If you can be bothered, split feathers (if otherwise of good quality)
can be repaired.
There's a couple of ways to do it and in the past I've used 'hard as nails' on the reverse of the feather, using the brush applicator to gently tease the split feather back together. Results can be good, but takes time and patience.... which very probably explains why I pretty much split feathers on all of my Salmon flies these days and save any top quality JC for flies that I
might give to someone else or more plausibly save for a 'rainy day'.
The best JC cape I ever had was UK reared and came from the now (I believe) defunct Fishermans Feathers.
I
think Walkers of Trowell took over the stock and shifted it via Tom Savilles but as I've not heard much about Fishermans Feathers I suspect the company closed - Ben
You know any more on that ???
H