how thick is too thick for an arrowhead?

[paulc]

Do you all simply go as thin as you can get the point?  Surely there is too thin and the point is too likely to break..?  1/4" about right?  Or closer to 1/8"

Thanks, Paul

[JEB]

Be more concerned about the  base and then look at the end of the arrow your are going to insert it into. Fat bases are hard to notch and hard to insert into a 11/32 size arrow shaft.

[Outbackbob48]

Paulc, A very high percentage of flintknappers don't use there points, No one today has to hunt to produce there food, with this said early NA didn't expend the time to make them past functional, pointy and sharp lets make meat. Todays knappers are mostly about art, way past functional but oh so pretty and thin, thin. My personal hunting points are 4 to 1 avg. width to thickness, usually 1" wide and a 1/4 " thick, what Jeb said also comes into a huge difference of how your points work on a shaft. I used to think my bases were thin then I started mounting some points on arrow shafts, A 1/4" base only leaves 3/64 on each side of and 11/32" shaft , that is if you get it perfectly centered. So thin bases are important and make a good transition from arrow to haft no big humps to impede penetration. Okay enough said, Hope this helps and is just my .02 worth. Bob

[Lefty38-55]

LOVE the comment of ”... didn't expend the time to make them past functional, pointy and sharp ... lets make meat.”

[JEB]

I knap mostly slabs so arrowheads are easy to get thin. Mine are usually around 3/16ths at the most and I still try and thin the base.

I hunt with mine so most of the time they are used just once anyway.

Outback gave great advise.

[bjrogg]

I guess I really never measured mine. Their all a little different. I’m thinking somewhere in between there.
I like a nice thin sharp edge that slightly tapers to a  it thicker “spine” up the center of the point. I agree with everything outback said. I like a thinner tang and base for halving. A good smooth transition from point to shaft. I do think there could be a thing as to thin. Especially with more fragile materials. I’ve had a beautiful point and arrow given to me as a gift and even though I took really good care of it the tip of the point broke off. Really don’t even know how it happened.

I should say here that I haven’t harvested any animals with a stone point yet. So take everything I e said with a grain of salt. I have hunted with them and shot them many times at targets,  but never took a animal.

I think there’s such a thing as to wide to. I think sharp, smooth transition and no wider than 1 1/8” wide. Preferably a bit narrower if your state allows.  Tuned to your bow for good arrow flight.

Ryan Gills has had some good articles on stone points and certainly has more experience using them than I do. What he suggests makes sense to me.

That my 2 cents worth

Bjrogg

[paulc]

Thanks all, having yet to create what I would call a legit point from a stone to preform to arrowhead I just wasn't sure. Wondered if maybe I needed to think more in terms of the ratio than thinness. And yeah, while someday maybe i can make some stone art right now i just want a point that'll do the job and keep my conscious clear. I seem to be able make plenty of thin flakes while destroying a stone so actually getting stuff thin isn't too tough, but getting it flat and thin...that's another story. Currently not allowing myself to buy more stone until I have used up some of my flake pile....

Paul

[Bryce]

LOVE the comment of ”... didn't expend the time to make them past functional, pointy and sharp ... lets make meat.”

😂😂😂 if that were true they would all be a simple triangle, and Native American art styles wouldn’t exist.
Humans needed spare time to create ceremonies, art, and basis for culture. Idk if ya seen early contact photos but most weren’t starving. In fact many of the old trappers wrote about how well fed and easily they had food available.
Idk this notion that early man was always starving and eeking our an existence just kind of boggles my mind.
Just look at the PNW. Such an abundance of food, they barely ever hunted big game unless necessary to add variety to the diet, and in between waves of salmon and edible plants. And in the mean time created some of the most recognized art styles that continues to bleed into our society today.