Bamboo

[BowEd]

A few years ago I planted some bamboo that Robin had picked up on her travels visiting yard sales.
It's been getting larger and larger every year.To the point that soon it will  be growing shafts usable for arrow shafts.
With just a little corrective staightening while green shows me that it stays straight while drying easier yet than my dogwoods.

I have no idea of what the species is but the walls on it are plenty thick which is always a good sign for arrow shafts.

[PaSteve]

Interested to see what kind of results you get, Ed. I've had the same idea but don't have a permanent residence at the moment so I'd be planting for someone else.
   Bamboo is my preference when it comes to arrow shafts.. Stays straight, very durable and in my experience not as temperamental in spine compared to wood shafting. One attribute I've found is the total mass weight allows me to build high FOC arrows without excessive weight. I can usually get around 600 grain arrows with 20+% FOC and imo that makes for a great hunting arrow. I will say I stray from natural materials a little and use an aluminum footing for structural integrity on my hunting arrows. Don't know if it's necessary but it does strengthen the shaft and adds about 12 grains and boosts FOC a tiny bit.

[osage outlaw]

Thick walls are good.  That looks like it will make a nice arrow.   

[BowEd]

Footing shafts with 7.5" of purple heart or oasge works too for hiking up the front end weight on wooden shafts.I think I calculated that once and it was about 70 grains worth of extra weight.


I've faningled with bamboo before too trying to increase front end weight.Even putting solder wire lengths in.Burning a hole through the pith and nodes with the red hot tip of a wire.Much like burning a hole through the pith of a sumac pipe stem.
Thicker walled stuff and full length taper helps a lot for that for bamboo.
I found using full length tapered shoot shafts with 145 to 160 grain broadheads without any footings or solder wire brought me to the high teens lower twenties in % of FOC with grain weights in the 600 grain range.Once it's dried and gasket lacquered and shows it's spine it's there for keeps.
I've gotta agree though bamboo is a lot easier to straighten.If I remember correctly so was multi flora rose.
I don't have hill cane here but I'd bet that is too.

[Butch Speer]

In my opinion, bamboo is hard to beat.

[Mossyelk]

Hehe I work at a bamboo nursery.
I'm laughing because I am certain from the longer big dark green leaves and straight shafts it must be Japanese arrow bamboo.
I have some and love it. There are 2 varieties from what I know and the only difference  really is that one grows much taller than the other
I also have access to groves of it if there is interest in trades,I can  collect unworked shafts. The hard thing is the Grove is so established that the culms are fairly large, ideal for atlatls. Will be a challenge  to find proper diameter shafts it's nuts In there super thick

[Wolfmanjack]

Hey Mosseyelk, I’m interested in buying a known variety of bamboo for making arrows.  Do you sell this or can you provide a link for the correct type of bamboo for arrow shaft material?

[upthecreek]

Be cautious with that stuff. We found it impossible to control and even harder to eradicate. I don't know the type but it is happy to spread here in central Missouri.

[mullet]

Mossyelk, I've found that arrow boo that has grown thick is older and makes excellent arrows if you pull it over and cut the upper portion and use it.