Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,456
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Post by Sabre52 on Apr 11, 2009 9:51:39 GMT -5
Howdy folks, Last couple of days I've been pretty busy with the horses but I did find time to do a little knapping and especially work on flaking my bases. Harley, I've almost got that Kahoka flake point down now. A couple of these I had worked on before but did not like the bases so they are base redos. The big knife is about 6" or so long and is of that beautiful chocolate flint I found across the road. Man that stuff is really tough to work but really takes an edge too. Got to work more now on my thinning for the big knives. Thanks for looking....Mel
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Post by Michael John on Apr 11, 2009 14:05:38 GMT -5
Mel, how about some pretty agate arrowheads?
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,456
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Post by Sabre52 on Apr 11, 2009 15:00:38 GMT -5
You know MJ I've been thinking of just that but I'm thinking maybe my agate slabs are all cut a bit thin for the more primitive techniques I'm using. Plus, knapping wastes a lot of material and I only moved my best material back here to Texas. Seems a shame to waste a whole slab of really gemmy stuff to make a single point. I'll have to go through my stuff and see if I have some not so hot slabs I can experiment with....Mel
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agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Apr 11, 2009 15:12:03 GMT -5
MJ,
Mels starting at the top and working his way down. The percussion aspect of the game is without a doubt the most challenging of all the flaking operations. Most folks start with slabs and then work their way up. Not ol Mel, he's gotta jump right into the ugly part right off the get-go. It takes no less than 200 lbs. of stone to get to where Mel is right now and I don't think he's had his tool set long enough to destroy anything more than 30 to 40 lbs. I suspect he is watching videos for about 16 hours a day , knapping 7 hours and the rest of his day is spent carrying more rock into the garage ! The agate points look real Smurffy ( made that word up a while back ) but they are just pressure flaking practice. I am going to send him some heat-treated agate slices shortly and we might get a chance to see how he's coming with the pressure flaking end of it. From my limited experience, sitting in the middle of a canvas tarp in the basement for a couple hours straight , nibbling little tiny pieces off a rock with a pointy stick is NOT what you would call real action. Mel is into what I call the fun part, sitting on a stool out in the garage, whalin on a BIG hunk of rock with a Copper baton. The big flakes whizzen thru the air sometimes ricochet off the floor and embed themselves in the plasterboard wall like Oriental Throwing Stars.
Now THAT'S when you feel like you are doing something !
Harley
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agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Apr 11, 2009 15:24:51 GMT -5
Mel,
Wait on the Agate for a few days, it has to be heat treated before the flakes will carry. Tryin to work un-treated material will more than likely fold up your Ishi Stick or even your wrist.
In short, you need good Hernia insurance ! :blush:
Your last knife is lookin pretty good, that flint has some great patterns in it !
Harley
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Post by Michael John on Apr 11, 2009 17:22:25 GMT -5
At Agate Road, I see little groups of flakes that are obviously left from the native Americans' (Paiute?) knapping work. It makes sense that they did it right there where the material is instead of hauling it elsewhere. I found an agate knife ... it's around here somewhere.
BTW, I'm very familiar with the pain of being hit in the face with agate shrapnel ... good times LOL.
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Saskrock
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since October 2007
Posts: 1,852
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Post by Saskrock on Apr 12, 2009 0:06:34 GMT -5
Great looking stuff Mel.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,681
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 12, 2009 7:13:20 GMT -5
Nice,really nice!!!
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