Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: Marc St Louis on April 02, 2012, 10:13:42 pm

Title: Arizona
Post by: Marc St Louis on April 02, 2012, 10:13:42 pm
Some friends of mine just got back from there, they drove down and rented a house as home base from which they went out on their bikes.  While down there the female part of the couple, an Algonquin woman, picked up some rocks she saw lying about some of which she gave to me when she got back, she knows I do some knapping.  One of the rocks turned out to be top quality rock which I believe is Dacite.  Pity it wasn't larger or more of them.  She also gave me some pieces of Obsidian but I think she got those from someone.  Anyone from AZ here?

I took some pictures which I will post later on.
Title: Re: Arizona
Post by: rileyconcrete on April 02, 2012, 11:13:54 pm
Im not from AZ, but I have heard of dacite and obsidian in AZ.  Nate Danforth "NTD" is from Tucson I believe, I dont think he knaps though.  Hopefully you can make a point for her from the obsidian.

Tell
Title: Re: Arizona
Post by: Marc St Louis on April 03, 2012, 11:32:50 am
It was my intention to make her a point, I was going to make it out of some of the Obsidian she gave me but I think I'll make it out of the Dacite.  I was able to reduce the stone into several pieces from which I should be able to make decent points from.  Here's a couple of pictures
Title: Re: Arizona
Post by: cowboy on April 03, 2012, 11:36:49 am
I'm not sure what's out there Marc but did drive all over looking that one summer. Got directions to an area from Jim Winn for dacite so apparently it's there i just didn't find it :(. Good luck with those spalls..
Title: Re: Arizona
Post by: Justin Snyder on April 03, 2012, 12:35:40 pm
There is obsidian and dacite all over the southwest, including Arizona. Quite a bit of obsidian around the Flagstaff area.
Title: Re: Arizona
Post by: jamie on April 04, 2012, 08:42:48 am
nice looking stuff marc, i see some snowflakes in the obsidian. one of my favorite types of rock is a basalt that comes from arizona. most people call it dacite and im sure its a grainier form of dacite. tough stuff and sharper than all hell
Title: Re: Arizona
Post by: Marc St Louis on April 06, 2012, 10:02:51 am
Jamie
I've googled basalt and the images they show certainly doesn't look like what I have or even something that is knappable, very grainy and even porous.  The pictures I posted above are not of obsidian, even though she did give me some of that.

I took a few pictures of another rock she gave me.  There is something knappable buried inside this stone but I don't think there is enough of it.
Title: Re: Arizona
Post by: cowboy on April 06, 2012, 11:06:02 am
I'd be game to tackle that one. Though like you said not much there. First thought on that material was Alibates but after scrolling down, not sure now..
Title: Re: Arizona
Post by: iowabow on April 06, 2012, 11:50:20 am
looks kinda quartzy to me becasue it has a little hard grain look.
Title: Re: Arizona
Post by: Marc St Louis on April 06, 2012, 04:26:25 pm
I'll see if I can find out exactly where she picked up that second one from.
Title: Re: Arizona
Post by: mullet on April 08, 2012, 02:54:34 pm
I thought it looked like Alibates also, but it might be Petrified Wood.
Title: Re: Arizona
Post by: Sparrow on April 09, 2012, 01:15:57 am
Looks like agate or agatized wood to me.  '  Frank