Horseweed

[Pat B]

A few months ago someone posted a pic of a plant he was trying to ID. This plant has thin leaves whorled all up and down the stem and at that time it was fairly short. Thinking back I think that plant was horseweed. Now is a good time to ID horseweed while it's blooming. If you Google horseweed you can see pics.
 The reason I'm bringing this back up is because now is a good time to harvest horseweed for arrow shafting. You may not think that annual weeds can be suitable for arrows but some can and horseweed is definitely one. PA published an article years ago that highlighted horseweed as a shafting material.
 Years ago I built a replica of Jay Massey's Medicine bow, a sinew backed hickory bow. I made this bow but everything in it came from other PA members and to complete the build I offered the bow to anyone that had participated in this bow build I would send them the bow to hunt with.
To make a long story long...I sent the bow to Jamie Leffler from Connecticut and Jamie harvested a doe with this bow(I think Mullet harvested either a turkey or hog with this bow), a horseweed arrow and stone point. Jamie sent the arrow to me but the point had been lost. I still have it in my arrow collection.
Anyway, horseweed will make a good hunting arrow. It's not as durable as other shafting but for short term use it can be very effective.
 So if you are having a hard time finding shafting materials look for horseweed. It can be found in waste area and in overgrown fields. Look at the pics in Google to help you ID it. It is pretty unique looking at this time of year and when you find it you will have plenty of stems to use as arrows.

[Outbackbob48]

Pat, never thought to use for arrows but every yr. I collect a bundle and tie up to keep straight , Horseweed is my go to hand drill spindle, for hand drill primitive fire. Nice to know I know have dual purpose shafts. Bob

[Buck67]

Pat, do you gather the Horseweed while green or wait for the end of Summer.

[Pat B]

Probably at least 2, Bob. I never thought of using it for fire drill spindles.   
 Buck, I'd harvest it before it died. I think after it flowers and goes to seed. The problem with herbaceous material is it deteriorates pretty quickly after it makes seeds. It may still be good for fire drills but I'd be afraid to use it for arrows much later.

[Hawkdancer]

Has anyone tried hemp?  It seems to grow fairly long and straight, and dries pretty tough.  I will have to talk to my local hemp farmers to get more info!
Hawkdancer

[Pat B]

I have tried it but it made me dizzy. 
Hemp stems are pretty tough so if you can find them straight enough and the right size I'm sure they'd work.  Also, you'd have to be careful where you used them. I wouldn't travel with them. 

[Outbackbob48]

Pat, I gather Horseweed at the end of growing season, still a little green but dry out strong and wall thickness is at its peak , like you said deteriorates after winter moisture arrives. Horseweed is perfect for handdrills . Long, straight, tuff and have a pithy center for easy dust and easy ignition to a coal on a pc of white pine hearth board. Seem to have also made the Ready Round up jump where it will not kill it, I see lots of Horseweed in the Soybean fields late in the season. Bob

[Pat B]

Interesting about the Round Up resistance. I think lots of common weeds are becoming pesticide resistant.
 Do you use sound white pine or slightly doughty wood. We have lots of white pines and many on the ground. Same with poplar.

[Outbackbob48]

Pat, sound but dry and I try and stay away from resin or pitch areas, split out a rough board about the same thickness as your little finger  or same dia. as my drill. Some of these bean fields there is not a single weed then I started to notice single tall weeds around August. Horseweed some how seems to grow. At first I thought Horseweed was some how mixed in the bean seed. Now it seems to be everywhere but I really notice in soybeans. I have been seeing a lot of wild parsnip in the road ditchs lately, bad invasive and will burn  ya.  Bob

[neuse]

Always learning.
Didn't know what horseweed was until today, or it's uses.
I will be harvesting soon.
Seems really skinny for arrows.

[Pat B]

Neuse, I've seen it over 3/8" at the base.

[Outbackbob48]

Favorite handdrill is 3\8 to 1/2.  It is about all the horse power that I have. I did watch a young  strong man spin a 1 inch or bigger mullein stalk to a coal. Just like watching and old Craftsman 1/2" drill, Powerful. Horseweed doesn,t seem to shrink much while drying. I have harvested some golden rod to try for handrills and when dryed were half the dia. Bob