Source for River Cane Shafts

[OsageBender]

I have been thinking about trying my hand at making some hunting arrows out of River Cane.  Can anyone tell me of a good place to buy some quality shafts?  Also, I read somewhere that cane arrows don't need to be spined as carefully as other wooden shafts.  Is there any truth to that?  Thanks.

[DanaM]

Try trading for them on here, and yup cane or a shoot shaft is more tolerant of spine due to its natural taper.

[Hillbilly]

I don't know offhand of any commercial supplier who sells native river cane shafts on a regular basis, but they can be traded for here, as Dana said. I have extras that I trade occasionally. I don't have a surplus a the moment, but I'm sure someone on here does, though. The only problem is, once you start shooting cane arrows, you won't want to use anything else.

[P.W. Smith]

Hey - are you looking for rivercane or something like it? Because Japanese Arrow Bamboo grows by the hundreds by my house, and I'm sure I could cut a few dozen good ones for you if you've got anything to trade??
Derek

[ripmyfly]

I have around a 100 river cane shafts bundled up. Would be willing to trade.

[cowboy]

Looks like you have your answer. I don't have a surplus either or would be willing to trade. If you live in the south you could cut your own.

[DanaM]

River cane, jap boo, tonkin all are good

[Pat B]

Like others I have access to hill cane(Arundaneria appalachiana) but only have a limited amount now.
River cane is A. gigantia and switch cane is A. tecta. All three make good arrows as well as the other exotics mentioned above.     Pat

[rkeltner]

last i looked, murray gaskins had river cane for sale on his web site

[rkeltner]

im not sure, but gaskins site may be inactive.

[PeteC]

Hey osage bender,what part of the country do you live? Cane is really very common,although localized.With a little lookin',you've probably got it somewhere near to you.God Bless

[Dave Dellinger]

Any tips on harvesting can for arrows? Size, etc? Things to avoid? What about sourwood shoots?

I have a friend with a bamboo grove, it gets to be only about 1.5"dia when mature. Has it any use?

[Hillbilly]

Try to get back in the middle of the patch and pick canes that are about 3/8" diameter at the big end, have long spaces between the nodes, and don't have a lot of low branches. The part of the cane from the ground to the branches is the best part-it's rounder without the big flat divots behind the nodes. Also, only cut canes that are at least a year old, the younger canes that still have the papery sheaths attached are often too thin-walled and will be flimsy, spine weak, and crush or break when you're straightening them. Cane will shrink some as it dries. With sourwood shoots, I like to cut them a good bit bigger than the final shaft size. they shrink a lot on drying, and part of the diameter is bark and cambium that will be removed. I have better luck and less warpage by cutting little-finger sized shoots and planing them down to the diameter/spine i want.

[M-P]

Trading is fun, but PineHollow longbows does sell river cane.  Ron