Gonna try River cane arra's!

[the Ferret]

Here's a link to making trades from Woodmizer bandsaw blades..all you need is an old blade and a dremel too.

  http://groups.msn.com/ferretsarcherywebpage/makingtradepoints.msnw  

Don't know about making them from spoons, doesn't seem like they'd hold an edge.

Marvin, I get as far south as Paris, Ky on my sales routes, think that's far enough south to look for cane (about 100 miles south of Cinti)

[Dano]

Mickey, we have cane here in central and southern Illinois.   :cool:

[the Ferret]

No kidding Dano? You should gather some and bring it to Mojam for trade material.

Calvin, menat to mention I love the quality of your photos with the tackleboxes and tools in the background and on the table. Crisp, clear, good color....Class pics!

[Flatstick]

Dano,

Where abouts in IL can I find rivercane? I live in west central IN, across the state line from Paris IL. If the stuff is around I sure would like to round it up and try making arrows of it.

[Dano]

Flatstick, I found quite a bit south of Centralia, just have to keep an eye open, Most of what I've found has been in roadside ditches. Then you have to search the patch for the larger diameter stalks.

Mickey, I'll have 5 dozen to trade, ya think that will do?

[Poboy]

Mickey, how many raw cane shafts ya want? I got them by the thousands down in MS.   I have everything from new shoots to  the big stuff that is 8 1/2" in diameter   :eek:  . Just send me an email, I'm sure we can work out some kind of trade!  

[the Ferret]

LOL that should get you some good stuff in trade Dano. You can propbably score a piece of decent osage for a dozen shafts.

[Madpigslayer]

ok. I was keeping track of pictures of my buffalo sinew experiments...and figured maybe someone out there has an interest. I stopped into a packer house the other day, and grabbed a couple of pieces of buff tendon to experiment with. the results are   here.  

I took it from fresh cut off of the carcass to reduced to sinew strings in 5 days. I will use this sinew to tie the turkey feathers onto my new rivercane arrows.

Hope you find it interesting.

[the Ferret]

Calvin, again nice pics. Need something in there for scale like a ruler or a piece of deer leg sinew. Tendons look thick but not as long as I'd expect unless it's an optical illusion. Anyway you look at it it's a bunch of pounding eh?

[Marvin M.]

Ferret,

I work in Cynthiana.  That is about 15 miles from Paris.  I live in Lexington and the place I talked about is just across the river south of Lexington.  I have seen it here around Cynthiana and Paris.  Next time you are down, get in touch.  I know a couple of farmers here in Cynthiana.  I will try to scout some out for you and get you a load of the stuff before you leave.  You can teach me how to pick it.  

Calvin,

I think I am going to try to make some of those spoon points.  Seems like it shouldn't be too hard.  You have inspired me to get out my stash of cane and get busy.  My problem is time limitation as you mentioned.  I leave home before 7:00 and if I am lucky I make it back by 7:00.  Half my weekends are tied up with family, and I usually use my lunch hour to shoot.  Doesn't leave much time.

Nice stash of sinew by the way.

[the Ferret]

Marvin I'm familiar with Cynthiana. I call on both the city (the garage is down by the post office on the street by Walmart) and Harrison County's garage (their garage is on the street by the strip mall past KFC). Was just down there a couple of days ago. Look at the street signs in Cynthiana, chances are they came from my company. I'll be down that way again in about a month. Email me at [email protected] with info how I can find you when I'm in town.

[Marvin M.]

Ferret,

You've got mail.

[Madpigslayer]

Yer pretty quick Mickey! those tendons are quite short probably only 5-6 inches long. The butcher volunteered to hack some off, I didnt argue, and told him about maximun length after. It will just make more work, shouldnt be any problem other than that. The next ones will be longer. should does make a lot of sinew from a little tendon!

[Madpigslayer]

Murray Gaskins sent me these   pictures  to show me what some of his arrows look like. One has a bone point, one has a banding trade point and a good view of foreshafts as well.

Thanks Mr. G!

[Murray]

Calvin,
One interesting thing about those particular arrow points is  that they both have taken game. I made them several years ago, when I kill a deer or hog with an arrow I will set it back sometimes so I cn look at it from time to time. I have taken a good number of hogs and deer with obsidian points, different kinds of flint and with trade points I have made from banding material.
 I am sure it will happen sometime but those arrows could both be used again. Rivercane is very tough material.  Thanks, Murray

[Murray]

I meant to say that I am sure I will break a Rivercane arrow sometime, but it hasn't happened yet. Take care, murray

[Murray]

Doggone it I meant to write I'd probably break one of them sometime.  Take care, Murray

[Terry Green]

Murray,

See that pencil and paper above your post?

You can click that, and correct your mistakes.  I'll fix this one for ya,...so you can see how it works.

[Madpigslayer]

Thanks Murray (and Terry!) I am really liking this arrow shaft material...as mentioned earlier, I havent seen it before. If these things turn out half as nice as I think they will...I might be using them a lot! something about a self bow and a cane arrow that works for me. I really like having the bow and arrow match visually.

Murray, I have seen several cane arrows now (online) that have the point end doweled (some not even doweled) and tapered with the point right on the end. Is there any reason you would recommend a "foot" on the cane? beside the obvious good looks of it. just curious. I would have asked you in an email, but since you are here, maybe your answer will help others as well.

just curious! Thanks!!  :D

[Murray]

Dear Calvin,
I have been working through some of this exact subject with a couple of other guys in the last day or two, it's odd that you asked about it but is really dead on. Sometimes I will install a glued on tip to my arrow but not always. If I do that I do fill the hollow part of the shaft with a dowel and glue to get the weight forward effect without even seeing it. You can add sand or anything else to get the weight weight right.

I like to make a removable fore shaft because it can come out if you do not get complete penetration. If the foreshaft comes out and the main shaft drops away the wound opens up and the blood trail is better. I have also never broken one of these arrows that drops away because as soon as it hits a sapling or tree, it is yanked apart, is out and the shaft is on the ground.

Another reason for a separable  foreshaft is that you can make them more quickly and they do not have to be dedicated to the arrow. You can make up a dozen pile ends and if you want to smack a rabbit or squirrel with a blunt you can be ready in a minute. In other words you can have three good arrows and several types of points plus youcan have sharp points ready to install. You can sharpen points more easily by having a shorter piece of wood in your hand and you can use the foreshaft as a handle.  I can come up with some other reasons but those are some good ones.  

Take care, Murray