A few pieces

[M2A]

Always enjoy seeing other folks work here so figured I'd share some of what I been up to.  Been spending some time as of late learning how to knap. Has been a slow process but think I am making progress. My hats off to those guys on You Tube or anyone for that matter that makes it look so easy. Finished a few in the last couple days, 2 points and a knife. At 4:1 ratio maybe a bit too thick but I have made thicker lol. Have not sharpened up the knife yet nor have it hafted, debating on weather or not its good enough to gift to neighbor that helped me out in the spring.  Thanks. Mike

IMG_3963 by Mike Allridge, on Flickr
IMG_3964 by Mike Allridge, on Flickr   

[bjrogg]

I found it a slow learning process to Mike. I’m still learning and I also have a enormous amount of respect for those really talented knappers out there. Myself like you I’m working on getting better and learning.
 I also find it the most difficult to tell someone else how to do. You just need to crawl inside that rock. To really think about every flake. To get your mind to see the flake you want to remove and then get your hands and tools to remove it.

Easier said than done.

Those look great thanks for sharing

Bjrogg

[GlisGlis]

that's nice knapping Mike
haft the knife and decide after if it's to be gifted
is that black locust the wood under the arrows points?

[M2A]

Thanks Bjrogg and GlisGlis. Hope to be able to post more when I can get  things just a bit thinner. But will post that knife here after I get it hafted. 

GlisGlis Below those points in the pic is a real cool piece of white oak(piece from a 100+ yr old old barn) on a red oak piece(from fire wood). I use to use those for showing kids tree rings a few years ago and have kept them in my shop in case I needed them again.

Mike     

[Parnell]

Looking good.  How long you been at it?

[M2A]

Thanks Parnell. I started last winter but spent most of the summer using my free time to split staves or working on my bow trade project. Hope to finish a bow before years end then spend much of the winter working at knapping. Found its simple to keep a few rocks and tools in my pocket at work so usually spend lunch time working at it there as well. Had high hopes of finding some local chert but everything so far is freeze cracked and have not convinced the owners to let me dig a pit, with the backhoe, in next years corn fields lol.     

Worked a bit today to haft that knife onto an osage handle but think it may be too thick to look nice. Now I understand 1st hand at why folks talk about having the base thin for ease of hafting.               

[bjrogg]

Keep at it Mike. You seem to have the basics. Now it just takes a lot of hitting stone.
Bjrogg

[Parnell]

Looks like you are doing well.  I haven't sat down to knap much lately with home improvements going on...but, soon. 
Nice work.

[Marc St Louis]

They look good, well done

[M2A]

Thanks Marc.

I don't know enough to debate this but seems the basic late woodlands style arrow point was a triangle without  notches for sinew such as an Erie point. So figured I'd work in that direction this week. Was able to get some large enough flakes from some spalls to use so that was a positive step in the right direction. Finished 4 this week. Pretty happy with them as they are better in width to thickness ratio than I had before. The final one I finished up is a bit longer, I thought if used as a hunting point it would provide better penetration than the others, but not sure on that.

First time the sun has been out in some time and could see the flake scars rather well( for better or worse) so got a pic of them. Pretty happy with how they turned out and at 1-1.25" in width they would be legal hunting points.  It will be some time before I try and haft these but I suppose you glue and wrap with sinew just like you would a notched point? Without having a notch kinda throws my mind off.
Mike
IMG_3968 by Mike Allridge, on Flickr   

[JackCrafty]

Here are some hafting options.

#1 and #2 are the most common. I've seen #3 and #4 sometimes. I assume #5 was also an option but I haven't seen actual examples.  I just made up the names for the different wrap styles. They don't get that detailed in the archeological studies.

[M2A]

Nice! Thanks for your time in drawing that up Mr. Crafty. I'll be sure to make use of that information in the coming weeks.
Mike

[Trapper Rob]

Nice work