Where do you buy your bamboo ?

[Pat O]

I'm looking for a good bamboo supplier and would like to know where some of you get your bamboo from and what species you are using ? I have been using moso bamboo from franksupply for years but the latest batch I got from them I had bad luck with it pulling up splinters on the backs of the bows. I wanted to try some tonkin bamboo and did buy some 6" poles from ACE THACT in Florida and it was all dry wroughted and brittle. It was useless for bow making and they wouldn't take it back or refund me in any way.I need to get some more bamboo and would like to know from where and what species you have had good luck with. thanks for your help Pat

[Ryano]

I think you mean dry rotted. 

[Justin Snyder]

You have good timing PatO. I was just about to order some from Franks, I think Ill wait and see what everybody says now.  Justin

[Gordon]

Here's where I got mine - I'm pretty happy with their product and service.

http://www.calibamboo.com/index.html?gclid=CNiugsTm5ZACFQUngwodWT41XA

[tradrick]

Gordon,when you order your bamboo from the place you listed,do you order the slats?And do they ship in quanities less than 100?Thanks tradrick

[Gordon]

Yes to both questions. I believe their minimum order is 25 slats.

[tom sawyer]

I got a batch from Franks Rush and Cane, its worked well for me.  I bought a lot of 25 planks to save money.  I've heard other say their product is more prone to failure, as a result of being a certain type of bamboo.  This is from commercial guys who really can't afford to have a failure.  But I've had good luck so far, no failures.

[mullet]

   Can't help you there,I cut mine.

[markinengland]

I got some from a garden centre her ein the UK as raw poles and it ws OK.
I got some large diameter poles from an importer of bamboo poles and that was even better.
Personally (because I have no choice here in the UK and have to prepare my own) I think there is little to be gained from buying prepared slats when it is so easy to get whole poles. split them cut them roughly to width and depth on a bandsaw and leave them to dry. cost is very low done this way.
Mark in England

[Glenn R.]

I saw  ' 6" bamboo '  on the above post---is this about the right size for making backing?

[Ryano]

Lennie, Pat (my brother) has always goten his bamboo from franks supply and never had a problem with it until the last batch. The bows he made with the bad batch of boo failed after many hundreds of shots with no warning at all.

[Pat O]

Thanks everyone for the input. Gordon I have look at that site before and they only carry 1 3/4" wide slats. How is the crown on this bamboo ? I was a little worry that they may have been using smaller poles to cut the slats out of. has anyone had problems with moso bamboo pulling up splinters on higher poundage bows ?

[Rich Saffold]

 I have never had a problem with Franks bamboo lifting splinters.  In the last 15+ years of buying their bamboo I only had one black bamboo pole which is smaller than I ordered with a couple cracks. I had another one at the front door the next day..

100#+ bows at a hair over an inch wide strain enough?

Usually the bowyers who had trouble with Franks, order a lot, and they live 1000's of miles away. I can't imagine having to use that shipment of bamboo for bows after its been getting cooked in a box car getting to 140 degrees  or more as it sits in AZ. for a spell.  Then encountering intense humidity in the Midwest to compound the effect.  Even if it flies, it may be subject to conditions which you don't want bamboo subjected to..

.Your bamboo may look great when you get it, and it was probably fine when it left, but its bamboo and it cant really take these extremes. None of the local bowyers, and there are many ever have any problem with Franks bamboo. This topic pops up every now and then with the same basic conclusion..

 It's always going to be a crapshoot..Unless the stuff grows where you live..

Rich-surrounded by the stuff

[Gordon]

Pat, the slats may only be 1 3/4" wide, but they were cut from poles that were clearly much larger diameter than that - there is very little crown. So far I have only made one bow from this batch, but it seems to be holding up fine.

[Ryano]

Rich, we're talking about a well tillered bow pulling up a splinter a year or so later for seemingly no reason at all. My brother builds quite a few bows a year and they are 99% bamboo backed, he has bought quite a bit of boo from frank's suppy over the last few years and only had trouble with the last batch he got. I dont think were dealing with dry checking or anything like that here. Also these bows are pulling up splinters in between the nodes, so I dont think it is human error.