willow sapling shafts?

[iowabow]

I cut a bunch of willow and was  wondering if anyone has made arrows from them?

[Pat B]

John, the ones I cut a few years ago came out thick and light in spine and physical weight. I believe some NA tribes used willow for arrows. Maybe short arrows for short draw would be the ticket.

[iowabow]

Pat thats what I was wondering. Mine  spine at about 43# and about 400g at 28.

[Pat B]

Thats way better than I got, John. Mine looked like telephone poles but were flimsy. 
  Quite a few Plains and Western NA arrows were made from "red willow". I wonder if that wasn't red osier dogwood and not a true willow. Although a willow from a relativly arid part of the country could be quite different than one from the humid South.

[JackCrafty]

I've got some desert willow growing in my yard and there are a few suckers that are just right for arrows.  I need to go harvest those and try them out.  I was also under the impression that they were too weak... but maybe not.

[JW_Halverson]

I tried some willow once, and failed miserably.  Eventually I took all the shafts and started making a bundle bow.  Eventually the grip of the bow was as big around as a Foster's beer can and the bow had only about 15 lbs of draw weight. 

They went for tomato stakes and failed at that as well.

[killir duck]

i often use what folks around here call willow or red willow but it is actually red osier and it makes fine arrows espesialy for the short draw indian style bows

[crooketarrow]

 PATS RIGHT
  I cut some a few years back bundled and seasoned and they were way to light a spine. Maybe a kids bow 20#'s. I did'nt even try mine.

[wolfsire]

I've got some desert willow growing in my yard and there are a few suckers that are just right for arrows.  I need to go harvest those and try them out.  I was also under the impression that they were too weak... but maybe not.

Desert willow bark is very tough and difficult to remove once dry.  It does not need to be.  My last set of atlatl darts were made that way.  Fine, tough heavy arrows.

[iowabow]

After drying these in the driveway under the 100 degree heat I have some info. The spine is about  30# and 3/8 or larger and 380g so i am going to set them aside for kid bows. I have found a tree that grows very straight when under pressure for light. It is more dense at a smaller diameter. I am going to do an identification this morning on it. It is 1/4 to 11/32 in DIA & spines at 47# and is 550g. It is not cured out all the way but is very promising

[iowabow]

Here is a  comparison. The left is unidentified the right is willow. The left is more heavily spined and is smaller in dia.

[Pat B]

John, that is about the same results I got with willow.

[BowEd]

John did you try those honeysuckle shafts from Gun Doc yet?

[Josh B]

He probably would have if I had left them there.  I didn't realize there was an interest in them or I would have.   I have a bunch of em, so when John gets back home I'll drop some off.  Josh

[BowEd]

Gun Doc can you get 50 to 60 spine out of those honeysuckle?I've got some growing down near a wash.I used to make sling shots out of them when I was a kid.OOOpps guess I better check my words better I'm still a kid at heart.LOL.