Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: Marc St Louis on June 23, 2015, 08:32:35 am
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I've seen several mentions of slabs being cut and used and it made me wonder how many people use them. Personally, even though I have some sitting around, I avoid them as much as possible.
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They have helped me understand how to pressure flake better. But the cave man in me thinks its cheating. The group near me Knap's a lot of slabs, but they are in the game to make money. And they do!
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When working slabs I much prefer to percussion a slab, so I need slabs that are 3/8 min. to do that, I hate starting with a square edged slab and pressure flaking it. If I am doing that I will fog it.
When I percussion I will bevel one edge all the same direction to set a platform and the skin on side at a time, When that is clear I will go to the other side.
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Like I tell my son when he laughs at me using a copper tips pressure flaker. If the Indians had them they would have used them.
My goal is to make hunting points and an occasional knife and slabs help me with that process.
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I've got some of various material and enjoy working them when I just want to use the Ishi stick. Nothing wrong with slabs IMO . Knap in your comfort zone and have fun :D
Tracy
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At first I hated to work slabs because it was so much harder to do than percussion. Eventually I started using slabs and mostly pressure flake them. Now slabs make up the majority of my knapping. I have wrangled with those square edges till I have developed an approach that works well for me. Cost of the rock was my main reason for starting doing slabs. I eventually bought an old rock saw, and it works very well.
WA
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I cut and use them.
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I'll work a few months on slabs until I tire of them and then switch back to spalls of various types of rocks. Rick B
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When a fellow gets older and the hand strength is not there then an ishi stick and slabs still lets me make blades and hunting points. Also when you get some rare jasper you don't want it in a pile at your feet. Joe
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Also when you get some rare jasper you don't want it in a pile at your feet. Joe
LOL I'm to cheap to buy diamonds. And that's only one foot.
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I've seen several mentions of slabs being cut and used and it made me wonder how many people use them. Personally, even though I have some sitting around, I avoid them as much as possible.
Why? You don't mind modern glues?
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If you think about it using slabs is less wasteful, economical and makes hard to get rock sustainable, it's a win win
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The smaller the slab, the better I like it. Material is not saved when I get my hands on a large one: I often end up with two smaller slabs... and then I feel better. :)
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The best I have worked were from my
6' by 5/8 th inch glass patio table top that blew over
and shattered into huge slabs.
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I've seen several mentions of slabs being cut and used and it made me wonder how many people use them. Personally, even though I have some sitting around, I avoid them as much as possible.
Why? You don't mind modern glues?
Not quite the same thing. You need glue to hold 2 pieces of wood together, not so with stone :) .