What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a cane arrow?      :confused:  thanks all

Well I won't put it in those terms.  Cane arrows are another contact with the primitive past.  They take a bunch of time and effort to make and are never as straight as a carbon.  They are a little lumpy in appearance but fly great.  And when you take a game animal with one it will bring tears to your eyes.  So will loosing one.  LOL

I believe that hunting with a selfbow, cane arrows, knapped points is about as cool as you can get.

Mike

Cane arrows are very tough(physically) and recover quickly when shot. This, plus their natural taper make them less spine sensitive so they fly well from bows of different draw weights. Like Mike said, they are very time consuming to collect and make and some are lumpy in appearance but they shoot very well when properly made...and they don't have to be as straight as most think.
  I've been hunting with cane arrows(and hardwood shoot arrows)with stone points for 3 years now but have yet to take an animal with my set up but I'd bet it will bring a tear to my eye when it happens.
  Art Butner makes a cane arrow that will rival any arrow or arrow maker out there. Mine on the other hand look like Ogg made them but they fly very well and I wouldn't hesitate to hunt any animal with them. Here are a few I made for my hunting quiver this year. The fletching are modified Cherokee style 2 fletch.

Thanks a ton guys and good luck too you's.
   
And PAT those are beautiful natural looking arrows!  

Where would I be able to pick up some river cane. I don't think it grows up here in the adirondacks. I am real interested in making my own arrows. I like the idea of using stuff I build, I have plenty of time and limited $$$, so doing it myself has lots of upsides.

Tony, I collect cane(hill cane, Arundaneria appalachiana) along my driveway. If I have enough after I send out promised bundles I can send you some to try. Switch cane, river cane and hill cane grow all over the S.E. US. If nobody here has any you might try the trade blanket of PA and see if someone has some to trade.
  There are other types of cane that make good arrows. Japanese arrow bamboo, Bambusa multiplex and Tonkin come to mind. You can get Tonkin as tomato stakes from a garden center and it makes good arrows.   Pat

here is some rivercane along with some wild rose shafts.. waiting for the cane to dry.

They work just fine.  I just need to learn how to knap to make them look better.  Here is my latest that I outfitted with a homemade luminock, just slightly used.



Dennis

Thanks Pat that would be very generous of you. I have a query into a retired ranger who tramps all over the woods out here to see if any grow in these parts, but I think it is probably too cold too long for it.

River cane is also about the toughest arrow material that I have seen. I can't believe Dennis actually broke one! (nice job Dennis    )
They are very much worth the time it takes to make them.
I believe that they can be purchases from Pine Hollow long bows in the sponsor section here, when he has them......Terry

I got Pine Hollow's catalog today and they do have cane for sale.
Razor, It probably doesn't grow that far north. I think it might get to southern Ill. but not much farther north. You probably have lots of red osier dogwood. That makes very good arrows and wild rose  also.
  Dennis, nice decoration on that shaft. I'm surprised it broke too. Cane arrows are very tough.

Awesome! Good job Dennis.      

Pat. Thanks for the heads up on Pine Hollow, just checked them out and he has 1 doz bundles of cane for sale. They are not weighed or spined, so how many shooters do you think you would likely get out of a dozen like that. i shoot a 55# Grizzly.

You should be able to get 12 if you are careful while straightening. Sometimes if you force straightening at the node they will break. You just have to go slow and be careful.    Pat