Trad Gang

I just love the way fellow Trad guys treat other Trad Guys they don't even know, makes me proud as heck! I have been playing around with my first River Cane Arrows as of late, and asking questions, which always get answered in the most professional way.

I somehow stumbled across Matt from NC in these threads. The old boy just sent me 12 awesome river cane shafts. He sent Ole Mickey some too. I can not wait to make more cane arrows from these cane shafts.  

And being the old phart that I am, Matt please set me straight on the name of this cane one more time:)

Matt, a big Thank You. Roy

The cane is what we call switch cane.It is one of two indigenous bamboos in America. I have heard of a ,"Hill cane" being a third species but I don't know anything about it other than it is the only cane that sheds its leaves in the winter and is found in the  western part of N.C..
 You are right Roy ,you do meet some fantastic people here on the ,Trad Gang".You honor me by putting my name in the group although I might not deserve it.  :)  Thanks Pal, enjoy the cane!

Matt is right there at the top of my list too, (the good list). He's gifted me some fine cane over the years as well. I had the pleasure of meeting him at MOjam a few years back, he didn't age near as well as I but he's a heck of a fine man.  :bigsmyl:

Dano, I can't argue with you. Age has taken a toll on this dilapidated old body but what do you expect. I was around when the pyramids were built.  :)
 I am happy to be close to the top of your list but you are at the top of everyones list. Hope to see you at another MOJAM fiend!

I don't think anyone will be surprised that Matt also sent me my first few Canes and guided me in messages as to where and how to look for and harvest some of my own. We also have met since then (finally - after a near miss - LOL). Dano, he's been doing some self (or family) inflicted dieting and other health related things and last time i saw him he's looking and (I think) feeling much better than I was led, by a mutual friend (who will remain Johnless ... I mean nameless) led me to believe. Matt is a fine chap and would give the shirt off his back, I do believe, if it were needed. All his close friends say - just don't let him get started telling you any jokes though - I think they've heard them all - LOL. There is a pic of him at Full Draw with my Barb bow in my TBD pages. I'll come back and post the link for the proper page (to keep Dano from getting lost -    :D   )

Page1, Row Eight, Pic 5) (Easier than Map and Compass class, Dano   ;)  )

http://residents.bowhunting.net/bsdunn/tbd1.htm

"Easier than Map and Compass class"

Now that was a nightmare I still have sometimes      :D

Dano, Thats Land Navagation

Now if we could just get Matt shooting again...
He s so stove up to hear him tell it: can't pull it, can't achor, cant see, can't can't......

He could at one time trounce even trigger bow guys when he was on. So other than knappin'
and building and collecting the cane for his arrows, no arrows are flying except by airmail. Give him some encouragement to get back to shooting.

Estacado

Buzz - good to hear from you (one of Matt's "close friends" - close meaning he lives near - LOL). I thought sure after he walked the course and shot with us that day when i came up and shot with you guys, that surely you would keep him at it. He did say the other day (somewhere) that he might make ATAR this year. Can't never got nothin' done - I get little enough done without any "can'ts" to deal with. I remember that day he was getting deadlier as we went - wouldn't take him long to be back on. Make you a lighter draw bow, Matt (like mine are .  :D )

Come on Matt!!! LIke Bernie said "Can't never got nothin' done" Man watchin the arra fly!! member how much fun that is.

BTW: lighter bows ain't for sissy hunters  :bigsmyl:

Matt has sent me cane shafting a couple of times, always top quality stuff which makes awesome arrows. Won't ever take anything in return. A kind and generous man for sure. I'm indebted to him...BIG TIME!   :notworthy:  

Sorry to hear he's not able to shoot. That's a shame. Hope ya get to feling better Matt and flinging arrows soon.

hey mickey did you get my email?

...... "ONLY ON TRADGANG"!!   :archer:

Well I see my first impression of Ole Matt was right on target. Like I said, it is hard to beat a good ole trad boy.  

Matt, I am going to kill a deer this October with one of those fine switch cane shafts ya sent me.  

Thanks again my friend. Roy

Roy my friend, nothing would thrill me more than to know you bagged a deer with a shaft I sent you.
 Bernie, I have had a truely great and successful bow shooting life and I haven't quit, just had to take time off.  :)  I am probably going to have to drop down to a 45# draw weight bow if I plan on doing much shooting. I often wonder if I really did use to shoot a 72# bow? It seems to be a foggy dream..... Buzz sure is one of my friends, we generally see each other at our practice course on the week ends and every now and then at our local sporting goods store.He is without a doubt one of the most dedicated archers you will ever meet.You fellows are what trad archery is about. It is you guys that keep me coming back to this site. You all are great human beings!

40-45# bows are fun Matt - and I would never imagine you actually quitting, unless you really had to - and even then you can still help the rest of us, as you always do. Take care, big guy.

Bernie, I have seen the picture of your new bow. There is no way I can help you. You need to help me! That new bow of your is gorgeous! I bet it shoots as nice as it looks.

Here are the shafts Matt was kind enough to send me. We finaly settled on half payment:) But the ole boy still won't let me get even up with him. He is now sending me a sample of his home made wine and I am sending him a sample of my home made wine plus he gets a pint of my famous Hot sauce:)

Here are the shafts, the 6 in the foreground have had just one pass done on them to straighten them out and they look great already, the 6 in the back ground have not been touched yet.

 (http://www.geocities.com/roy2953/switchcane2.jpg)  

Right have been done once, left not touched yet.

