Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: sailordad on March 15, 2009, 01:24:29 am

Title: the last 2 weeks
Post by: sailordad on March 15, 2009, 01:24:29 am
well in the last two weeks i havent been doing much knapping.
not for lack of want,just tired of wrekcing what little rock i have not
to mention obsidion.
i told myself i wouldnt do much untill i can sit down with someone and get some tips to figure
out what i am doing wrong.
well even though i told myself that i still do a little.i have been basically just trying to do some practice
flaking.i grab a flake of rock that i have and know a point should be in it,even for a knewbie i can see it in there.
i go at it with the midset of "i am just practicing,and dont care if i wreck this flake or not"
i usually find a piece that is thicker on one side that the other so that i can practice thinning.
these are the three points that i ended up with in the last two weeks.i know by the experts out there they are probably a
little crude. but i can definatly see improvment in these over my other points.these are the ones that i am most proud of so far.
not sure what the stone is,but i do know that the lighter colored stone i sure liked working with it.
wish i had more of it.if some one knows what it is and whre i can get some more of it i would appreciate the info.
also please feel free to give me imput on what and how to improve.

                                                                        peace,
                                                                               tim

thanks for reading and looking. ;D

(http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/7181/1000279k.jpg)

(http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/8638/1000283y.jpg)
Title: Re: the last 2 weeks
Post by: El Destructo on March 15, 2009, 01:53:47 am
You are doing a Lot Better Tim....and I believe that the Rock may be Keo Kuk...Burlington Chert...Georgetown Chert....maybe....I ain't no expert here either!!
Title: Re: the last 2 weeks
Post by: billy on March 15, 2009, 02:26:49 am
HEy Tim,

No problem there my friend, you're doing very well.  I know when I first started out, I ruined a lot of stone.  Don't be discouraged, remember you don't have an ancestor with years of flintknapping experience looking over your shoulder so your gonna break a lot of stone.  Just keep at.  By the way, the center point and the one on the right look kinda like novaculite to me, although it's hard to be sure.  Novaculite comes from Arkansas....
Title: Re: the last 2 weeks
Post by: Timo on March 15, 2009, 09:14:59 am
Looks great to me!  I'd say nova.
Title: Re: the last 2 weeks
Post by: sailordad on March 15, 2009, 11:47:23 am
when i show these to people they always say the same thing
"there aint no pointed tips on them two,they would never kill anything"

then i proceed to show them that "sharp"doesnt mean it bhas to have a tip.
i usually grab a piece of paper and hold it by the opposte edges,and let them push it thru.
then they are amazed how little effort it takes,and they realize that it is sharp even without a pointed tip.

not sure what "type" any of those points would be,but i would use them to hunt with(if it was legal here)
Title: Re: the last 2 weeks
Post by: hawkbow on March 15, 2009, 12:47:40 pm
Tim, those look great..you sure have the thinning down.. long flakes too.. would bet that they would bring down a deer, or a mammoth for that matter..  ;D ;) Hawk
Title: Re: the last 2 weeks
Post by: stickbender on March 15, 2009, 02:14:53 pm

     Tim, you are definitely doing better! 8)  You have the Flakes going across now, and that is a big plus in thinning them down.  It sures seems like you have made a big stride in improvement.  8) I used to use the first bucket of stuff that Mullet gave me, for practice, and I actually got a decent point out of a piece of Chert, that had a lot of inclusions in it.  It was good practice, and yep, I made a nice pile of road bed with the stuff.  Still have a little left, but it is great stuff to practice on, and I really did learn a lot from it.  Then Eddie gave me another bucket of nicer stone, and some of it I am afraid to touch just yet.  But I seriously doubt there is anyone out there who decided to take up Knapping, and just picked up a piece of stone, and knapped a very nice point on their first try.  It all starts with busting rock.  I am still busting rock.  I have improved a lot since I first started, but I still have a long way to go till I can make it look easy like these guys on here, and like Claude Van Order.  Just guessing, I would think the white one is Noviculite.  I have some Keokuk, and it is not as glossy as that.  You have definitely improved.  A lot faster than me! ;)  And no it doesn't have to be a needle like point.  Fred Bear used a Chisel type blade on one of point styles, and it penetrated just fine, and in the Museum, in Fla. near Gainesville, he has a piece of bone with one of the points buried deep in it.  Where as a pointed one might have curled up.   ;)
Keep the pictures coming.  It is difficult to walk by the stone without at least picking it up and looking it over, and maybe just a small flake, and then walk away......uh huh, sure...... ;D  Yep, you are addicted...... ;D  Tim is a Flake Head, Tim is a Flake Head, Nanny, Nah, Nah...... ;D ;D :P
Title: Re: the last 2 weeks
Post by: PeteDavis on March 15, 2009, 10:54:02 pm
Right on. Is that a colored novaculite at upper left?

PD
Title: Re: the last 2 weeks
Post by: sailordad on March 15, 2009, 11:47:59 pm
i have no idea what any of the rock is.
i bought it a my first knapp in.
a guy had a bucket full of "junk rock" for $1 lb.
so i bought 10 lbs just to practice flaking on,and ome of it i can actually turn into a point.
all i know is i liked working the lighter colored rock.need more of it now ;D
Title: Re: the last 2 weeks
Post by: Bone pile on March 16, 2009, 10:17:49 am
Moving right aong and lookin'good.I'd say the white is noviculite,it chips nice you getting them thinner . keep it up and lets see what you come up with.
Bone pile
Title: Re: the last 2 weeks
Post by: DanaM on March 16, 2009, 11:00:22 am
Lookin good Tim, Looks like a really nice day so after work I'm gonna grap knapping stuff and sit in the sunshine.
If I'm lucky I may even get a point :)
Title: Re: the last 2 weeks
Post by: cowboy on March 16, 2009, 11:38:53 am
Nice work Tim! Looks like your getting the flakes to travel at least to the half way point which is the key to thinning. I'd agree those two look like novaculite, don't know what the left one is.