dtcmor
freely admits to licking rocks
Back to lickin' rocks again!
Member since May 2006
Posts: 898
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Post by dtcmor on Jul 29, 2007 0:25:36 GMT -5
A couple of months ago, me and my 4yr old, Christian, went to a very small local rock show. There was a guy there set up on the outside that was knapping arrowheads and other cool Indian tools out of flint and various other materials, mostly for the kids. When we came out of the show, Christian immediately struck an interest in the man and we sat and watched him do his craft and started to ask some questions. Before long, the man convinced Christian to sit down and try a piece and see what he could come up with, and of course that led to my participating also. Well before long, about 2 hours had passed and we were still at it. It was alot of fun. I collect alot of local flint and chert material, and I began to see that it could possibly be used for this purpose too. I set myself to learning all about the tools, which are very basic and primitive, and listened to everything this man would teach me. With my new knowledge and a new mission, I have since made my own (very primitive) tools, enough to get me started in this new hobby. Christian still shows a bit of interest, and I hope it will be something we can work at together. Below are some pics of what I have been working on(from the show and afterward). They are not the greatest, but it is a start, and something that is becoming another avenue in my interest in rocks. Take a look. These are the points that we made at the rock show - I have posted them before, but have re-worked them a bit..... Here are some that I have done myself recently - simple, but great for practicing on. They are about 1 1/4" long.... A couple of skinning and scrapping tools, about 2" wide...... This last one is a 5" blade/knife point that I was working on. I found a cool, blue druzy fossil inclusion(about 1/3 from the tip on the bottom edge) that makes it almost impossible to complete without breaking the whole piece and ruining it. Haven't decided if I will try to finish it or not....... Hope you like them. Thanks for looking!
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Jul 29, 2007 0:39:07 GMT -5
Those are pretty neat. I've messed around a bit with obsidian but tried flint and agate and found it really hard to throw off good flakes when pressure flaking. Did you have to heat treat your material first? I've noticed several folks selling heat treated flint and agate so was thinking for more success that might be the way to go....Mel
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Post by stoner on Jul 29, 2007 1:49:33 GMT -5
That's a very interesting and ancient craft and you look like you're well on your way to mastering it. Awesome job.
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darrad
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2006
Posts: 1,636
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Post by darrad on Jul 29, 2007 2:38:05 GMT -5
I think those are great! I tried knapping for a while and could not get the hang of it. Man those are cool!!!
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Post by MrP on Jul 29, 2007 6:10:17 GMT -5
Good job. Nice start.......MrP
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Post by Bikerrandy on Jul 29, 2007 8:11:34 GMT -5
Nice work!!
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Post by texaswoodie on Jul 29, 2007 9:32:19 GMT -5
Really great stuff Dave! I think you're a natural. I've always wanted to knap, but at this stage in my life, it ain't gonna happen.
I've read that Texas flint is one of the best materials avaliable for knapping. I have some if you want to try it. All I know about it is I broke a sledge hammer trying to break it, so it may need to be heat treated.
Curt
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dtcmor
freely admits to licking rocks
Back to lickin' rocks again!
Member since May 2006
Posts: 898
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Post by dtcmor on Jul 29, 2007 10:09:12 GMT -5
Thanks everyone for the comments! It is a really hard craft to learn. There are many aspects to and it is sometimes hard to get to materials to flake just the way you want them to. I have ruined more pieces that have had success, but I guess that is part of the learning process. Mel - I have not tried heat treating yet. These points are made from the raw chert and flint that I find near the house. It is similar in appearance to the Flint Ridge, but not as good of quality. Sometimes this stuff will flake very easily but it is very porous, and my flakes tend to be a bit wild and running. I have thought about the heat treatment, and am setting up an old roaster unit to try it. Heat treating usually changes the stone to a waxy, more brittle platform, and makes it easier to control the flaking process. Curt - I have also read that Texas has one of the higher grades of flint, and have seen it used often in some of my books and on-line tutorials. We have the Flint Ridge stuff here in Ohio, which is supposed to be the maximum in material used by the ancient Indians, but I have not made the trip south to get any yet. Both of these flints(Texas& Flint Ridge) are of such great quality, that heat treatment usually is not necessary. Maybe after I get alot more practice, the right tools, and get to where I can do the points more easily, I will see about getting some of your Texas flint - thanks for the offer!
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Post by Cher on Jul 29, 2007 11:06:24 GMT -5
Those are really good for just starting, I hope your little one stays interested with you, looks like a great hobby for dad and son.
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Post by Lady B on Jul 29, 2007 12:13:26 GMT -5
These are all fantastic but what makes your post even more impressive to me is that I remember the originals and your description of Christian's interest. At 4 he'll have a new interest in minutes. But in a few years time, he will have the most incredible memories and a Dad who can help him rekindle his interest in knapping. How exciting!
Lady B
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Post by BuiltonRock on Jul 29, 2007 12:26:51 GMT -5
I have tried knapping!! Too much patience needed for me! john
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dtcmor
freely admits to licking rocks
Back to lickin' rocks again!
