Serving Australia and New Zealand
Wood Arrow Shafts
Cedar and Laminated Birch
Shafts Rose City Cedar
There are a lot of different woods that will make into excellent arrows. Ash was a great favourite with the Medieval English longbowmen, and here in New Zealand both pine and beech have been used successfully. In Australia, silverwood (AKA Tasmanian oak) has become very popular. However, as good as all these other woods are, the king of all arrow woods has become and remains Port Orford Cedar, a fine-grained and very stable white cedar that grows on a very small section of the west coast of the USA.
When selecting a wood shaft, the spine weight, or stiffness of the shaft is the most important characteristic the wood imparts to the finished arrow. NZAP carry a wide selection of 11/32 Select Grade shafts spined into five-pound groups. The average dozen arrows with the same spine weight will not vary more than plus or minus 2 1/2 pounds. The surface of the shaft is burnished smooth and is ready for paint, stain or varnish.
NZAP sell Shafts Rose City Cedar individually or by the dozen.
Price for 1 to 11 Shafts
Price Per Matched Dozen
The Australian Price on this Item reflects the differences in the exchange rate and GST between New Zealand and Australia.
Don't forget! Shipping is free on this item to anywhere in New Zealand or Australia if your order is over $250.00. Click the kanga for details
Laminated-Birch Arrow Shafts
Birch is a heavier wood than cedar so it has always been a good choice for bowhunters looking for a heavier shaft material to improve penetration. The problem is that birch is not as stable as cedar. It is harder to straighten and even harder to keep straight. The solution is to laminate thin sheets of birch into blanks that are then formed into round arrow shafts. The result is a dense and heavy arrow shaft that is nearly as stable as an aluminium shaft and easy to straighten by sighting down the length of the shaft and tweaking the shaft in the opposite direction of the bend.
Laminated-birch shafts are all hand spined, matched to within 20 grains, are about 31 inches long and are sold by NZAP individually or in packs of 6. We have 5/16 shafts in 50 to 55 pound (these usually work fine in bows to 40 pound draw weight.) and 11/32" diameter with spine weights of 60-65, 65-70, and 70-75.
When fletching laminated-birch shafts, keep the laminates parallel to the cock fletch for maximum spine consistency.
Price for 5 or Less
Price Per Matched 6 Pack
The Australian Price on this Item reflects the differences in the exchange rate and GST between New Zealand and Australia.
Don't forget! Shipping is free on this item to anywhere in New Zealand or Australia if your order is over $250.00. Click the kanga for details
Cut and Taper Shafts
If you don't have the proper taper tool for cutting the precise taper required for proper nock and point fit, and aren't quite ready to invest in one, we will be happy to do it for you.
At NZAP nock and point tapers are ground on a sanding disc, which gives the taper a better surface for gluing than the standard tapers done with a pencil-sharpener type taper tool.
The standard measurement for wood arrow shafts is from the bottom of the nock (where the string rests) to the end of the wood where it meets the point, not counting any of the metal point. In other words, when giving us your desired shaft length, add a bit for the nock and deduct a bit for the point taper. The price is for cutting the shaft to length and grinding the point and nock tapers.
The Australian Price on this Item reflects the differences in the exchange rate and GST between New Zealand and Australia.
Don't forget! Shipping is free on this item to anywhere in New Zealand or Australia if your order is over $250.00. Click the kanga for details
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Storing Wood Arrow Shafts
Port Orford Cedar is one of the most stable woods there is. This, along with its light weight and great strength, is one of the things that makes it a great wood to use for arrow shafts. It is, however, very sensitive to moisture so it is best to seal your new shafts as soon as you get them. A single dip coat of lacquer will do the job. Once the seal coat has dried, divide your shafts in bundles of about twelve with each bundle secured by three or four hefty rubber bands spaced evenly along the length of the bundle. Store your shafts horizontally (never standing on end) in a cool, well-ventilated place and they will stay straight forever.
Laminated-birch shafts are more stable than cedar shafts but they also will benefit from the above treatment.