Primitive Arrows

[Stan Payne]

Hey gang, I just registered this morning. I am a primitive archer from Alabama and also a master flintknapper. Does anyone out there use cane arrows with stone points like I do? Just curious! Stan

[trashwood]

I have taken a turkey with a knapped point and cane arrow.  anybody can build a bow, takes a lot of work to build an arrow, takes a lot of practice to knap a good hunting point.  take a bleeding genius to build a primitive string.

rusty

[Stan Payne]

Rusty, can you post pics on here? I have pics of my arrows and handmade quiver. I dont know how to post pics here yet. Can anyone help? Stan

[coaster500]

THE TRAD GANG CRITERIA FOR POSTING IMAGES

We do NOT allow posted images wider than 640 pixels! You MUST edit all larger images down to 640 pixels or less in width. There are no exceptions to this rule - if we find a posted image that's WIDER than 640 pixels, we reserve the right to delete it without warning or explanation!

HOW TO POST YOUR IMAGE AT TRAD GANG

The image/picture you wish to add to a post must reside somewhere on the Internet (on a server) - you can't post an image directly from your computer.

If you don't have server space to use, we strongly suggest you register with ANY online image archive client - there are lots to choose from and one that I recommend is  www.PhotoBucket.com  - it's a FREE Internet image storing service that will allow the unrestricted remote access of your image (this is important! most online image storage services will not allow remote image access!).

You MUST resize your image to no wider than 640 pixels before uploading to PhotoBucket. For PhotoBucket image tutorials, click the hotlink below ...

 www.tutorials.photobucket.com/

Underneath the PhotoBucket image are three code lines - you want to select the last code line that's labeled "Img". This action will automatically load that image address code to your browser's "clipboard".

Now go to Trad Gang, login if you haven't already, and either create a new topic post or reply to an existing topic post. You can paste that image text anywhere within your post and the image will be seen by all ...

Here's what the image code will look like when you paste it into your post ...


code:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Pat B]

I hunt with selfbows, cane and hardwood shoot arrows and stone and trade points. I'm not a knapper so I rely on friends who knap to trade points and blades for bows and arrows. Below is a pic of my last years hunting set up and some close ups of my arrows. One of the bows is osage selfbow, bendy handle, static recurve the other is a yew selfbow. both about 47#@26"  These arrows are hill cane(Arundaneria appalaciana) from along my driveway and the points are hafted with pitch glue. The wraps on the points, self nocks and to attach the fletching(2 fletch) is sinew and are sealed with pitch varnish.
 
 

[razorsharptokill]

 

[Stan Payne]

VERY nice Southeastern fletching dude! Stan

[RightTrailWrongTime]

I have dabbled in this a little, I just knapped 3 heads from preforms(guess i cheated) and one that i was able to make from a spall.
Although earlier this year I missed with a cane arrow and stone point I did manage to take my first with a selfbow which was really cool, now that I have 6 more arrows made I just need to mount the heads and I'm ready.
 The cane I have is really pretty stiff but all three of my stone points weigh in at 294-304 grains with the other at 174.
The gun hunters are out for the next week so I'll be ready to get back out once their done. Hoping to take a deer with a selfbow and cane arrow/stone point!
I wrapped the fletching with art sinew using turkey feathers from birds I've taken.
I bought the preforms because for the life of me I'd break 10 pounds of rock and only get a few usable pieces- I must be doing it wrong I guess?

[razorsharptokill]

Still using preforms myself. Its just good conservation of the resource.

[Bill Skinner]

Hi Stanley!  Bill

[trashwood]

Down in the boggy river bottom I have privet, lots and lots of privet.  I collect it, dry it, plane it down, sand it.  

I got several friends that are knappers. I get their cast off.  the lumps are not gonna make a big game point but will make a small game point.  small game bowhunting, squirrels, swamp rabbit and cottontials are by far my favorite targets.  

Primitive arrow are fun to build, cheap to build if ya don't count time, and very effective with the over thick, tuff points.

  http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vD4p_L6GWG5w0SOWu59P2g?feat=directlink  


rusty

[Pat B]

I have used privet also with good results. It is heavy and tough!!!  It will check badly if you remove the bark too soon though.
  Building primitive arrows is definitely a labor of love. I can easily spend 2 hours on one arrow but if you work on arrows between one hunting season and the next you will have plenty of time to make arrows.

[K. Mogensen]

I am going to build an all bamboo bow and would like to use semi primitive bamboo arrows also. But I'll be using trade points instead.

[freefeet]

Originally posted by trashwood:
take a bleeding genius to build a primitive string.

This is the bit i'm really interested in.  Is this possible with traditionally grown and retted flax?

[Broken Arrow 1]

I am working on it! I'm still holding out hope for my first Bone point kill this year!

[trashwood]

freefeet - yes it will.  I don't know how. I think you would spin it into threads and twist it into a bow string.  I have used gut, dried squirrel hide and sinew.  Since I am not a bleeding genius...they didn't work to well.  if you practiced long enough with sinew and kept the string dry it would work well.  it will take a lot of spinning practice.

rusty

[trashwood]

btw i have made a couple of strings using linen leather sewing thread.  twisted into bundles then into a bow string.   I have forgot how many threads i used,  think i found the info online some where.

rusty