question on these primitive jagger shafts

[timmyd]

went behind my in laws place yesterday and cut some of these red briar shafts. has anyone ever used these before and are they decent material for arrows?

[Pat B]

Never heard of red brier. Is it one of the bramble fruits like raspberry or black berry. If so the canes are pithy. They should make a good arrow but they won't be very durable.  Where do you  live?

[timmyd]

im in Western PA. I don't know what the name of them are. we have basically two types of wild brier bushes that grow in abundance in these parts. One is green and one is a dark red. these are the dark red ones and have little thorns all over them.

[Pat B]

Do they have a thick, pithy center?

[timmyd]

yeah they do...I'm thinking not really good?

[Pat B]

Like I said, they will make arrows, just not very durable. Sinew wrap at the nock and point will strengthen them up.

[archeryrob]

The green one is Multiflora rose and a great arrow wood. Its different in that you need to straighten it mostly while green and drying. I have not had another arrow wood like it. Gather them and strip the thorns and bark right away and straighten. As they start to dry over days you will notice they start to stay straight. Shafts that are pure green can be too small sometimes. you'll have to size guess and they shrink in diameter and the pith core gets smaller as it grows larger. I have noticed it will split with the grain and ruin on too heavy of a bend on heat straightening. so better to get it close in green straightening.

The red briars are likely raspberry or black raspberry and going to waste a lot of your time and break easily.