Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: JoJoDapyro on August 21, 2015, 11:12:01 pm

Title: Obsidian inclusions
Post by: JoJoDapyro on August 21, 2015, 11:12:01 pm
Have any of you seen obsidian with quartz inclusions? This batch I got has a lot.
Title: Re: Obsidian inclusions
Post by: mullet on August 21, 2015, 11:17:50 pm
I have from some of the stuff I have from Utah. And the Snowflake, I will not even mess with. It is full of ash inclusions.
Title: Re: Obsidian inclusions
Post by: jeffp51 on August 22, 2015, 12:10:38 am
I have a few pieces from a neighbor with lots of inclusions too.  It looks cool, but hard to knap around.  I managed one very small point--my only one from real stone so far.  I like it, but it was hard to do.
Title: Re: Obsidian inclusions
Post by: JoJoDapyro on August 22, 2015, 10:04:50 am
The stuff I have has small crystals in it. Not all over, just in certain areas.
Title: Re: Obsidian inclusions
Post by: Redhand on August 22, 2015, 10:37:12 am
Could you post a pic of it
Title: Re: Obsidian inclusions
Post by: JoJoDapyro on August 22, 2015, 10:42:23 am
Yep, as soon as I have my camera up. My phone died, i'll dig out the old camera!
Title: Re: Obsidian inclusions
Post by: Redhand on August 22, 2015, 11:06:48 am
I had a few pieces of that obsidian out by Milford when I went to a knap in by Nephi. It had some inclusions in the stone it looked a lot like ash.
Title: Re: Obsidian inclusions
Post by: JoJoDapyro on August 22, 2015, 11:18:43 am
There are ash inclusions as well. More ash than crystals. A guy recently showed me an arrow head he knapped that had one right in the middle. Here is a photo. The glint on the bottom right of the arrow head is the crystal. 

This stuff is also from the Milford area.
Title: Re: Obsidian inclusions
Post by: YosemiteBen on August 22, 2015, 11:21:37 am
One more time....

Snow flake Obsidian has cristobalite crystals in its matrix and is presumed to be some of the oldest obsidian around due to the crystal formation.

Obsidian with other inclusions is usually pumice in nature and will not carry flakes very  well at all.

I have a snow flake point I made from a small slab - I will try to het a pic of it later since my office lights burned out yesterday afternoon.
Title: Re: Obsidian inclusions
Post by: JoJoDapyro on August 22, 2015, 11:26:04 am
This flakes well. It isn't snowflake. It is just random inclusions. No rhyme or reason for where, or how big. This stuff is also not black, it is more gray to purple.
Title: Re: Obsidian inclusions
Post by: Redhand on August 22, 2015, 12:26:02 pm
Ya I can see it. It's hard to get a flake to travel with those inclusions. I made a point that had a couple inclusions. I'll post a pic if you don't mind me posting on your thread
Title: Re: Obsidian inclusions
Post by: JoJoDapyro on August 22, 2015, 01:10:29 pm
Not at all! I just hadn't seen it until a few weeks ago. These are so small they don't seem to affect the flaking.
Title: Re: Obsidian inclusions
Post by: Redhand on August 22, 2015, 05:00:41 pm
In this point the one towards the base wasn't bad, but the one on the tip what a bit tricky to get around.
Title: Re: Obsidian inclusions
Post by: RickB on August 22, 2015, 05:57:11 pm
I don't have a photo of the crumbly ash inclusion, but here's an obsidian disc that I made utilizing it to my advantage. I flaked from the outside of both sides inward, shaping and thinning the disc. I was then able to pick a small hole through the included disc, flaking from the inside out, expanding the hole. Rick B

(http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee412/rickb29212/049_zpsegwkfdgc.jpg) (http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/rickb29212/media/049_zpsegwkfdgc.jpg.html)

(http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee412/rickb29212/050_zpsookkjuvq.jpg) (http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/rickb29212/media/050_zpsookkjuvq.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Obsidian inclusions
Post by: YosemiteBen on August 26, 2015, 12:44:25 pm
Very nice donut mr RickB!
Title: Re: Obsidian inclusions
Post by: mullet on August 26, 2015, 02:51:46 pm
Cool, Rick!
Title: Re: Obsidian inclusions
Post by: Tracker0721 on August 29, 2015, 07:28:29 pm
I just found some fire obsidian at glass buttes and a few rocks had snowflakes in em. I only kept one because I wasn't too sure how that'd be for knapping. Seems like it'd look cool though!