River Cane for Trade

[ga6693]

Willing to trade good quality river cane arrow shafts for an equally good quality bow stave. This is strong, heavy walled cane collected for my personal use and seasoned in the attic of my workshop. Most of it has a diameter on the large end of approximately 3/8 ",  but some is available as small as 9mm for lighter shafts and 10mm to 7/16 for heavy duty shafts. Some are partially straightened and have been cut in lengths up to 38".  I am looking for good clean stave to build a 66" or so flat bow for someone who wants one out of something other than a whitewood.  I will be interested in trading for a nice piece of mulberry, osage ( even if cut from a board), or possibly red elm. No character or project staves,  please. If interested, pm me  with a good description and dimensions of what you have and the quantity and size of the RC you expect in the trade. 

[Pat B]

If you have a native cane it sounds more like switch cane than river cane.

[ga6693]

You have my curiosity up as to why you think it is switch cane. We have lots of river cane in Georgia. It grows tall with good distance between the nodes.

[Pat B]

The  river cane I've seen (in Oglethorpe Co, GA and elsewhere) has thin walls with a large center hole and very pronounced nodes and sulcus. It grew from about 6' tall to over 15' tall. It grew in amongst switch cane that was only about 6' or 7' tall with thicker walls, less pronounced nodes and sulcus and a small center hole.
 In my opinion river cane is less desirable for arrows than switch cane. It will make good arrows. I have a set Chris Cade(Mechslasher) gave me a few years ago and a few single river cane arrows I made myself.

[ga6693]

Pat, I have both species of native cane you have described in my part of the state.The type I think of as switch cane has very thick walls as you have said,  but the diameter is somewhat on the small side and is more apt to have dog leg nodes with flattened internodes. But it makes for a very good, strong arrow shafts if you are selective with what you cut.  By the same token, I don't waste my time with the giant river cane with the thin walls. Makes a good fishing pole but not my preference for arrows.
With that being said, the type I call river cane and prefer has some of the characteristics of both switch cane and the giant cane. It grows taller than the typical switch cane, reaching heights of 9' or better with good wall thickness and diameter. Much of what I cut grows as individual plants scattered under old timber in creek bottoms.   Typically, it has a small diameter in proportion to its height with a very gradual taper. I have a piece in my workshop that is almost 8' long that is 3/8" at the butt and 11/32" at the top. I will try to take some pictures tonight or tomorrow if the rain holds off and post them.

[Pat B]

If that is a clump type bamboo(not spreading) it is probably Bambusa multiplex. It makes great arrows...and fishing poles.