company of Canterbury Longbowman, and Geoff is in Spain.
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Your Comments
Tell us what you think, do you agree with the review or have something to add?
Posted by: John Catley - Little John Arrows on Jan 25, 19:56
I purchased one of these from the Longbow Shop. They are very easy to use, I would say better than some of the other choppers on the market. Good value
Posted by: Charlie Guin on Sep 3, 16:25
Hay, I’m looking for a place I can get a 4 inch high profile banana chopper…can you help?