 (http://www.geocities.com/roy2953/switchcane3.jpg)

Just gotta chime in here on how Matt is a first class guy. When I first started to show interest in building primitives he sent some shafts and a beautiful arrow that he done himself as an example.  You don't know how many times I held that arrow in my hand studying it.  Thanks again Matt.  I still have a few of those shafts left waiting there turn.

Wow Roy, you aren't wasting any time LOL

PS Got a package from you today. Haven't had a chance to dig into it though. Just got in a few mins ago.

Take your time Mickey, they are not cane shafts:)

boy oh boy I have only seen cane shafts on here never seen them in real life.


they look awesome as far as I can tell sounds like matt is one heck of a nice guy..

The reason I havent seen any is because it doesnt grow here really wish it did though..

you guys are very talented on making arrows!!!

Matt, your care package went out this AM. Enjoy:)

Roy, my wife and I are looking forward to trying your gift..........
 I am fortunate to have cane of excellent quality and more than I could ever use. I don't mind sharing with those that don't have any. I have obtained a lot of information from others here on this forum.I try to repay others with my surplus. I have an abundance of cane and bow wood as well but no good stone. I rely on those that do.Every one has been generous in sending me good stone.I can't even name all the people here that have sent me stone. Thanks

Matt do you knap?

I do a little knapping I made two heads a couple of days ago for a pair of arrows I plan on sending to friends.When I finally got access to the forums, I realised I wasn't up to par. I read what other knappers were saying and followed their lead. I can't tell you how much it helped me.Rod Parsons,whom I met on the forums, sent me the book,"Flintknapping" by John Whittaker. I then made a quantum leap in my knapping. I am not ashamed to show my heads now, although I still have a long way to go  :)

Matt, I have not gotten into knapping as of yet. I suppose that will be my next quest, after bone points.. However I do have a friend that is very good at it. I would be happy to get some stone heads from him and gift them to you, just because I want to Ole Boy. Or I could get you and my friend hooked up via this Internet, and you both could exchange info. Then both 2 of yunzs could tell Ole Roy how to do it:)

Thats mighty thougthful of you Roy but you should keep the heads. Mine arn't so great but I can make them. You might want to put those heads on the shafts I sent you.By-the-way! Your gift arrived today. I just got home and haven't even opened it yet but you can bet your last dollar I will as soon as I finish this note. :)
Thanks Pal!

posted May 03, 2007 04:59 PM by Matt: I just got home and haven't even opened it yet but you can bet your last dollar I will as soon as I finish this note.  
Thanks Pal!  

Well it is 8:04 PM here in Pa and Ole Matt must be sitten back right about now with a big grin on his face and sweat runnen off his forehead   :bigsmyl:   I can see it now, he had cat fish for dinner covered in hot sauce and washed it down with some smooth white wine. Poor Ole Boy is prolly in bed now:)

Your welcome my friend. Roy

You were close but"no cigar",tomorrow nights fish night. Its Crappie and Bass that I caught today. :)  I sampled your wine and it was pretty darn good, just right for a dinner wine.It wasn't to sweet and wasn't to dry. You made a good  table wine. I haven't  sample the sauce yet.When I opened the package,I thought  was going to need a cutting torch to get into it. You had it sealed tighter than Fort Knox.  :)

LOL Matt, I messed up and forgot to write, "open other end" on both ends:) I have done that to a few folks:) But I did not want to confuse a good Ole Southern Boy who was so kind hearted to me:) But, maybe next time:)

Yup, the wine is good stuff, thanks for the kind words. But yer gonna LOVE the Hot Sauce.. I Promise:) Ah heck go try it now..

Roy,I bet you failed geography class in high school. You don't know south from north. I am a northerner Pal, I live in "NORTH" Carolina. I would like to move further south for the warmer climate,  I was thinking somewhere Like South Dakota.  :)

ROTFL

The-geographically challenged- but knows THAT ain't right-Ferret

LOL - not  even  right!    Matt's having a senior moment and/or his little jokes - I told you his friends told me not to let him get started with his jokes  :p

Bernie, I bet you never repeated yourself before? Talking about a senior moment,A good joke is worth telling twice.L.O.L........ I have you to know that I am your junior so be instructive and kind! :)
I still like you, you old codger!  :)

Matt, Cut the BS:)

Did ya try the hot sauce? :)

Roy I tried it tonight. I can describe it in one word, WOW. It is hot but I like spicy foods as long as they don't blister my tongue. I am glad you didn't make it any hotter.Just like your wine pal, mighty fine. I got my wife to try it and she liked it as well and that ain't no BS. You may have missed your calling. Look out "K.C. masterpiece" there is a new gun in town!  :)

I glad to hear that , Matt!

I glad to hear that, Matt!

(  :rolleyes:    :D  )

Is there an echo in here??

Is there an echo in here??

:D

:D

Whats an echo?  :)

Matt is good people.

Matt is good people.

have you ever had that feeling of deja vu?

have you ever had that feeling of deja vu?

:)

Yep!!! I've seen that flyin pig somewhere before.  :biglaugh:

Matt is ok, but them Northern NC Yankees are a funny breed.   :help:

Glad to here from you ,Calvin. I sent you an e-mail a few days ago but you never answered? .......Say hello to Hailey for me!  :)

Matt, next time try asking Calvin if he's heard the one about the New Car Salesman, somewhere in your e-mail    ;)
(Calvin is good people too)
(Calvin is good people too)

thank-you
thank-you!

Matt, I mostly go by calvin@nukav.com these days, I check the other one every month or so!

cheers!

...dont make me tell the story about the old marine Bern, you know how you get all emabassesed when I start ta pointificatin.  :)

LOL - OK (My ears get so red it messes up the pilots trying to negotiate the local Marine landing fields and I get letters from the CGs)  :D