Member since May 2006
Posts: 898
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Post by dtcmor on Jul 29, 2007 13:29:36 GMT -5
Cher & LadyB - You both hit on something that I can take to heart! Even though Christian is only 4, it is the memories that we are building together that make it all worthwhile. I still concider myself a "newbie" even though I have been here on this forum for a little over a year, and my son is just as enthused about all of the things I have learned. It is not something I want to push on him - I want him to find for himself the things that might interest his wonderful imagination, and if he loses interest, well, it will always be something that we shared. But, I am pretty proud of the fact that I am not the only one always looking down at the ground hoping to find some pretty rock to work on. You are both right in that I hope Christian can look back when he is older and have fond memories of rock hunts, rock licking , and learning about the many aspects of this great hobby, and sharing it with others like the great people here at RTH! ;D
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Jul 30, 2007 10:05:41 GMT -5
I have been fascinated by knapping for a long time- Congrates- makes me want to learn (SOMEONE should do a tutorial on here!)
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dtcmor
freely admits to licking rocks
Back to lickin' rocks again!
Member since May 2006
Posts: 898
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Post by dtcmor on Jul 31, 2007 8:50:36 GMT -5
Stefan - I had thought about a tutorial, but I need to learn a whole lot more and get some more practice in. I have used alot of web sites on the subject, but there really is no one good tutorial, except for purchasing a video or something. My methods and tools are really primitive, from metal bars to electrical wire, anything I can find to flake the stone and get results. I am saving up to get me a good set of true knapping tools, which will probably save me alot of headaches in the long run. The guy that first got me interested in it at the rock show will be back in the area in September. I am going to take the camera along and see if he will allow me to get some pictures of some of his processes, for my instructional use, and maybe I could whip up a kind of tutorial from that.
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Post by flintfish on Jul 31, 2007 9:28:04 GMT -5
Hi folks, I'm a newbie here as you see, but I'm flint mad and have been since childhood. It does me good to see some great flint knapping going on, and your work is certainly impressive. Particularly if you've found your way without some serious tutoring! Flint knappings way harder than it looks and theres some nice pieces your showing there. Here in the UK we are blessed with some good flint for knapping, and this brings me to my point. (No pun intended) What I know as flint (No I'm not opening that can of worms! ) is generally black or brown in tint, but nearly always semi transparent. I now realise that it's this purity of material which allowed the ancient peoples to create such elegant blades and tools. I like the hand axes and adzes, also the mesolithic micro forms (barbs, inlaid cutting edges, saw teeth.....), but I go all gooey when I see a perfect Neolithic blade. The shear precision defys belief. And I've been lucky enough to find several cores (waste from blade production) during official digs, and just wandering round the right places. The quality I think you hoping to achieve will be based entirely on the "Predictability" of each flake, and therefore the highest quality material will make your life much easier. I studied Archaeology at Uni (Not much use behind my Government desk now! but way cool! and loads of fun), and found out loads more about the activities of my native Knappers. The local flint mines in Norfolk - Grimes Graves are littered with flint nodules, litteraly tons of the stuff. Now bear in mind that the mining stopped about 2000 years ago, and the locals have been building with the stuff ever since, why did the ancient folk leave so much around? And why go to all the effort of digging it up if theres chunks already laying about? It was actually worth their effort to discard the poorer material in search of the "real stuff". If you grab a nodule and rap it with a good hard granite like rock it should ring! (Sounds a bit like glass or porcelin) And that's what they did. For thousands of years they excavated flint, smacked each bit and dumped the duds. Only the "ringers" were selected for working, Sometimes at a flint mine you find the spoil heaps, each nodule missing the end - someones been looking for the good stuff - but ancient man didnt need to open the nodule, he coud tell by ear! Anyway - upshot is - you need really good flint to work the finest tools. Seek out some super fine grained material, glassier the better. Fresh excavated is best - freeze thaw(if this applies in the local climate) destroys the microstructure as does dropping it on hard surfaces, smacking it with hammers etc... every blow must be calculated, and the force measured in its application, too hard it breaks through the tool, too light and it'll hinge off and give you even more trouble! It's extremely exacting work! My flint hero is a guy called John Lord, I was privellaged enough to work with him at Creswell Crags in my home county of Derbyshire, where I got to learn a lot about flintwork, Johns a master! Check out www.flintknapping.co.uk/ for some fine examples, and a great range of educational stuff - tutorials CD's etc... (No I'm not on commision! havent seen John for a couple of years ) Also checkout donsmaps.com/makingflinttools.html for some useful pointers. Always happy to chat flint - best of luck and keep up with the good work!
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Jul 31, 2007 9:42:31 GMT -5
Welcome Flintfish and thanks!! Very welcome info- I have often wondered about Material selection- and it makes such plain sense to Listen to the rock!!! well I'm off to peek at those sites you posted!
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dtcmor
freely admits to licking rocks
Back to lickin' rocks again!
Member since May 2006
Posts: 898
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Post by dtcmor on Jul 31, 2007 11:51:01 GMT -5
Flintfish - Wow! Thanks a ton for all of that great information! I have copied both of your links to my 'favorites'. This will definitely help me alot! You are right about the material selection. Better, glassier materials are easier to work with. I am finding that the porous local chert that I am using is somewhat of a poor material for knapping. It does come from a river and I think there is a fair amount of freeze/thaw conditioning as you mentioned. I have been able to work it some as you can see - it is a good medium for practicing with. We do have the famous 'Flint Ridge' archaeological dig sites in the southern part of Ohio, but alot of this area is off limits and the good quality material is hard to come by unless you find a good contact. I hope to make a trip sometime to see if I can get ahold of some. Until then, I will study your links and learn some more!!
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rollingstone
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2009
Posts: 236
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Post by rollingstone on Jul 31, 2007 11:51:27 GMT -5
dtcmor, I'm impressed that you can produce nice stuff like that so soon after taking up the hobby. Must be rewarding to do it with local material. Flintfish adds some good information too. -Don
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