cushing technique- it works!

[aaron]

HA HA, made you click. The technique I am using here is the one cushing describes on page 317 of his book. Where he describes the Hopi resting a biface on top of the leg and hitting it directly with a hammer-like tool of antler. (like 90% of modern knappers do). I'll be working on a type 2B Danish dagger.
Let's start by selecting a blank from the cache:

[aaron]

The piece I chose is a biface about 10 inches long and one inch thick. The thickest part is the pointyer end, so I will use that for the handle (bottom in photo). On a finished dagger, the handle will be about 1 inch thick and one inch wide, so I'll have to be careful not to reduce the thickness there. The blade, should finish out about 2 inches wide and about 1/2 inch thick. This is the main challenge of these pieces- one end is thick and narrow, the other is thin and wider. The thickest point should be near one end, not in the middle like most other things. shown also is a small and rough old type 2B- I like 'em with a slightly wider blade.

[aaron]

Here are my tools. The hammer-shaped elk billet is the one I used most on this. The punch might be used in the later stages. Other boppers are moose. In my tool box, you can see some laminated paper cutouts I keep on hand to help me get the profiles right.

[aaron]

The blade area needs some major thinning, and has some challenges leftover from earlier work, I think I'll take care of these with one massive (almost) coast-to-coast flake. BAM

[aaron]

After some more thinning with direct percussion, the blade is definitely thinner than the handle. Now, I will need to narrow it considerably without altering the width-to-thickness ratios much. This is always a challenge. I may be thinning it to early- maybe I should have narrowed it more first.

[aaron]

After a quick trip to the hospital, I'm back. Four stitches. This is the first bad cut I have had in 20+ years of knapping. And it's on the hand I was holding the billet with.

[Parnell]

What no picture of the actual carnage?!  Bummer...

Cool pictures though.  That was a heck of a flake you drove.

[Stoner]

When taking blood thinners and having hypertension those cuts suck. John

[Chippintuff]

I have had a lot of cuts, most of which were mere scratches, but there have been a few worse ones. The worst ones happen when I am hitting the rock really hard, and the flake comes off like a rocket.

WA

[Hummingbird Point]

Ouch!  Been there.  Wild obsidian flake to left pinky.  Probably should have gotten sewn up, but I just wrapped it up and it healed very well.  Not even a scar.

Danish dagger!?  Very ambitious.  I got a copy of the book below over the summer and after reading just a bit of it, realized I was in way over my head.  I have neither the skill nor patience for such an endeavor, so kudos to you.



That elk antler is good stuff isn't it?  Most modern knappers don't like it since it isn't heavy enough to make good stand alone billet and you can only use the couple of inches next tot he scull before getting into the pith of the antler.  Peels those long, thin flakes like nothing else, though!

I spent yesterday working on the opposite end of what you're doing, salvaging what I could from some Tennessee creek gravel, using my white tail base hammer.  These are now ready for punching. 



Keith

[aaron]

Keith- wanna trade me that book? I'm just getting started on the dagger journey.

[Chippintuff]

Those red rocks look a lot like horse creek. I guess that is because they come out of the same formation. How do they knap? Fort Payne comes out of that formation too, and I love that rock.

WA

[Hummingbird Point]

Aaron,

Yes, I think I should pass that book along.  I am almost certain I will never use it and I believe there is a very limited supply, so it only seems right to get it to someone who can use it.  I don't remember what I paid for it, but I think it was less than $50.  Private message me and we will work out the details.

Chippinstuff,

Yes, horse creek, and yes I bought it from you-know-who.  Not the worst rock deal ever, but not the best.  Most of it is rather tough, maybe a 4 on the Lithic Grading Scale, small and prone to cracks.  I got it thinking I was going to mostly use it for the rock tumbler, but the damn thing broke on me, so now I'm just going to knap what I can from it.  I must admit, it is kind of fun trying to get something from nothing!

Keith

[Chippintuff]

Keith, I enjoyed working what I got a few years ago, but not enough to take it on again soon.

WA

[aaron]

After some further thinning and shaping, I have this. The book I am photographing these on is Waldorf's book, opened to the part showing type two daggers. On the far right in the photo is an old preform, looking a bit like mine. Next, I will try to thin and narrow without screwing it up. I am using smaller billets now, and using the punch for the handle. The edge angle in the handle is about 80degrees, so I have to use my deep bulbs for platforms.