Bamboo is a versatile and multi-functional raw material. Bamboo shoots are edible and very healthy, it is used in horticulture, for the manufacturing of items, up to for house construction and as a source of energy. However, because of bamboo produces razor sharp edges, special care must be taken when working with bamboo. On the other hand it makes bamboo an ideal candidate for making friction fire, known as the so-called “bamboo saw”. I will discuss the bamboo saw in detail in a separate post when I have the opportunity.

It is also very fast growing, in South America growth rates of up to 90 cm within 24 hours have been observed. In Philippine mythology it is said, that the first man and the first woman sprouted from the two halves of a bamboo stick, after the end of the battle over heaven and ocean.