Hope everyone is well today. I plan on using a self bow next season and I am reading old threads and getting geared up for hunting by acquiring the things I will need. My son and I are going to a local farm this Thursday that has rivercane growing in a section. I want my bow to hit between 45 and 55 #'s. Approximately what diameter rivercane should I be looking to harvest to get some shafts that spine in that range. Also, any other knowledge that could be passed along such as the the drying and assembly of the finished arrows would be appreciated. I did pull up some old threads and learned the nock end should be the small end which was exactly opposite of what I would have thought. Thanks, Ken

There is a lot more to selecting cane than the diameter, you want 3/8" by the way. You may cut 3/8" that is 45# spine or 75# spine, it varies.

Roundness is an important factor, avoid canes with a deep groove where the branch comes out.

I used to cut it all and end up culling 95% of what I cut.

I would recommend you cut shafts "that look like arrow shafts", but leave them about 4' long. Striaghten them when green and put them somewhere to dry, checking on them and straightening again as needed. Once cured (completely tan/brown, no green. You can spine test them on astandard 26" 0r 28" spine tester. Test the smallest end first and slide up one node and test again. Cut the desired spined section to length. They make awesome arrows and closely spined groups of shafts are pretty easy to get. I would cut at least 100. Because the can is tapered, the smaller end 28" will be several spine groups lighter than the thick end 28". Leave them as long as you can

I would like to see some pictures of some finished arrows if some of you folks have any.

Another question I have is how do you deal with the nodes ?

I use a knife to "clip" off the remaining leaf bases. Run the knife along the shaft lightly like whittling, and it will grab that base and round it off as it goes by. Make sure there are no edges left to grab the shelf while drawing. Other than that just shoot them. A straight and matched set of rivercane will outshoot most carbon arrows. I made and used a ton of them when I was stationed at FT Bragg 90-94, as the base was covered in perfect arrow shafts. Ft steward cane was too wispy/whimpy, and there is none local in the MTs where I live now. I did find some not too bad in the Francis Marian WMA near Mrytle beach SC, but gave them to a friend who requested them. I cut the nock in just below a node and never had one break. For the pile end I glue in a section of dowel, and point taper the front just like a wood shaft, (but do it so the dowel is flush and cane rind shows at the back of the glue on head. With a trade or stone head you would see some of the wood taper. Most tradition people used a longer wood pile, so when shot in game only the pile end breaks, and you can re-use the feathered cane shaft

Cut no less than 3x what you think you will need. In the end you may have 7 or 8 nicely matched shafts. I never foot mine, just cut a point taper on and glue a tip or broad head on.

Should I reinforce the shaft at the nock and point with sinew ?

I do with sinew or silk thread, but I also know plenty of fellas who don't. I also use a V2 taper tool on the point end with flawless results every time.

Do you taper on a node, Chris, or does it matter ?

I try to keep the closest node at least 3-4" away from my point taper and the same with the nock taper. I also prefer cane with the fewest nodes. I don't like the thumpy feeling of drawing them over my shelf or hand.

That definitely makes sense, thank you Chris and Michael

Ken

I went to the dollar store and bought a bag of bamboo skewer sticks. I cut them about 2" long and titebond one in each end of the bamboo. Many will say you don;t need to do this but it doesn't hurt nor cause much weight increase. This re-enforces the ends and allows me to either self nock the shaft or use a taper tool.

Enjoy the process.

No way to improve on what Pearl and Michael said. I think they covered it all and yes Ken I wrap the nock ends and point ends with thread about 1/2" and coat the thread with glue.Sinew would be even better if you have it but I have never had one split and I cut self nocks. good Luck. >>>----> Ken

Thank, Ken. Hunting and taking a mature game animal with traditional equipment is extremely challenging and rewarding. I know primitive archery will be even more so. I am excited about next season.

Ken

I try to put the nock groove near a node, and then wrap with sinew or thread. I don’t worry too much about the point end being at a node, just taper and install the point. Good idea above about the bamboo skewers, but I don’t do it.

