Cane IS hollow. Cane IS closed at the joints. There is a smattering of pith along the inside that is easily removed with a drill bit approximating the existing hole. The walls are fairly thin, but the diameter can be expanded a small amount. I normally cut it long enough to put whatever grains of powder I want in the hollow and as earlier stated....cut it and finish the edges. I also leave a bit below the joint to put a hole in for a thong for attaching to "whatever". I do a little carving...burning...stamping along the length of the outside of each one I make....much as I believe a longhunter with time on his hands would have done with his knife or file. Most of the originals I have seen are relatively plain, but show stains. I also stain or paint on them sometimes. I usually have 25-30 on the trade blanket and sell quite a few when I explain what they are made from and where I collect my cane. I get my cane from along the banks of Skaggs Creek....named after the Longhunter Henry Skaggs here in the "dark and bloody ground"of Kentucky. There is a large cave where my ancestors attempted to mine salpetre for the war of 1812 there. It has been a site of many flint finds and used as a shelter since heaven knows when. I can't help but believe that perhaps Skaggs and some of his party would have sheltered there....maybe even cut a few measures from the very same cane thickets I collect from. Measures could also be designed to hold different amounts of powder on each side of the joint....or maybe powder on one side and shot on the other. Next time you are at a rendezvous in this neck of the woods and see a blanket with several cane measures laid out, stop and say hello 'cuz it just might be me! Recon I could also make one to your spec's and mail it to ya for the proper remuneration....I can do pictures and send you...but aint smart enough to get them on this site.
