PA Jasper

[caveman2533]

My friend has discovered a source of the much sought after PA jasper. This source has mostly the even more rare Variegated jasper I have been slabbing and heating some for him. Here are three points I made from a couple of the slabs. If you did not know better you might say this is Flint Ridge, but I assure you it is PA jasper. There is more of to be cut. Colors in the second pic are a little washed out because I am a better knapper than photographer, the first is pretty accurate. the left hand point is 5.5 inches long. The last load he brought me has much more yellow in it,typical of the jasper most are used to.

[bowmo]

Killer looking material and killer looking points.

[JackCrafty]

Very nice!  Would love to see more. 

[mullet]

That rock looks nice. Is it heat treated? And, I can't wait for the PA boys to weigh in.

[caveman2533]

Yes it was heated to 460, but man was it still tough. But to be honest when working slabs, I like it that way, can smack it good and hard and it stays together, I have worked nearly 40 slabs of jasper in the last six months and only broke three, still managed to salvage smaller points from them.

[Zuma]

Dog Steve, The second picture is really washed out. 
I hope I don't have to wait till July to get my share of that Vera Cruze gold. 
Nice work as usual.
Zuma

[Sasquatch]

I really like the points!  But the stone looks rough, and kinda like some Texas stone.  How much are people paying for that stuff? Just wandering

[caveman2533]

Picture is not washed out and it is very smooth flint. Color is about right.

[cowboy]

Cool rock and some nice knapping!

[Outbackbob48]

Steve, ecellent work on the Jasper, Most Pa knappers will never get a chance to knap this rock, I believe it is pretty hard to come by. Pa is a big state and the jasper is getting covered by sub divisions I believe.   Bob

[Wolf Watcher]

If this jasper is like some of the ones from here and Mt. St. Helens it takes quite a bit more than 450 to get a glazed cook and may even turn colors.  Looks like some very interesting rock!  Joe

[caveman2533]

here is a better picture maybe

[Zuma]

Joe, the east coast Jasper's I am familiar with can knap
pretty well raw a lot of times. It runs the gambit in workability.
 I heat mine at 500 and soak it just for an hour or so.
It can produce a real slick surface at times.
 It can be reheated if it gets tough deeper in as you flake it.
All raw colors from mustard to black. Choclocate is my favorite.
These are VA jasper but very similar to PA.
Zuma

[caveman2533]

Yes much of our jasper needs no heat and even 400 can be too much for some of it. I must correct myself also as this was heated twice. The first time to 460 the second went to 510 and it could go another 50 or 60 without making it too slick. The problem is some of the darker color like is on the tips and bases will not take that much heat

[Wolf Watcher]

Back in the 50s when I was working on my Father-in-law's ranch just east of the Yellowstone boarder I was able to hunt for artifacts made by the Sheepeater Indians.  They made gem quality points mostly from local area jasper.  Any spall left in a chipping ground was mine to work on.  It always surprised me at how tough a shiny spall could be.  Over the years I found lots of red colored jasper chips and wondered where they came from as the places where there were spalls there was never any spalls of that color.  The country has lots of volcanic rock cliffs and in them I could find agate and jasper nodes often much bigger than my fist.  I learned that the Indians would spall out the nodules at the source and would pack them back often many miles to a chipping ground usually where they camped.  The chips I would find there were not the same color as the spalls.  After many years people like Waldorf started telling about heat treating rocks that I finally discovered that the jasper from the spalls would completely change colors when cooked.  I think it has to do with either copper or iron oxides in the stone when it solidified eons ago.  I know that not all jaspers respond to cooking the same way and am convinced that jaspers cooked centuries ago will eventually return to their original Rockwell scale.  My opinions are not necessarily scientific, just ones I developed over the years.  Joe