how can I improve?

[Ryan_Gill_HuntPrimitive]

ok, i think i have planed off now.  i can make points with regularity, all from flakes or spalls.  all i ever use is a hammerstone for percussion and an antler tine for pressure. i dont like to use "modern" tools. i like the idea of only using stone and antler (stuff i would likely find in a primitive setting)  question is. how many others here just use stone and antler exclusively?  can i get much better with the tools i am using? or is the only way to get those sweet looking points by using copper? if you only use stone and antler i would like to see your points aswell. maybe i should expect to get much better with what i am using. just  looking for some insight i suppose.   here is a pic of some of the stuff i have knapped in the last few weeks in-between turkey hunting. - Ryan

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[Ryan_Gill_HuntPrimitive]

obs and keokuk

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[El Destructo]

Ryan....from the Quality of Pictures you posted....it is hard to tell...but i think that they look really nice and uniform....I like the Blade also....keep it up...

[Sparrow]

  I do'nt understand the  ?  You look like you are making great,functional points.The knife blade looks good too.A guy can make points too fat in the middle and they won't sharpen up real good,Also a guy can make them really thin and while sharp,they snap pretty easily. Through trial and error,I have found a 5 or 6 to 1 ratio on obsidian to be about right.I can get them cut you now sharp and they seem to hold up right to the time I shoot them into a rock.I'm doing 6 or 7 to 1 ratio's now on some flint points and I think those are going to be killer.Flint does'nt seem to get as sharp as the obsidian edges but,I was cutting up my steak the other night with a flint blade,no problem.Looks like to me your doing good.I use antler exclusively on obsidian but have been doing a little fine flaking on the flint edges with a thin piece of copper wire so I am not constantly regrinding my antler point.(Just being lazy) I do use rocks for percussion on really big stuff but I have gotten me a moose billet about done,so.....
Thats all I got !   Frank

[carpenter374]

native americans used copper flakers long before we came along.

[Hillbilly]

Your points look good to me. I like to knap with all stone and antler, too-I do use copper for pressure flaking a lot because I'm lazy. The one suggestion I would have is if you want to progress a bit more: get a good antler billet and start using it for most of your percussion-there are only a very select few of the god-like knappers who can regularly produce thin, clean bifaces with hammerstone percussion. The hard hammer works great for spalling and initial thinning, but the soft-hammer percussion opens up a whole new world-you can take off those good large, flat flakes. That's why it's been the primary lithic reduction method for the last several thousand years. I think you will soon see a lot of difference if you try it.

[flecha]

I only use antler and stone (no copper).  Copper was used as reduction tool, but not for the types of points I like to make.

I've found that to get better, one needs to focus on platform preparation, the "center line" principle and study your work.  Once you remove a flake, set it back on.  Take the time to think about your work, how you held the tool, and used it to push off the flake and so on.

[Ryan_Gill_HuntPrimitive]

thanks guys, its hard to see from my pictures i know.  they are sharp and plenty thin.  i would like to get a hold of an antelr billet, one hasnt fallen in my lap yet i guess.  they are good function points.  but the flake scares aren't lined up real nice and real even like some of you great knappers/    cowboys's chert points come to mind and wvflintknapper's latest post is another great example.  it that kinda work regularly do-able without copper?

[Hillbilly]

It's entirely possible to do great patterned pressure work without copper. All those old Paleo points with the great flake scar patterns (Eden, Allen, Scottsbluff, Dalton, etc.) were done withoput copper. Marty Reuter does some amazing work with antler pressure flakers. Have you seen his Youtube video about making the pattern-flaked Sloan Dalton points?

[Ryan_Gill_HuntPrimitive]

no i havent, i'll to look them up, thanks

[wvfknapper]

  cowboys's chert points come to mind and wvflintknapper's latest post is another great example.  it that kinda work regularly do-able without copper?

Ryan

After 6 years and about 4 +  ton of stone anything is possible  I have seen wonderful work by knappers using stone, bone and antler........I personally prefer copper due to the fact that there is less work involved in keeping the tools shaped for proper tool to stone contact,,, the cost is a lot lower for me since I make the tools I use.........Copper is also more aggressive to work with.

I feel it is all up to the individual on what tools they use, some make it personal and others make it practical.

I also figure that copper nuggets were used up north over the years as hammerstones, no facts for this but still possible since they used copper a lot.

wvflintknapper

[Sparrow]

 Copper is in the archy' record for tools,Alaska,Great lakes and along the columbia river. Parallel flaking is all about platform set-up I think I run longer flakes with antler than I do with copper,but thats probably just me.Look at paleo man jim's stuff on youtube,he is big time into abo knapping tech. Frank

[Ryan_Gill_HuntPrimitive]

i knew thay had found copper flakers and such from dig sites, but i am very unlikely to find any myself, i like using what i would likely have in a primitive situation.  now, if i find some copper someday and can melt it down in a primitive way and shape it into a useful tool, then its- on like donkey kong.

[Hillbilly]

Marty's YouTube handle is "Flintknappingtips"

[DanaM]

Actually here in the UP of Michigan copper can be found in pure form then all ya need to do is
hammer it to shape. I believe this is what the early copper age folk did.