cane ID

[chessieboy]

Found this in south central pa. The size fits arrow cane but thought you guys might chime in.  It really doesn't matter I'm going to try it anyway just like to know what I'm dealing with.  Thanks Bill















bright thing is a can of chew for size comparison.

[Hillbilly]

That looks more like Chinese golden bamboo, aka fishpole bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea). There scads of it around here, it's naturalized all up and down the rivers. I've made some fairly good arrows from it before-the trick is finding shoots small enough without the big flat dished in areas above the nodes. How big are the biggest plants? if you could post a pic of the whole thing it would be easier to say for sure.

[mullet]

    I agree withy Hillbilly. I've had better luck finding rounded ones in real shady areas or deep in the clump.

[Mechslasher]

yep, looks like chinese boo.  might be able to make an arrow out of the tops and two year old + shoots.

[boze]

   Is there a difference between river cane and Phrags?

[mullet]

  Well, you can make turkey calls out of it.

[Hillbilly]

Is there a difference between river cane and Phrags?

There is an enormous difference. Phragmites reed is weak and flimsy. River cane is actually a woody hard-stemmed true bamboo. River cane arrows are almost indestructable. Some people make arrows from phrag reed, but they require foreshafts and nock inserts and are pretty light and fragile. River cane makes heavy, tough, serious hunting arrows. One thing to watch out for is that especially out west, a lot of people call arundo (giant reed) river cane. Arundo and phragmites are pretty similar.

[boze]

  Thanks Hillbilly!  Where I live there's a ton of phrags, I figured they weren't any good.

[xin]

:Phragmites isn't all that bad for making arrows..  As noted, just use nock inserts and foreshafts.  Rivercane is just a lot tougher than phragmites or anything else  That doesn't mean phragmites doesn't make good serviceable arrows.