An artificial shuttlecock feather for implanting in a circular ring shape into a base of a shuttlecock, the artificial feather includes: a vane section; and a rachis section supporting the vane section, the rachis section being formed from a material having a Charpy impact strength of 30 kJ/m.sup.2 or greater and a flexural modulus of 4 GPa or greater, and preferably having a Charpy impact strength of 36 kJ/m.sup.2 or greater and a flexural modulus of 4.7 GPa or greater.

The present invention relates to a shuttlecock generally including a striking part and an aerodynamic part. The shuttlecock includes: a base to serve as striking element for the striking part of shuttlecock, a stems part formed by a plurality of stems to provide support to the aerodynamic part, the stems being connected or connectable with the base, and a sheeting part formed by a sheeting for forming of an aerodynamic member of the aerodynamic part attached or attachable to the stems. The stems part substantially has a shape of a pyramidal stems frustum, the base of the frustum preferably conforming to the open end of the aerodynamic part. The sheeting part, while attached to the stems, substantially has a shape of a pyramidal sheeting frustum. The edges of the pyramidal sheeting frustum are defined by the edges of the pyramidal stems frustum at an overlapping part of the sheeting part with the stems part. The aerodynamic part substantially has the shape of a pyramidal frustum defined by the pyramidal stems frustum and the pyramidal sheeting frustum.

Methods, apparatus and kits for modifying natural feathers that are used in sporting goods that result in long lasting feathers with increased mechanical stability, reliability and durability as well as improved flight consistency is disclosed. Some of the sporting goods that use natural feathers are badminton shuttlecocks, arrow fletchings, and darts. The disclosed methods consist of controlled treatment of feather shuttlecocks with crosslinking agents to crosslink the keratin protein present on the natural feathers of the shuttlecock.

Methods, apparatus and kits for modifying natural feathers that are used in sporting goods that result in long lasting feathers with increased mechanical stability, reliability and durability as well as improved flight consistency is disclosed. Some of the sporting goods that use natural feathers are badminton shuttlecocks, arrow fletchings, and darts. The disclosed methods consist of controlled treatment of feather shuttlecocks with crosslinking agents to crosslink the keratin protein present on the natural feathers of the shuttlecock.

An artificial shuttlecock includes a ball head, a plurality of feathers, and a plurality of stems. Each of the feathers includes a notch. The notch is disposed on an outer edge of the feather. A ball head end of the stem is connected to the ball head, and a feather end is connected to the feather. The stem includes a body, which tapers from the end close to the ball end to the feather end. The end of the body close to the ball end has a first width, and the body has a second width at the feather. The first width is between 2.1 mm and 2.4 mm, and the second width is between 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm.

An artificial shuttlecock includes a ball head, a plurality of feathers, and a plurality of stems. Each of the feathers includes a notch. The notch is disposed on an outer edge of the feather. A ball head end of the stem is connected to the ball head, and a feather end is connected to the feather. The stem includes a body, which tapers from the end close to the ball end to the feather end. The end of the body close to the ball end has a first width, and the body has a second width at the feather. The first width is between 2.1 mm and 2.4 mm, and the second width is between 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm.

Methods, apparatus and kits for modifying natural feathers that are used in sporting goods that result in long lasting feathers with increased mechanical stability, reliability and durability as well as improved flight consistency are disclosed. Some of the sporting goods that use natural feathers are badminton shuttlecocks, arrow fletchings, and darts. The disclosed methods consist of controlled treatment of feather shuttlecocks with crosslinking agents to crosslink the keratin protein present on the natural feathers of the shuttlecock.

Methods, apparatus and kits for modifying natural feathers that are used in sporting goods that result in long lasting feathers with increased mechanical stability, reliability and durability as well as improved flight consistency are disclosed. Some of the sporting goods that use natural feathers are badminton shuttlecocks, arrow fletchings, and darts. The disclosed methods consist of controlled treatment of feather shuttlecocks with crosslinking agents to crosslink the keratin protein present on the natural feathers of the shuttlecock.

Methods, apparatus and kits for modifying natural feathers that are used in sporting goods that result in long lasting feathers with increased mechanical stability, reliability and durability as well as improved flight consistency is disclosed. Some of the sporting goods that use natural feathers are badminton shuttlecocks, arrow fletchings, and darts. The disclosed methods consist of controlled treatment of feather shuttlecocks with crosslinking agents to crosslink the keratin protein present on the natural feathers of the shuttlecock.

Methods, apparatus and kits for modifying natural feathers that are used in sporting goods that result in long lasting feathers with increased mechanical stability, reliability and durability as well as improved flight consistency is disclosed. Some of the sporting goods that use natural feathers are badminton shuttlecocks, arrow fletchings, and darts. The disclosed methods consist of controlled treatment of feather shuttlecocks with crosslinking agents to crosslink the keratin protein present on the natural feathers of the shuttlecock.