How sharp is sharp?

[bushman]

How sharp is sharp for a hunting point and how do you get them sharp?
Bushman

[iowabow]

Your question is a very complacated one and contains many answers.  But I think having a point that is sharp is important.  A sharp tip will be important and I think that sharp side come from thinning the point.   Now with that said I have seen some real low quality looking points in some collections but must have been deadly. 

[cowboy]

The point at which a flake or spall terminates is about as sharp as a rock is going to get but you can't neccesarily knap the edges that way. To me a good hunting point is just one that is worked well, thin, straight with the edge finely serrated. There are a lot of variables. Heck, even a broken point wallering around inside a critter is going to do a lot of damage.

[crooketarrow]

  With time you'll see how sharp your heads can become. I make heads alot sharper than the ones I've found and I'm sure these did the job.

[bushman]

For a point that you are going to go hunting with how sharp is it in the sense of a steel point? Can you shave with it? Or is it just the serrations that do the cutting like a saw? Will the edges of your hunting point cut paper or leather?
I remember somewhere that it said to sharpen a point you want to take small scallop shaped flakes off of the cutting edge. I did get one flake like that on my arrowhead but I’m not sure how I did it.
Bushman

[cowboy]

You can't sharpen a stone point in the sense that you would sharpen steel to my knowledge. I'm sure you could use some kind of power tool to grind the edge pretty sharp but that's not knapping. To knap a sharp edge you want to use a nice sharp (pointy) flaker. Whether it be antler, bone, copper, steel, whatever and take tiny flakes off the edge back and forth. Kinda like what we call "stitching" the edge. That's about as sharp as your going to knap a rock..

[mullet]

The edge of obsidian is sharper than any known steel.

[bushman]

To knap a sharp edge you want to use a nice sharp (pointy) flaker. Whether it be antler, bone, copper, steel, whatever and take tiny flakes off the edge back and forth. Kinda like what we call "stitching" the edge. That's about as sharp as your going to knap a rock..

Thanks Cowboy. That is what I was lookin to find out. After you are done stitching the edge will it cut leather?
Bushman

[cowboy]

Well, it will with a little sawing action. At that point it's finely serrated. Plenty sharp enough to cut raw hide and innards though .

[bushman]

Well, it will with a little sawing action. At that point it's finely serrated. Plenty sharp enough to cut raw hide and innards though .

Thanks Cowboy. How do you go about stitching the edge? I tried it tonight but most of the little flakes that came off terminated short as steps (sorry no pictures, didn’t have time to take any). I didn't really grind the edge before I stitched it. Do you grind it lightly then stitch it? How do you stitch it on both edges, do you grind it take a flake skip a spot, flake skip and keep goin then flip it over and flake all the spots you skipped on the first pass?
Bushman

[jamie]

first thing i do is center my cutting edge. its just a matter of removing all the deltas from creating the point. once the edge is centered i start by lightly abrading. i always start stitching from the base end and work towards the the tip. pushing my flakes off in the direction of the tip. by doing this the bone i use for sharpening should pass by the sharp edge without dulling it. flip it over and take the next flake

[bushman]

first thing i do is center my cutting edge. its just a matter of removing all the deltas from creating the point. once the edge is centered i start by lightly abrading. i always start stitching from the base end and work towards the the tip. pushing my flakes off in the direction of the tip. by doing this the bone i use for sharpening should pass by the sharp edge without dulling it. flip it over and take the next flake

Thanks Jamie, I will give that a try when I get a chance. Which unfortunately isn’t goin to be for a while. Which sucks because I’m addicted to flintknappin, goin to be goin through withdrawal symptoms. Well maybe this will force me to take some pictures of my points and post em.