general question about river cane

[Blacktail]

JUST A QUESTION....do you know of any one who sells river cane shafts...maybe spined....the reason i ask is.....i was looking on line and couldnt find any one...some one could make alittle $....john

[Pat B]

John, I'll be harvesting some hill cane after the first of the year. If you are interested, contact me then.

[Blacktail]

thanks pat i might do that..BUT,i was just wondering why some one doesnt start a river cane shaft business..with the raw and spines shafts...thanks pat....john

[Danzn Bar]

I'll be gathering some river cane, spine and straighting them in the next few months.  PM me if your interested and maybe we could work up a trade.
DBar

[1442]

For me there is way more time invested in the shafts by the time they are ready to be made into arrows than anyone would ever want to pay for. I never timed it actually but three or four hours per dozen is about what it takes me (guessing) to straighten a dozen shafts. Then they have to be sanded too. I'd have to get at least ten bucks a shaft just to turn a profit, then after about two days I would be so tired of cane shafts that the price would go to twenty bucks a shaft just so people wouldn't buy them and I wouldn't have to staighten anymore.
A dozen freshly straightened cane shafts is a beautiful thing to look at though. I just love it once they are straight and sanded ready to become arrows.

[Dan K]

For me there is way more time invested in the shafts by the time they are ready to be made into arrows than anyone would ever want to pay for. I never timed it actually but three or four hours per dozen is about what it takes me (guessing) to straighten a dozen shafts. Then they have to be sanded too. I'd have to get at least ten bucks a shaft just to turn a profit, then after about two days I would be so tired of cane shafts that the price would go to twenty bucks a shaft just so people wouldn't buy them and I wouldn't have to staighten anymore.
A dozen freshly straightened cane shafts is a beautiful thing to look at though. I just love it once they are straight and sanded ready to become arrows.

I've never worked cane but have made many shoot shafts from various materials and feel the same way.  Beautiful bundles when you get through!  Probably linked to all the work going into them for sure!

[Davesea]

I know a source for japanese arrow bamboo.  spined shafts for $3 a shaft.  they are not sraightened.  only dried.