Best cane? Pics added

[Gsulfridge]

Which cane is more preferred, hill or river cane?

[stringstretcher]

In my opinion it would definitely be the hill cane, when you can find it.

[Gsulfridge]

And why is that? Heavier? I think I found some. It is definitely not river cane. It is much thicker walled and doesn't grow as high and seems a darker green in color. It seems more round also. Does that sound like hill cane?

[stringstretcher]

Yes to an extent it does.  Pat B is the one to ask about the growth of hill cane, but here is what I have learned.  I have been on a search, as you well know, to get cane from different areas that people would offer to do some comparisons.  I have switch cane, hill cane, river cane and Jap Arrow Bamboo.  By far the hill cane is heavier and thicker walled offering up a lot heavier and higher FOC arrow.  The Jap Arrow Bamboo I have found (from my area) to be the lighest.

River cane and switch cane have more pronounced nodes and leaf scars which to some, make them a lot harder to straighten and work with.  I have found, with my limited experience so far, that the hill cane take a lot less heat to straighten and work up.  Have no idea why, but it does.

Hill cane and Jap Arrow Bamboo have the least amount of pronounced nodes and leaf scars.

I am compiling a lot of info and video footage as well as a huge amount of other info on making cane arrows and hope to have that available mid year.

[Gsulfridge]

I can't wait to see that video! Good luck with it.

[Gsulfridge]

Here is a couple pics of it compared to river cane. The river cane is mature (at least two seasons old). You can see that the river cane has a much larger opening and has faded more dramatically as it seasoned. In the second pic, you can see that the indentions above the nodes are much smaller to non existent on the mystery cane.

[Pat B]

If you don't live in the Southern Appalachian Mountains you don't have Hill cane. It is indigenous to a limited area in the mountains. One way to tell is hill cane has lost it leaves by this time of year. It is the only deciduous native cane.  You might have switch cane if it is one of the three native canes and not river cane. Switch cane makes very good arrows also.

[Gsulfridge]

Forgot to add the location. It is in the foothills of the Appalachian Mts and had very few limbs, leaves on it at the time of harvest.

[Pat B]

Can you get a pic of the living plants now? I might be able to tell better with a pic of the plant.

[Gsulfridge]

Sorry Pat, but pics of the live plant have to wait until this weekend, or the next time I travel to my hometown.  The more I study, the more I think that this is, as you suggest, switch cane.  Thanks for the info and insight.

[Roy]

Hill is the best in my opinion.

[Tom Leemans]

Grrrr! I was just in the foothills of TN in October! If I'd only known... We'd probably have looked a bit silly with a bunch of cane in the back of the car.