I have used rivercane, but prefer bamboo. Seems to make a better arrow. I have some Japanese Arrow Bamboo growing and hopefully will be able to cut some next spring.

Yes, but a node just below the bottom of nock slot.>>--->Ken

try 'paleoplanet' for more info on shoot arrows. Cut many, and long way over length, and bundle them tight. I have made walking sticks for my grandsons from coppiced shoots. If you cut in spring the bark peels off very easily. Imo shoot arrows and selbows are the acme in archery. Good luck.

While you're out there cutting them, grab a few that are a little bigger in diameter... they make good atlatl darts.

That is a good idea Jeff. I'm going to try to get me a few to make some fishing rods out of too. Cane makes the best crappie rods in the world

That sounds like fun too, Ken. I've seen cane poles used down south, but never up here. Might by have to try that.

I haven't shot or used cane arrows (yet) but grew up on cane poles for bream and crappie fishing. Also used to have a big, long cane about 1 1/4" diameter that I cut out of a cane thicket behind my house for a frog gig. It is highly useful stuff for a lot of projects.

I glue a piece of hardwood dowel in the nock and point end. I make my self nock without having to reinforce by wrapping this way.

I drill the center to 1/4" for the dowel and put 3" in the front for weight and 1 1/2" in the nock end.

The skewers are nice, but don't forget to add that length to your arrow. You are effectively losing up to 4-6" of shaft when you insert them the bending stops in that area.

Straighten with carefully placed heat. Not too hot. The cane will turn rubbery. Just enough heat to get it to bend and true it up. Keep working to straighten until it is cool again. Always checking for straightness.

I use the stove burners. It takes just a few seconds to get it hot enough to move easily.

I really apprrciate all the tips. I know absolutely zilch about primitive archery. I plan on some hickory arrows as well, but I figure cane is probably very likely what the natives used in my area.

Jeff, it is especially useful as a fishing pole in lily pads. Yoi can buy store bought telescoping crappy poles, but they don't work as well as a good old cane pole IMHO.

Is the a time of year that is better or worse to cut them?

Not that Im aware of, Lucas.

I was hoping Bill (Danzn Bar) would chime in. He makes the best I've seen or shot and he has made an unGodly amount of them. He is a natural materials arrow encyclopedia.

Thanks Chris for the kind words. I think Ken asked for some pictures of some. Here are a few I've made.

And a few more

As far as time of year to cut. I have cut them all year long. I usually let them dry for a couple of months. Just don't use heat to straighten green shafts. Steam builds between the nodes and could split the shaft. I do hand straight the green shafts and tie them together until dry. Good luck with making them, it is very gratifying to hunt and harvest a deer with one you made.

Ken, here are a few of mine. The top three were a matched set of six. I smoothed the shafts on these and matched the spine and weight. The fourth has a point I knapped. The bottom one has a horn nock. Hope these help. You've gotten some really good info above. Cane arrows are time consuming but excellent arrows.

Thanks for the pictures, Bill. They are truly works of art.

Danzn Bar, Not the Ken that asked for pictures but so glad you posted some. Those are beautiful and I love the stone head too. You do the knaping? I have just been gluing the feathers on and not taking the time to wrap them. The wrapping sure adds to the looks. Just been using natural feathers but the red color and fur tracers are a nice touch. Thanks. >>>----> ken

P/D., not sure how much bending takes place at the 2" of the tip and 2 " nock end of an arrow. I like the skewer insert at the point end especially as it makes it much sturdier to cut and tie on a stone point.

Danzn Bar: those are some beautiful arrows. I know each one took a ton of work to make.

Drew very nice looking arrows, are those river cane or tonkin cane? Ken 2 bears no I do not knap, I make trades with freinds. The traces are maribu feathers and have personel experience that they work. I call them my primitive aluma nock. They really help in seeing the hit location and following the arrow. Maribu is very light weight and I can't tell any difference in arrow flight. Thanks again Guys

Very nice, Drewster

Thanks DB,those are switch cane. A friend grows a patch. Pretty good cane. I hand paint them with earth pigments.

