Mock Orange arrowshafts

[loon]

Thanks Pat, Last fall we moved out of Salt lake to the mountains. I'll have to see if it grows above 7000 ft.

Loon- I've made lots of Miwok style and replica bows. One of my main bows is a 49" Miwok style juniper bow with 5 layers of sinew. I have it posted here somewhere a while back. I'll find it and post a link. When I was living is CA I made quite a few from incense cedar branches. Had a article published in PA a while back about them. I think it is a great design for heavy sinew backed juniper and incense cedar.

I'd like to get whatever issue had that article...

[majsnuff]

There are several shrubs called Mock Orange, "Syringa" (Philadelphus lewisii) The Idaho State Shrub, is great for arrows. The pith core is not large and  the wood when burnished resembles Ivory in color and texture. It is one of my favorite arrow shafts. Once straightened it hold well long periods of time. This particular Mock Orange works easily in straightening and diameter reduction. Try it, you will like it.

[Dirkthearcher]

Thanks for all the information. I may plant japanese arrow bamboo, I think I will have better results with that. Does anyone know how bamboo will take to establish versus mock orange?

[DC]

Take a look at "Fargisia scabrida". It's a clumping bamboo so not quite as invasive as Japanese arrow bamboo. It has very round canes and grows nice and straight. I planted one 3 years ago and will start harvesting canes this year. I think it's also called Chinese arrow bamboo. It's the stuff Pandas eat apparently.

[Pat B]

Japanese arrow bamboo is very invasive and will take over. Also, I've found them to be physically light weight.
 Another clumping bamboo is Bambusa multiplex if it will grow in your area. It can't take extreme cold. A friend in coastal SC has a clump in his yard that's been there for 60 years and the clump is only about 8' in diameter. The culms for this bambusa are about 15' tall, very round with 12"+ internodes so each arrow only has 2 nodes. Bambusa also makes great cane fishing poles.

[DC]

On my Fargesia the nodes are much closer, about 6" so maybe the Bambusa is the way to go. My plant is young and the canes I measured are this years so they are still growing. The internodes may lengthen some. The nodes are so unobtrusive that a little sanding would take them right of so they might not be an issue. Here's a picture of one of last years canes that i cut this spring. It's still drying.

[Pat B]

Generally bamboo culms(canes) grow to their intimate height and girth the first year then mature(walls thicken) the next year or so. The Bambusa also has nodes that are not excessive and the walls are thick with a small diameter hole in the center.

[DC]

Sounds like i should have used Bambusa but it would be borderline hardy here. Dirk is in South Africa so he shouldn't have any trouble.