I like 5" sheild cut for the looks, but parabolic is the quietest cut. I usually use Truflight, and chop them myself. On the feathers that won' t stick, you might try this (if you haven' t already). Put the feather in your clamp, wipe the base with acetone, and lightly sand it with fine sandpaper. If that doesn' t work, I have no idea.

Chad