Author Topic: Cut first river cane shafts  (Read 2271 times)

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Offline Morgan

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Cut first river cane shafts
« on: September 08, 2017, 03:53:17 pm »
So, I went down to the creek and cut 27 canes yesterday for making arrows. This is my first go with this. Yesterday afternoon I was reading several posts on here about this and am now worried that I cut first year growth. All the shoots looked the same in this canebreak, the only variance was size. Each node had a leaf encompassing it growing upward. Under thet leaf, was twig branches with leaves on them. Like I said, every shoot in this break was like this. Is it all first year cane? This particular cane break isn't large, but has been there since I was a kid, so I know it is established and should have mature cane in it. There was a lot of cane that was soft and easily bent, I passed that by.
If what I got was first year, is it all trash, or can it be used?

Offline Pat B

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Re: Cut first river cane shafts
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2017, 08:01:47 pm »
You'll be able to tell is it is first year growth in a few weeks when it starts to dry. Young shoots will wrinkle lengthwise and mature ones won't.
 Where do you live?  River cane grows to about 15' tall and about 3/4" in diameter. Switch cane grows to 6' to 7' tall and to a little over 3/8" in diameter. Switch cane makes very good arrows. River cane makes good arrows but it has thinner walls and a more pronounced node so the shaft is pretty irregular.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Morgan

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Re: Cut first river cane shafts
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2017, 08:18:28 pm »
Pat, I live in northeast Oklahoma. Fairly certain this is river cane, nodes are pretty pronounced and the wall isn't real heavy . In the bigger cane breaks on the river bottom the cane gets bigger than the break I went to. Most of the cane in this break was 1/2" or smaller and not growing as dense as some of the others I know of. Might put my kayak in the creek and go to some of the bigger ones I know of if these don't work.

Offline Morgan

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Re: Cut first river cane shafts
« Reply #3 on: September 08, 2017, 08:19:13 pm »
I bundled the cane and put it in the car to dry. Anything wrong with that?

Offline Morgan

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Re: Cut first river cane shafts
« Reply #4 on: September 08, 2017, 08:24:46 pm »
Pat,Just pulled the bundle out of the car. There are wrinkles running lengthways already. Does this mean it is not useable?

Offline Pat B

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Re: Cut first river cane shafts
« Reply #5 on: September 08, 2017, 10:02:50 pm »
They may make arrows but they will be weak spine. Let them dry and see if they are too whipy.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC