best bamboo for arrows?

[Dante_F]

when making bamboo arrows what species do you use, ive heard of people using river cane, Japanese arrow bamboo, and probably others, what do you recommend?

[Deerhunter21]

any cane. their all basically the same (or so I've heard) and their's really nothing that makes one better than the other (for shooting at least)
go for an cane near you, or go to home depot and do this http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,28697.0.html

[osage outlaw]

I totally disagree with you deerhunter21.

The different species are not all the same.  They have unique qualities like diameter,  wall thickness,  node spacing,  etc. that affect how they perform.  I have used 3 native species and hill cane is my favorite but it's hard to find.  Tonkin bamboo makes a great arrow shaft. You can buy it in bulk. 

[Pat B]

I agree with Clint.

[Deerhunter21]

I learn something new everyday here!  

[DC]

I agree with OO also but whatever bamboo they use for garden stakes makes good arrows. When you buy a bundle at least half of them will remain garden stakes.

[Dante_F]

im wanting to plant some to grow so i do have a wide array of options so what do you recommend? not looking to buy the shafts but the seeds and grow em   I kinda just want an infinite supply   

[DC]

You are better off to buy them. There are two types of bamboo, spreading and clumping. Spreading will take over your back yard and your neighbours, Clumping goes from a two foot circle to a ten foot circle in 5 years. At least mine did. They are both very hard to get rid of. Eventually you will spend all the time you wanted to make arrows in trying to control the bamboo. Also in a couple of years they will be producing way more shoots than you will need unless you like just flinging arrows into the sea. Buy 25-100 garden stakes or premade shafts and you will be time ahead.

[Pat B]

Where do you live? Most bamboo can't take real cold temps. And, like DC said you better know which type bamboo you are planting, clumping or spreading. If it's spreading type you better have lots of room and understanding neighbors. 

[Dante_F]

i live in sw washington and am going to plant them in large pots so spreading wont be to much of a prob and it doesn't get too cold here.

[DC]

Do some investigating as to how much a pot will stunt the growth. I planted Fargisia scabrida in the ground 5 years ago. It's just the last year that I got some nice shafts out of it. If it was in a pot it would still be small. Think big pot. Possibly old bathtub or an old hot tub. Or new ones If you're made of money I grew bonsai for 15 years so I've dealt with pots. One thing I learned is that potted plants need water every day or so and you can't rely on friends and neighbours to do it if you go away. If you do you'll come home to dead plants.
Signed
Mr. Doom and Gloom

[Dante_F]

ok so i just finished researching how a much a pot stunts grown but couldn't really find anything and unfortunately im not made of money  i guess ill just plant some in a pot and use the time to practice on other arrow shaft-y type stuff.

[Dante_F]

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIT..... i just read that japaanese arrow bamboo does well in pots  is also cold tolerant and even shade tolerant

[DC]

I reserve the right to be wrong but doing well and growing to full size may be two different things. Give it a shot. If you are putting it in a pot you're not risking your backyard.

[Dante_F]

im hoping that doing well means grow to good size