rivercane???? switchcane??? help identify!!

[trick00]

Is this stuff good for arrows? I have forests of this within walking distance of my house. It seems to mature at about 20' tall and about 1 " in diameter. I live in southwest  Arkansas  if that has any bearing. Thanks

[Looper]

It looks like river cane to me.  I'd use it for arrows in a heart beat. Wait until the winter to cut it. You want to cut 36" pieces and around 3/8" diameter in the middle of the shafts.  The bottom will be larger, the top, smaller, of course.  The extra length will give you some room to find the right spine.  Bundle them together and let them dry for a few months.  Then the work begins.

[lithicchipper]

River cane.  Excellent primitive shafting material. Will be light for hunting but weight can be increased by placing a 1/4 inch dowel in the hollow.  Also can increase weight by adding a foreshaft.

[Friends call me Pac]

I cut 6 dz shafts last month near the Air Force Base in Jacksonville.  I bundled them up and have them drying in the shed.  I'm actually looking forward to how the turn out.  Looks like the same stuff to me.

[Pat B]

Switch cane(Arundaneria tecta) only grows to about 6' in height. River cane (A. gigantia) will reach 12' to 15' and usually about 3/4" in diameter. Also river cane has thin walls with a large center opening and a very defined sulcus(the indentation above the node). What you have might be river cane but I suspect it is one of the Asian imports. Looks like it should make good arrows though.

[bolong]

Trick00 I have always known it as switchcane. I live in SW arkansas also and that's all I've ever heard it called. I have never tried to use it for arrow shafts but have thought about it. There's a surplus of it around here too so I may give it a try.

[trick00]

Thanks for the input guys. I will try some