kanawha chert

[crooketarrow]

 I got about 25 pounds of the stuff 20 years ago. I was looking for some 16 penny's and found a container full of flakes I'd spelled. Anyone ever Knapp this stuff. Hardest rock I've ever worked.

  Although you can Knapp it. I have to punch it.

  When I started building bows I put inch rubber spacers for jaws. Took me about 10 years to figged out I could but my performs or flakes in the rubber jaws. Leave it stick up and long as you like your flakes to be.

  Copper Punch's work best but I destroyed dozens of antler points. Those bulges you can't flake off pressure flaking. I just put it in the vice and punch it right off. Start pressure flaking again.

[nclonghunter]

I have worked some Kanawha and really like it. To me it has a really old look to the finished point.
Would like to see a pic of the rubber sandwhich you described. I have also converted to mostly punch work with antler. Seems to work well for rhyolite.

[Hummingbird Point]

I met a fella named Marvin at the House Mountain knap in.  He's from West Virginia and knaps that Kanawha chert very well with copper.  Pete Davis, who hosts the House Mountain knap in in Virginia does real well with the material using antler. 

Here's one Marvin gave me:



This is what it looks like in spall form, making you wonder how anyone ever got the notion to try to knap it:



Here's one I banged out using antler direct and indirect percussion:



Oh, but here's what other side looks like!:



Keith

[Zuma]

There are quite a few knappers that come to
House Mt. and make dream points from Kanawha black.
I have yet to see the tan variety.
Robert and Dave are two more.
Marvin/aka Kevin Costner is a class act. Just ask Tom W
and the Ooga Booga crew from Flint Ridge
Zuma

[crooketarrow]

  Although I can do it I really don't like indirect punching using my leg.

  I'm sure I not the only thought of it, But I've never seen or heard of anyone that Punch's using a vice with rubber jaws.

  I made them first year I started building bows for bows. Took me 10 years until I started using the vice for punching. I've wore out 5 vices in 23 years. But those rubber jaws has stayed.

No better way for holding your bows.

[nclonghunter]

Thank you for the vise pics. That is certainly an interesting method. I have read a few things about knappers clamping points in wood to knap. Seems like it would be a slower and more meticulous technique.