Good news bad news

[Muskyman]

Good news. I finally had a piece that was really looking great. It was a large flake that I picked up from one of the pieces I had destroyed. I watched a jack krafty video about beginners using flakes to start with. I took to it with my flaker and before long I had a nice looking point made.

Bad news. I decided that it needed to be a little thinner on one side and of course I broke it in half.
I should have probably just notched it and been happy with that but it does make me feel a little hopeful. Pretty sure it was lack of support and hitting it to hard with my indirect tool that broke it..

Also I’m pretty much out of rock. I’m thinking I’ll get some larger flakes on my next order since thinning seems to allude me. I’m hoping my daughter out in Austin can find me some Georgetown and ship it to me.
I didn’t get a chance to take a picture before I broke it.

[Parnell]

Sounds like your progress is perfectly on schedule!
I found I could get points out of my early debitage after awhile.

[paulc]

I have plenty of nice, thick glass you could play with if you send me a pm with address.  I will never use it all.  It has its own challenges and some folks say you learn habits that won't work with actual stone...but it'll keep you learning. Paul

[bjrogg]

Sounds like the normal progression of a good knapper. I think we all look at the things that are wrong with our points. That’s what we as knappers see. We always want to just get that step out, or get this side a little thinner. I think that’s how we get better.

You need to find a balance. Learn your limits yet keep pushing them. The ones you save now will probably look pretty crude to you in a couple years if you keep pushing. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t save a few or even set them aside for now.

I still break lots of them. They are just a lot nicer when I break them now than they were seven years ago.

Bjrogg.

PS glass is a good option. It’s not like working raw stone, but if your budget doesn’t allow good rock it is a good alternative. It’s just like obsidian.

[Muskyman]

Thanks for the offers and encouragement guys. I’m keeping my failed pieces and have thought about taking some and cutting the turtle backs down with a diamond blade saw and starting over on them.. I’m thinking I need to loose my bull in a china shop mentality. I think that will help me some. I’m finding that if a flake won’t release just bashing it over and over and harder and harder doesn’t seem to be the answer  here’s a picture or two of my broken point and some other attempts.

[Muskyman]

Seem to be having an issue with posting pictures all of a sudden.
Try again later.

[Muskyman]

Picture

[Muskyman]

Another

[Muskyman]

Last picture. I was trying to thin little blob off the top right when I broke it.

[Allyn T]

Sounds like all of us, I just broke one yesterday and I can safely say it wasn't the rocks fault. Looks like you were a little high on the edge, you can cheat around that by tipping the piece down, helps when cutting through mass too. You'd be surprised at how the flake will travel after it gets through

[Muskyman]

Probably right Allyn. I have had a tendency to keep hitting harder and harder when the piece doesn’t do what I want. Not a smart thing when knapping I’m finding out. I went back out to my shop and beat around on a few pieces that were laying around. I was trying to focus on my support and hand placement to see how it would react to different ways I was holding it. I’ve found a few videos where they talk about that and I’m going to try and pay attention more to how peopled are  supporting the piece they are working on. I’m also thinking about getting some rock other than just Georgetown and maybe try some other stuff. Maybe some obsidian and some Keokuk and some more of the Georgetown too.  Shot my daughter another text about trying to find some flint, she’s only about 15-20 minutes from Georgetown TX. Maybe I can get her knapping then I’d be in business.

[Allyn T]

Freezecracked On YouTube has great videos and talks about support a lot

[Muskyman]

Thanks Allyn, I’ll check him out.

[Muskyman]

Good: I think I’m kinda figuring some things out here, not sure of that but I’m thinking maybe..

Bad:  I’m officially out of my Georgetown except for some pieces that are pretty much done for.
I might be able to resurrect a few but most are probably too small to do anything with. I’ve started practicing notching and pressure flaking on stuff from the debitage pile.

[Parnell]

I was thinking about this point MM and considering where centerline is and the platform placement.
If the flake had line 2 wanting to be the acting center while you are working to bring it to 1?  Also, if perhaps you were applying the pressure directly into the ridge on the underside or right side in this picture of that point.  I’ve found better results peeling flakes angular into ridges instead of attacking straight in.

In other words, if pressure was applied “above or left” of line two directly inwards resulting the break.

Maybe others will give thoughts.  Like to hear what you think.