Workin on a blade...

[Stringman]

I grabbed this large rock out of the pile recently and went to beatin on it. It worked alright but not good. So it went through a heat cycle and I picked it up again. Worked it down a little more and still having trouble with it. Tons of inclusions and changing textures from crystal to concrete and everything in between. There is still a fairly large bulb in the middle that I'm not sure I can remove. Oh the joys of working with free rock!





What do you do when you hit that "break it or make it" wall?

[Dalton Knapper]

I'd break it.

I am reminded however of the "speckled axe" story from Ben Franklin's diary. A man brought a pitted axe head into a smith so that it could be ground until the surface was perfect with no pits or rust. The smith obliged the man and asked him to turn the wheel while the smith ground. After some time, the man tired and the smith said "trun on" because there was much more work to be done. The man decided that perfection may be too difficult a chore sometimes and told the smith "a speckled axe is best." So, Franklin offers us a bit of wisdom concerning perfection....

[JackCrafty]

What "make it or break it" wall?  It's always full speed ahead with me.    I kicked the "pause at the wall" habit a long time ago. 

[Knapper]

Normally I break it and make two , But that blade looks fine just the way it is.
Knapper

[Stringman]

I like that story DK.   

I plan to work this piece a bit more to refine the shape and edge some, but not sure I can bring myself to try any more thinning. Too much interesting texture in this one to risk the break.

@ Patrick --  I use that approach from time to time, but occasionally God grants me the wisdom to "SLOW THE HECK DOWN!!"   

[knapperhead]

looks great to me as is...

[papoints]

I think it looks good just the way it is .  That rocks got some character and it looks like it took a bite out of your thumb. 

I tend to screw up when I try to go methodical and think about it.  I tend to pull my punches too much and make mega hinges.

[Danzn Bar]

Sweet looking blade

[Outbackbob48]

Scott, How come the pretty ones always got all the problems, conc, inclusions and all kinds of other thinks , I quess thats what makes them so purty all the faults. Great lookin blade.

[Stringman]

No Doubt, Bob! Just take what we get...

[NeolithicMan]

Whats that awesome lookin book in the backround?

[Stringman]

That's an Overstreet Guide. Excellent resource for the knapper.

[flungonin]

That is really awesome. How big a stone (boulder) did that come from?

[AncientArcher76]

Well there your problem, you have the book on the wrong page!  LOL that's my kind of rock!


Russ

[Stringman]

Think ur right, Russ. I changed pages and went to cleaning it up. Turns out there was a nice little agate basin hiding in there. Knocked most of the bulb out of the center too. Finished out at 7 1/4".