Rivercane flight arrow

[Robert Pougnier]

Had an extra light shaft of rivercane from NC that I decided to turn into my one and only flight arrow.

Shaft is rivercane with sourwood nock insert and plug at tip. Tiny american bison bullet point. fletch is 2.5 inches.

28 inches long, 300 grains, center balanced.

[bjrogg]

Hope it flies as good as it look’s Robert

Bjrogg

[Pat B]

Nice flight arrow, Robert. Let us know how it flies.
 A note about cane arrows...You can make self nocks in cane arrows without inserts. That's how I do it. Just cut in the nock and add a sinew wrap in front of it. I've never had a self nock fail unless hit by another arrow. The sinew wrap will hold it together without fail. And it will reduce the physical weight as far as a flight arrow goes. Even on the point end with stone or trade points the sinew wrap will hold it all together. I used to insert a small dowel into the cane but realized it wasn't necessary so I stopped doing it. With field points or glue on points I just taper the point end and glue on the point. You do have to use a sanding type tapered. In my experience a pencil sharpener type taper tool doesn't work well with cane.

[Robert Pougnier]

Thanks!

That's great to know Pat. I'm new to cane arrows, made my first two dozen this fall and was definitely worried about the ends splitting. I'm beginning to realize how tough the material really is and have gradually been trusting it more. My most recent batch (still drying from finish) has inserts into both ends but flush rather than built out. I'll post them in the next couple days.

Next batch I will try them as true self arrows. I appreciate the feedback!

I haven't got to shoot this one yet. I am currently in South Carolina and not in my home area so I don't have the space to shoot it. I really want to do some distance shooting with this arrow and test it on a few of my bows. It looks like a lot of fun really. If I get a chance to do that and measure the distances I'll post some results.

[Pat B]

Where in SC are you. We lived in Bluffton, outside of Hilton Head Is for 12 years before we moved to Brevard, NC in 1990.
 I think the cane you are cutting is switch cane(Arundaneria tecta) one of the 3 native varieties of cane. Up here in the mountains we have hill cane(A. Appalachiana). It is very similar to hill cane but better I think. Both make good arrows. River cane(A. gigantia) makes ok arrows but not as good as the other 2 native canes. River cane grows up to about 15' or more and is about 3/4" in diameter at the base. I think "river cane" is a generic name most folks call any cane used for arrows.

[Robert Pougnier]

I'm just outside of Georgetown right now.

I had some cane that I harvested years ago from the Asheville NC area. It was on streambeds. Could that be hill cane? I most recently harvested some in SC around the Waccamaw river and near Santee, maybe that is switch cane? I don't remember the day I harvested the ones in NC so I can't say how different they looked in the ground. But the raw shafts look very similar. I have both side by side right now. I'll try and get some definitive ID features next time I harvest them so that I know which ones they are, I did not know we had three species! Thanks for the information.

Off topic, but since you are in NC do you ever go to the trad shoot in Conover NC? I will be in the Asheville area for the month of March and was hoping to attend.

[Pat B]

I've never been to the Trad shoot in Conover. I used to go to the one near Hickory put on by CTA(Carolina Traditional Archers) but it's no longer. There used to be more shoots around here in NC and SC but most have gone by the wayside. The only one I go to now is the Tenn. Classic, just north of Nashville in late April/early May. That at Pappy's farm, Twin Oaks. If you ever get there you will wonder why you've never been before. It's not only a Trad shoot but selfbow building too. You will start seeing posts soon about the Tenn Classic and if you search there is lots of info and pics of that here on PA.
 The cane you got from Asheville was probably is hill cane. It only grows in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Hill cane is more round with thicker walls and a distinct taper. It is the only native cane that is deciduous, loosing it's leaves every winter.
 Also all of the 3 native canes have a 3 year growth cycle. The first year it grows to it's ultimate height. The second year it matures and after the 3rd growing season that culm(cane) dies. Harvesting happens after the second growing season into the 3rd growing season. If you cut immature culms they will wrinkle lengthwise as they dry and will be more flimsy. I usually harvest in January and February. You can tell if the culm is ready to harvest because the paper sheath at the nodes is deteriorating or already gone. The arrows I make from hill cane are 30" long and 3/8" at the point and 5/16" at the nock and the complete arrow can weigh from the high 400grs to almost 600grs.
 I'm fortunate to have hill cane growing along the creek that runs through our property.