How to Make a Bamboo Arrowhead

A bamboo arrowhead is not made like traditional wood or metal arrowheads. It is carved directly onto the shaft of the arrow from a solid portion of the bamboo. The whittled pointed end of a bamboo arrow shaft works well for sport archery or shooting targets. The arrow may not be sharp enough to kill animals, but it should fly fast and hard enough to stick into most softer targets. Experiment with the thickness and length of the arrowhead for different flying and sticking techniques.

Step 1

Locate two knots in the bamboo shaft about 30 inches apart. A piece of bamboo is made up of hollow segments divided by solid knots of bamboo. Cut the bamboo sticks with a handsaw along these knots, so that a solid piece of bamboo is present at both ends of the shaft. This will prevent the bamboo from splitting.

Step 2

Sand down the bumps so that the bamboo shaft is smooth and straight.

Step 3

Whittle one end of the bamboo shaft into a narrow point using a sharp utility knife. The end of the bamboo should look something like a sharpened pencil. Work slowly, so that you do not split the hollow portion of the shaft. Whittle only the knotted portion of the bamboo where it is solid all the way through the shaft.

Step 4

Sand the non-pointed end of the shaft with sandpaper. Position three feathers, evenly spaced, about 4 inches from the end of the arrow, the narrow end of the feathers facing the tip. Glue the feathers' spines to the shaft with fletching glue. Tie the narrow ends of the feathers in place with twine. Allow the glue to dry for 24 hours, then remove twine before using your bamboo arrows.