Talk:Bluing (fabric)

Arrows?

The last statement in the article: "Bluing was also used by some Native American tribes to mark their arrows showing tribe ownership."

Currently this line is marked "citation needed", so I went looking for a citation.

I found many citations to the effect that various North American Indian tribes did indeed adopt laundry bluing as a dye -- for fabric and occasionally leather.

As far as citations for bluing being used to "mark arrows", I found many references, but every single one of them -- and I looked at more than 30 -- quoted the line from this Wikipedia article. Other than that, I was unable to locate any primary or reliable secondary source that stated any connection between laundry bluing and tribal arrows. One is tempted to conclude that whoever composed this article was including either idle speculation or wishful thinking, and so inadvertently started a faux internet meme.

Probably the statement should be removed from the article.