River cane is very common here in the Mississippi Delta. We use it for fishing poles, bean stakes in the garden, etc. When I worked on the Choctaw Indian Reservation, one reknowned Choctaw basketmaker drove all the way here from Philadelphia, MS (125 miles one way) to harvest a supply here on the homeplace and at a neighbors. They make beautiful baskets from the split cane. They harvest it and split it with a common butcher knife. They use Rit dye for their colors, and weave the splits wet. Tradiional archers make cane arrows with hardwood inserts. These are the same arrows that would penetrate the chain mail of Hernando DeSoto's men. I have seen quick reloaders for muzzleloaders made from them using cork stoppers. Select one large enough for the correct ball, add premeasured powder, patch, and ball, then cork. Some flame burn the cane to highlight/harden it, then put matt finish poly on it. Some cut the cane at an angle, leaving a lobe to drill a hole in to attach a cord (for powder measures). I have seen it done at the node end (bottom) as well as the top open end.
