Question on Novaculite for knapping.

[Easternarcher]

Call me crazy but....I found one more sharpening kits that I bought many moons ago, and decided to read the yellowed instruction paper slipped under the stones by the manufacturer....It stated that these were a type of novaculite or in other words hard and soft Arkansas stones. A lightbulb went off cuz I thought Novaculite was a knappable stone...Am I correct?

Since this is an old kit and I really don't need it, could I simply spall off a flake or two and start knapping?

[cowboy]

From what I understand EA, yes you can. I've had good luck with novaculite.

[mullet]

 You can, but Novaculite is a heck of a lot easier to work heat treated. If not, I'd practice on a brick, then try it.

[Hillbilly]

Like Eddie said-novaculite knaps like butter when it's heat-treated, but is durn near impossible to knap raw. It's about the same process as knapping quartzite with wooden billets. It has to be heated to a really high temp to get knappy. I'd save the stone for sharpening knives and order me up a box of heat-treated novaculite from a rock dealer.

[cowboy]

Oh, now I get it . You've got a whetstone and your wondering if you can knap it - I highly doubt it .

[xin]

The novaculite used for sharpening blades is a very coarse grainy grade of the mineral and would  not knap well even if  it was heat treated.  The novaculite people knap is a much finer form of the mineral and is even glassy looking before it is heat treated.  Heat treated novaculite is my favorite chert to knap and is especially good for beginners because of the ease with which flakes can be removed.

[Easternarcher]

Well, I guess that's out then!
I'll have to find rock another way...