Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: Talonzz on May 07, 2009, 10:51:13 pm
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Can any of you tell me what this is and if it would be any good for knapping?
I live in Central Minnesota and found this just poking out of the ground near the base of a tree in one of our pastures.
I've included pics of all faces...
(http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/7282/wtizit6.jpg)
(http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/3907/wtizit5.jpg)
(http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/2919/wtizit4.jpg)
(http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/4056/wtizit3.jpg)
(http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/7720/wtizit2.jpg)
(http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/1720/wtizit1.jpg)
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not sure if it will knapp or not,but i have seen it in fields whrn i was turkey hunting last week.
the stuff that i saw was kinda glassy but filled with air pockets and nothing of any size to make me want to grab it while i was hunting.
but i too wondered the same thing,wished i would have grabbed a hunk now.
the farmer who lets me chase buzzards has a huge one in his yard
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Howdy Neighbor(Sailordad). Where abouts do you Turkey hunt? I live in Milaca...
I don't know much about what to even look for as far as good stuff for knappin' but I'd like to learn.
This chunk is about 10" on all faces... heavy as he11. I set it on top of my kindling box when I found it and forgot about it
until this spring....
I found my kindling box collapsed when I went to grab it.
I sent you a PM earlier today.
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Man, I ain't got a clue what that is. But looks chalenging at the least. I'd love to give it a try ;).
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Break a corner offin it and post another picture, it looks tough.
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Looks like quartzite to me. ???
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Looks like Granite to me, it is all over that area.
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gonna need a baseball bat
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Looks like man rock for sure-probably some kind of quartzite. But it's got purty colors. :)
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I did a search for Quartzite and I see this: (http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/6803/hollywoodquartzite01.jpg)
at every site.
It looks like it could be it but all of the sites also say it's from Brazil... Hollywood Quartzite
If this is indeed what it is... is it workable or too dang hard?
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TALONZZ:i hunt and live in the st cloud area.i know a few farmers on the outskirts of town,they are always willing to let me hunt
i dont know of many,but there is a place in princeton called ROCKS N THINGS ( i believe),there just down the highway,so you should stop in with the rock
and i'll bet they could tell ya for sure what it is
did you go to the knapp in that was held in milaca last feb.?i went to it.it was my first knapp in as ihad just got interested in this at that time.i bought some rock and obsidion
and i dont like to toot my own horn,but i think i have gotten pretty dang good(not fast)at this for as little time as i have been doing it.there is going to be another knapp in
this summer down in Lake Benton(near pipestone).the wife and a re are planning on going.that way i can kill to brids with one stone so as to speak,more rock for knapping
and i can pick up more pipestone while i am there too ;D
MULLET:dont think its granite,yes we have literaly tons of it laying around up here,granite in our area is real grainy,rarely ever smooth
unless its been polished,this rock seems to some out of the ground kinda shiney looking and has bit of a glassy look to it
not sure what it is but pretty dang sure its not granite.i do think it may be knappible if a guy was to heat it some.
i am gonna go ask the farmer if i can dig in his rock pile and grab a few pieces to try.
peace,
tim
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Might be an Agate ? if it is, one that big is worth some money !!
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I don't think it's granite either. We do alot of granite countertops where I work and this don't look like that.
Sailordad: I did not make it to the knappin here... I didn't even know about it... I just got physically interested in all of this primitive stuff in the last couple of months. I actually have my first bow on the tree as we speak. I work in Princeton and I drive by the rock shop all of the time... every time I pass it I think... "I should really bring that rock in..." there it sits... on my bench in the barn.
John K.: That's what I thought it was when I first dug it out of the ground... but I doubt I could be that lucky. I think I remember reading somewhere that the state record agate for Minnesota is 8lbs... if this is an agate, I got THAT beat easy and drinks are on me ;D
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If it's an Agate, don't forget i told you first ! :D
Thats still my guess.......Agate :o
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Yooperite...also known at the Tennessee Classic as Man Stone......I beleive it is just Quartzite
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OK... So bein' that I'm a noobie at this... Is it good for knappin'? or do I just set it in the yard for the birds to poop on? ::)
Could any of you post some pics of good knappin rocks in the raw so I know what to look for out in my horse pastures?
My place is just littered with all different kinds of large rocks... and yes... I'd be more than happy to share any good stuff I find.
Most of it is so big I'm gonna need to rent a skid loader. I just found a couple of rocks pokin' out of the ground the other day that are about as big as my chest and I'm almost positive it's Rose Quartz.
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Like I said before smack a corner off and take a good close up picture of the fracture.
If its quartzite then yes it may be knappable but only with a great deal of effort.
Also quartzite isn't heat treatable short of a volcano :o
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Talonzz: when i went to that knapp in that they had in milaca back in feb.
i asked the guy that was in charge(he was from milaca area)if mn had decent knappible rock,he said the rock here in mn
was junk for knapping.he also said that the natives in this area would use it for quick crude hand tools,and that they would just leave
them lay after use because the quality of the rock wasnt worth transporting the weight of the rock.they would rather discard and make
a new one at the next location,dont know how much truth there is to that though.but i gave been looking in rivers and lake shores and
thus far havent found any that wasnt grainy. ah yes minnesota and its grainy granitie like rock ;D
if you do find some and need some help collecting ket me know,i will work for cheap.just let me keep some for my own use and i am happy ;D ;)
i did aquire a small piece of glassy looking rock from a guyt i work with,he said its all over his field.tried to push a flake off and damned near busted my wrist
it was so hard,but it did flake.gonna ask him for a few more larger pieces and try heating them and see what happens
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OK guys... Thanks for the help and the information.
Tim: If I stumble onto something good out in this area I'll be sure to give you a call.
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OK guys... I gave this thing a couple of good wacks with the hammer and it finally broke... It broke straight. Straight and flat along the ribbons and perpendicular to them... I pretty much broke off a square. I'll post a pic as soon as the wife remembers to bring the digital camera home from work... grrrrrr