The
Chickasaw crafted arrows from phragmites and tipped them with hardwood tips. I became inspired to replicate these items and following are my results. I started with pages 94 and 95 in Hamm and Allely's
Encyclopedia of Native American Bows, Arrows and Quivers.
I gathered thin diameter maple and elm sections for the inserts.
I made some thin cordage with dogbane fibers. 12-15 inches was plenty for the arrows. I used some larger diameter cordage for the quivers.
I cut some large diameter ( 1 " +) river cane (Arundinaria gigantea) for quivers.
I chose roughly 1/4" dia. shafts on the large end. I used dry heat to straighten them with mixed results. Phragmites will only bend so far. I let them dry completely and speculate whether steam or green bending would help. Regardless I was able to straighten enough to make two sets, One for me and one for a buddy who likes this kind of stuff too. I prepared fore-shafts first so I could cut each phragmites shaft to ensure the arrows were all roughly the same size.
Then I prepared each phragmites shaft for fitting. The Chickasaw sanded down the tip so it was tapered before wrapping with cordage.
Finally, I worked the nocks. I made sure each nock was immediately behind a node so the string would not split the shaft when shot. Choosing a shaft that will place the nock where it needs to be and allow for a few inches in the front for a fore-shaft insert to slide in requires some choosiness, but it is worth it.
Following final sanding I heat treated each tip to harden it. I have used coals and heat guns to accomplish this depending on what was more convenient.
Once done I used a satin finish Min-wax sealant just to make them look nice. I wrapped a few loops of thin dogbane around the phrag. tips and inserted the hardwood tip. Use your preferred adhesive here to keep things in place. I do not know if the Chickasaw did but I like my inserts to stay put unless there is a practical reason to do otherwise.
