Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: JW_Halverson on September 11, 2012, 12:23:21 am

Title: For all my efforts to avoid it, I started knapping.
Post by: JW_Halverson on September 11, 2012, 12:23:21 am: My philosophy in knapping is to remove as little material as possible. I believe I have achieved near perfection with my first arrowhead!

(http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo100/JW_Halverson/Bows/knapping/Picture008.jpg)
(http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo100/JW_Halverson/Bows/knapping/Picture009.jpg)
(http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo100/JW_Halverson/Bows/knapping/Picture010.jpg)

Found this piece of chalcedony here in western South Dakota. I have heard of knapped chalcedony points and even have an original collected over by Presho South Dakota of probably Sioux origin. I'm thinking of spending some time collecting a pile of this stuff since it is fairly available. Once I have a bucket full I guess I gotta find someone to send it off to get knapped.

Cuz I need to learn knapping like I need yet another hole in my head! I got enough unfinished projects as it is! Knappers got rocks in da head!
Title: Re: For all my efforts to avoid it, I started knapping.
Post by: gstoneberg on September 11, 2012, 12:44:47 am: Impressive to retain that incredibly sharp, yet thick, edge. Fine job. :D

George
Title: Re: For all my efforts to avoid it, I started knapping.
Post by: Cameroo on September 11, 2012, 01:05:55 am: Haft it up and give some poor critter a headache! >:D
Title: Re: For all my efforts to avoid it, I started knapping.
Post by: JW_Halverson on September 11, 2012, 01:10:52 am: Cam's right! I got a heck of a bunny blunt there!
Title: Re: For all my efforts to avoid it, I started knapping.
Post by: Tower on September 11, 2012, 01:20:30 am: Looks like it would make a great point.
Title: Re: For all my efforts to avoid it, I started knapping.
Post by: gstoneberg on September 11, 2012, 01:54:14 am: If he sends it to you, I'm quite sure it will. If he sends it to me...not so much. ;) That one almost looks like a slab...it'd skip like crazy down at the creek.

George
Title: Re: For all my efforts to avoid it, I started knapping.
Post by: StevenT on September 11, 2012, 11:22:54 am: Funny, I just posted a comment about knapping square edges a few days ago. You mastered that pretty darn quick! :) ;D
Title: Re: For all my efforts to avoid it, I started knapping.
Post by: JW_Halverson on September 12, 2012, 10:09:46 pm: How many around here have worked chaldedony? Does it need heat treatment?
Title: Re: For all my efforts to avoid it, I started knapping.
Post by: TRACY on September 12, 2012, 10:37:05 pm: Worked a piece Old Hippy gave me at the last classic and loved it! Good stuff from flintridge cap

Tracy
Title: Re: For all my efforts to avoid it, I started knapping.
Post by: Tower on September 12, 2012, 11:32:07 pm: I also love it. I've only Knapped TX.
Title: Re: For all my efforts to avoid it, I started knapping.
Post by: Newindian on September 13, 2012, 12:08:02 am: Looks like I'm not the only master of "sharp edges" out there any more ;D
Title: Re: For all my efforts to avoid it, I started knapping.
Post by: JackCrafty on September 13, 2012, 02:38:23 pm: ???
Title: Re: For all my efforts to avoid it, I started knapping.
Post by: JackCrafty on September 13, 2012, 02:39:21 pm: I think I still owe ya some mesquite there, JW. Will try and send it soon. :)
Title: Re: For all my efforts to avoid it, I started knapping.
Post by: bowtarist on September 14, 2012, 09:35:38 am: Welcome to the club J-dub! ;D dp
Title: Re: For all my efforts to avoid it, I started knapping.
Post by: iowabow on September 14, 2012, 12:16:19 pm: yesssssssssssss I knew we would get you one dayyyy!
Title: Re: For all my efforts to avoid it, I started knapping.
Post by: stickbender on September 15, 2012, 03:09:21 am: Don't let them brow beat you J.W.! ;) Just to spite them, I think you should build, one of those medieval huge mounted crossbows, with the four or five ft. arrows, and mount that boy on one of those arrows, and take it down to George's piggy haven, and roll the biggest one you can find with it! That would roll Hogzilla! :o
If you want to get into knapping, just come on up to Montana, and I will assist you in the proper technique, of making road bed grade gravel out of good high grade knappable rock. I have a big pile of it in my shop, to show you how it should look, after an hour of careful knapping. ;) I don't like to brag, but when it comes to gravel, and debris from knapping, I am just a natural at it. But if you want to see what kind of gussied up rock it can be made into, just send it to Tower, and he can make another one of those poor misshapen things he calls "Andices". Did you see the one he made, when he was so rusty and all. He should have just left it in the pile, and waited till he was a little more polished, and then show the one where he wasn't so all rusty, and unable to produce a good looking point. Sheesh, some people! >:( He needs to come up here so I can show him the proper way to waste time and rock! ;) But be careful, if he does make a ..... rusty style..... point out of it, it might be hoodooed, and may be carrying a mojo on it, and cause you to want to start sitting around smashing rock, fingers, and lowering your blood pressure, by self blood letting. Often. Well the choice is yours, so far you have made a good choice, in your theory of removing as little as possible, besides, it could made into tomma hawk club, for a coupe de' tas, for rabbits, and such, or turkeys, deer, etc. Or as a wo ti stone, for good luck, as the Lithic Gods will be more appreciative, of your gentle handling of what took nature millions of years to make. Or maybe even wear it like the 17th century "gorgets", on a nice woven necklace. You have my respect, for the way you have handled yourself amid the hordes of malicious, and malevolent, rock whackers, who see not the beauty of natures work of a millennium, but as something, to be restructured into what "They" think is pretty, like those darn pine trees, and andices! ::) :P Keep up the good fight, and resist as long as you can, otherwise, you will be talked, and cajoled into at least trying it........ :o
....... so uh is there a plentiful supply of it down around you?...... ::) Uh.... just you know, curious.......Might have to make a road trip that way, just you know to see natures stone work....... ::)
Wayne

Wayne