Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: hook on March 20, 2011, 07:52:54 pm

Title: what is the black and white rock?
Post by: hook on March 20, 2011, 07:52:54 pm: I got a knapping kit and with it came some opaque chalky white rock which seems to be really stubborn stuff and one piece of black and white shiney stuff that really worked a lot easier.
My question is do any of you know what these are and where I can get some more of the black and white?
Title: Re: what is the black and white rock?
Post by: Bevan R. on March 20, 2011, 07:54:56 pm: Contact who you got the kit from. Maybe they have pounds of it.
I am sure people will want a photo.

Bevan R
Title: Re: what is the black and white rock?
Post by: JustinNC on March 20, 2011, 08:01:40 pm: novaculite?
Title: Re: what is the black and white rock?
Post by: sailordad on March 20, 2011, 08:49:01 pm: white,chalky,sounds like cortex material.
or else known as the outside of the nodule

got pics?that would help immensly
Title: Re: what is the black and white rock?
Post by: hook on March 20, 2011, 10:18:25 pm: the chalky stuff has brownish red streaks in it and it is REALLY bad about step fracturing and stacking. I cannot get a flake to travel very far at all, It just seems really brittle to me but I am a beginner soooo....,take that for what its worth. I don't have any more chunks of the black and white stuff. like I said it is shiny and the white in it is opaque when it is thin. Flakes travel well and come off a lot easier. I hope this helps. By the way, what is the best material to work?
Title: Re: what is the black and white rock?
Post by: hook on March 20, 2011, 10:55:59 pm: sorry I didn't get the other pic.
Title: Re: what is the black and white rock?
Post by: sailordad on March 20, 2011, 10:59:23 pm: hard to tell from the pic

as far as best rock to start on
you will probably get s many differant answeres as there are knappers on that one
i learned on obsidion slabs
i think the best to learn on would actually be
what every is easiest for you to get and is cheapest for you to get
stick with that material untill you get the basics down and you feel comfortable with knapping
then try another material,stick with it untill you gest used to it
if you switch back and forth constalty as you learn,in my opion it makes it harder to learn
each material likes to be workes stightly differantly
some like to be very heavily abraided,some dont
some like a real hard fast switch,others dont
i think some work better with copper and others with antler etrc etc
but wait for othes tochime in as i havde only been knapping a few years now
Title: Re: what is the black and white rock?
Post by: Bevan R. on March 20, 2011, 11:01:15 pm: Quote from: sailordad on March 20, 2011, 10:59:23 pm
as fart as best rock to start on

ROTFLMAO!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: what is the black and white rock?
Post by: sailordad on March 20, 2011, 11:04:23 pm: oh man i cant believe it let that "slip by"

i went back and fixed that typo
but your right bevan, i too rotflmao when i seen what i had posted there :D
Title: Re: what is the black and white rock?
Post by: cowboy on March 20, 2011, 11:36:07 pm: Nice points there! Some of that looks like novaculite to me. As said before - get with your supplier for that info. As far as the best to knap, well hmm. I started with whatever i could find pedernales which is tough and taught me a lot :).
Title: Re: what is the black and white rock?
Post by: mullet on March 20, 2011, 11:39:47 pm: It looks and sounds like heat treated Novaculite to me.
Title: Re: what is the black and white rock?
Post by: leapingbare on March 21, 2011, 04:19:38 am: it is Novaculite.
100% sure of it