cane arrow test kits

[bornagainbowhunter]

Anyone know where to buy a good cane arrow test kit.  I am wanting to start shooting cane from a selfbow.  I don't know anything about cane.  Any info on good places to buy it would be appriciated.

John

[ber643]

That is not going to be all that easy to find - in my experience. I can tell you who knows about as much about cane as anyone going though and that is Pat B, of NC, right here on trad gang. Not sure if he is selling anything these days or not. Also if you do searches here you will find a lot of threads discussing cane and cane arrows. David Knight is another from NC and he sells cane and bamboo shafts and arrows, and wood bows. Art Butner of WV makes the finest cane arrows going IMO(and that's saying something 'cause these other guys are great too - but he never sells any of his stuff). Hope this helps you some. Cane arrows are very tough and extremely forgiving - that is why they are so desireable and enjoy popularity. They are relatively work intensive though.

[Looper]

http://www.3riversarchery.com/Heat+Tempered+Bamboo+Arrow+Shafts+6pk._o9_i6640_listproduct.html

I have some and they're pretty good.

[oneshot-onekill]

You might want to pm Bowferd he made some up for the St. Judes auction...I just happened to win...they are sweet.

[NoCams]

I do not remember the vendor that was at the TN Classic this year that had cane or actually I think they were bamboo ? At first glance these shafts looked like woodies ! Very straight, spine matched within 5 lbs and weight matched within 10 grains if I remember right. They were $50 a dozen for bare shafts which I felt was a fair price. It was obvious they had put a lot of work into these shafts.

[jonathan creason]

Originally posted by NoCams:
I do not remember the vendor that was at the TN Classic this year that had cane or actually I think they were bamboo ? At first glance these shafts looked like woodies ! Very straight, spine matched within 5 lbs and weight matched within 10 grains if I remember right. They were $50 a dozen for bare shafts which I felt was a fair price. It was obvious they had put a lot of work into these shafts.

That was likely David and Cora Knight.  They make some awesome tonkin arrows.

[ber643]

That was what I was going to say too. I have bought boo shafts from him a couple of times - quality stuff and grading. David sold me a 1/2 dzn both times (two recent ATARs as I recall) but not sure that he normally does that.

[Mudd]

I have a huge patch of Japanese arrow bamboo that you're more than welcome to come cut all you want.

Shoot, you can cut the entire patch if you have a truck large enough to haul it.

I also have another variety that have some pieces large enough that I backed a small elb of Osage with it. It would also make great fishing poles that will reach across a medium sized stream.

I know that just like my hair, it'll grow back..lol

God bless,Mudd

[ber643]

LOL - don't count on the hair, Mudd, but the bamboo will definitely grow back. Just try to get rid of it - LOL. Even at that you are lucky if you have Japanese Bamboo of a type that is round (without the "channel" in one side) for arrows. We are lucky here in NC with River Cane, as they call it. One still has to know about when and which "growth" to harvest - and that is where Pat B has the knowledge. I wrote it down but still I wouldn't be comfortable with trying to impart it to others - don't have enough experience yet (and have sort of stopped harvesting - at least for awhile).

[bornagainbowhunter]

Looper, I looked on the site you posted, thank you.  I still am not sure about spine.  I have never used cane, but assuem it is spined by the diameter of the shaft, is that right??

Mudd, I really need to come up there.  I would love to meet you.  Your boo is a good offer also.  I am getting ready to build a bow, osage and boo, maybe you could give me some pointers in that direction too.

Thanks for all the help guys!!

[Mudd]

My Japanese bamboo is rounder and smoother than a fat baby's behind...lol

I'd be sorely disappointed if it were to die out, either of them. If it weren't for the bamboo growing in my yard I'd have to push mow the entire 3/4 of an acre with a push mower. As it is now about a 3rd of my yard is covered so I don't have to mow it.

God bless,Mudd

[Looper]

I'm not sure how it's spined.  It's naturally tapered and the shafts are 33" long.  If you need stiffer, cut from the butt end.  If you need weaker, cut from the tip. I think they're really forgiving of spine, though. Plus, you've got a long of room to work with.  What pound bow are you going to use them on?

[bornagainbowhunter]

The bow should finish out about 60#ish.  The bow will not have much of a shelf so the shaft would need to be weaker the a 60# spine.

[reddogge]

As it is now about a 3rd of my yard is covered so I don't have to mow it.
 

Give it a few years Mudd and it will be 100% covered and you can sell the mower.

[Ed Q]

I can't answer your question about cane test arrows, but if you're interested in bamboo arrows, I recently got some really nice ones, fully fletched and nocked from Glacier Traditional Archery through an online store called The Possible Shop.

[Pat B]

The bamboo arrows at 3Rivers is probably David and Cora Knights stuff. They have been working with 3Rivers on arrows, shafting and boo backed ipe glue-ups. Contact David and he will work with you. (Primalneedarchery)
  I make my own cane arrows from native cane that grows along my driveway. It is Arundaneria appalaciana(hill cane) which is very similar to switch cane(A. tecta) another native cane. The third native cane is A. gigantia(river Cane) it is larger than the other two but you can make arrows from smaller culms or the tops of the bigger stuff.
  The cane that David Knight sells is heat tempered Tonkin cane. It is a bit smaller in diameter but will spine out in all spine weights and David and Cora sell it in matched sets. It makes very good arrows!