Maribu feathers Neat. I have just used a thin strip of rabbit fur. You are right they make it easy to lock on the arrow in flight. I will try the feathers. Do they have skin or anything to attach them? You get them from a fly fishing supply? Thanks. >>>----> Ken

Very nice Drewster. You did a great job on the arrows and that stone point. whats the material? Looks like Texas rock from here in Michigan.

Drew, I just got some switch cane and can't wait to try it.

Ken, just tie them on like fly tieing. and yes I get my from the local Cabelas

Can anyone offer clues in identifying between the different canes/bamboos. There are a few patches of stuff growing around here, but I have no idea what it is, specifically.

Jeff Post some pics of the patch and some individul stalks. Some of the leaves and where they come off of the stalk also. and I'll give it a shot at identiflying it for ya. Too many different one to explane and I'm not a typer. :)

Ok. I'll try to swing by there tomorrow.

I finally got to go Sunday. We got rained out on Thursday.

If you see this Bill, any ideas what I have ?

It was definitely some "old growth" cane, LOL. As you can see, the property owner has tried to clear some of it, and where he cleared would be the side of the cane patch that received the most sunlight, where the emerging plants would have been. I had to do some looking to find enough that would be suitable for shafts.

I got the big one to make a quiver from.

I don't know. I have never seen cane that big. Now I have no idea what I have here, near the coast either. Maybe those large pieces would make good bow backing. I would like to experiment with it. I seldom see it over 1/2" in diameter and 8 to 10 feet high??? New growth or completely different stuff? >>>----> Ken

I sent Bill a PM asking him to look at my pics and see what the heck I have. Maybe he will be along sometime soon.

That looks like bamboo to me. But I'm no expert. I didn't think cane would grow that big? Bill will set you straight when he comes around. He has a few nice patches of river cane on his place. I was down there hunting with him last year and cut a dozen or so shafts.

I cut 36 of whatever that is PD. It was slim pickins for small ones. We thought of tryingbto get the tops of some of the larger ones but it went from large to small too quickly to work for arrows. My son asked me why I couldn't split the large stuff into arrow shafts if it would spine correctly. I said I don't see why you couldn't

Hey Ken, Got your PM.....Been out of town on buisness and hven't been on lately. Thats diffently not river cane, switch cane or hill cane it is some type of bamboo. it's not tonkin cane either nodes are too close together. Tonkin is a type of bamboo. most bamboo that is good for arrows (arrow bamboo) has nodes futher apart (10"-14"). also river rarely grows highter than 10 -12ft tall and 3/4" in dia. Hope this helps.

Thanks Bill.

So can I assume that what I have properly dried and planed would be a good bow backing ?

Odds are the large stuff will split down and make backings, but there is only one way to know for certain.

Chris would you dry it out as is or split it out into backing size pieces and let it dry ?

I drove by the cane the other day and it looked dead, so I didn't bother to stop to take a picture or cut any. There were a few along the outer edge that had greenish culms but the leaves were brown. Most everything else was all brown. It's all fairly small diameter and the tallest of this stuff is about 8-10' tall.

The big stuff is probably Moso bamboo, so called giant timber bamboo. Used for scaffolding over in China. Segments of which is used for backing on a bow.

I thought giant timber bamboo was Madake? Both Moso and Madake are used for bow backing.

Ken I have no idea how to process it. If it were mine I would split it up now and let it dry a few months. It will dry very fast.

Thanks Chris. I have plenty of it. I am going do it both ways.

Good plan. You want your slats no less than 72 long. Id go 80". That gives you room to shift it back and forth and space the nodes out on the bow and it has a tendency to crack on the ends.

Thanks Chris.

I found it is better to let it dry before splitting. In my experience, when I split it green, it curled inward like it had been squeezed, between the nodes making it useless.

Thanks, Shandon

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