Discovering the peace of knapping

[Keenan]

 When I first saw someone knapping an arrowhead I thought to myself that I would never have the patience for that.  I started knapping for one reason only, and that was to be able to fullfill my dream of taking an elk with all primitive gear that I had made with my own hands.
 However what I discovered was that flintknapping is one of the most relaxing and enjoyable things that I have ever learned. It seems that whenever something is troubling or stressfull, all i have to do is sit down and start working some rock and soon everything else just seems to melt away.    Rock therapy is great!

[Pat B]

...and that's your tweet and you are sticking to it! 

[Wolf Watcher]

Its been therapy for me for many years.  Guess I can only think of what I am doing as a slip results in a broken point and there is no room in my mind for the problems of daily life!  You are right about the unexpected reward you get from knapping rocks! 

[Keenan]

 

[sailordad]

yup
its therapy of sorts for me too
after a crap day at work or in life gernally,sit down and knapp for an hour or two
and its like being reborn again,not a care in the world when im done,just the glee
from busting up some rock instead of some idiots skull.

you cant concentrate on nothing else while knapping either(well atleast i cant)
if i stop in the middle of making a poin/blade and try to come back to it later
i usually mess it up then.once i start on a piece of rock i gotta go untill its finished
or it is truly finished

more relaxing than scraping on a stave even,i used to think that was nirvana

[Keenan]

   Busting rocks and not skulls ,,,,,thats a good thing Sailor,,

[stickbender]

     Could have to do with the fact that you are concentrating on the rock, getting the angles, roughing the edges, and loss of blood.
                                                                             Wayne

[ricktrojanowski]

I hear you.  When I sit down and knap.  It seems as everthing around me disappears.  I go into complete tunnel vision mode.  I just wish I had more time to knap.

[GregB]

I've been giving a lot of thought to giving it a try...if it's good stress relief, I could definitely use that about now!

[billy]

I definitely agree.  People think they lack the patience for it, but once you start working on a point, you become totally focused on what you're doing and patience isn't even a thought.  I know it can be an escape for me.

My brother loves video games for the same reason.  For that time when he is playing a game or fighting an enemy or trying to take over another town, he is able to detach from all the stress of life, bills, taking care of a family, etc.  I guess it's so addicting because you are accomplishing something that is right in front of you, and you see progress as you work the stone. And you can actually TOUCH it. Whereas everyday life can be much more hectic, and sometimes you can't see progress being made.  You have to sit on the phone and talk to some nameless bozo, or you work on a computer where nothing is tangible....it's all digital information that only exists as pulses of electricity (ones and zeros) that you can't actually put your hands on. 

I think flintknapping touches a very deep chord in a lot of people because it is something we have been programmed for over hundreds of thousands of years. It definitely helps me to de-stress.   

[Jaeger]

"I think flintknapping touches a very deep chord in a lot of people because it is something we have been programmed "

 makes me think that is why we also, love killing deer with  antler ,knapping tools!!

[stickbender]

     GregB, go for it!  But be forewarned, after that first flake pops off, you are a rock junkie!  There is no backing up.  You may back off for a little while, but it will keep nagging at you,    till you are back to whacking, pressure flaking, and bleeding again.  There is no cure, except to sit down and give in to it.   Then a sudden peace will envelope you, and all will be right with the world, even when that piece you are almost finished with, and it is looking so beautiful, and you are so proud of, suddenly is in two or three pieces.    You still look at it, and say, dang, but it still looks cool, and what can I make out of the pieces......you don't quit, and go away disgusted, you may get a bit upset, you may have to walk away for awhile, but then you watch the masters of this craft, and see them do the exact same thing, and just shrug it off, as part of the process of knapping, and pick up another piece of rock, and start over again.  Gravel is part of knapping.   It is the road bed to better knapping.   But go ahead pick up a piece of rock.  Talk to someone is an accomplished junkie, talk to someone who is not as accomplished, you will see they all have a common back trail.
Trial and Error.  Then there are those like Shannon, who for some unknown reason or another, can reach back into ancestral past lives, and pick up a rock, and accomplish what it takes most common people a couple of years or more to do.   But oh yeah, do pick up a piece of rock......    It's ok, just try it a couple of times......   Heck, if you don't like it, just quit...... Uh huh, it's easy to quit...... ......oh go ahead, it's not that bad......you can do it...... ......Just go to a knapp in, and you know, just watch......maybe pick up some rock, while you think about it......   Hey, you could be like me and have a Rock Pusher Like Eddie just shove a bucketfull of rock in your hands, and not give you a chance to back out!   But.....if you want to continue without a stress relief valve, it is your choice......   Peace Dude, go ahead give it a whack......even if you don't make anything recognizable except for a pile of gravel, you got to whack something, without getting whacked back!

                                                                           Wayne  (Champion gravel producer, band aid stock holder, and inventor of new cuss words, and an occasional arrowhead, that actually looks like one!)

                                                                             Wayne

[Calendargirl]

...and that's your tweet and you are sticking to it! 

Keenan is a tweety isn't he! 

[Keenan]

    I know what your trying to do Marie  Takes a tweet to know a tweet

[Calendargirl]

    I know what your trying to do Marie  Takes a tweet to know a tweet

Keenan you just say things so tweetly!