Beggining flint knapping looking for rock, is this knappable?

[patio87]

I live in Illinois and I'm looking for knappable rock, I was wondering if anyone has any idea. I think I have some places where there is some chert, but does flint even exist in this area? I'm in the western Chicago burb, there are a few quarrys around here as well.

Is this knappable, not sure what it is, but it seems to break off(Photo attached)



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[Hillbilly]

There is knappable rock in Illinois, don't know exactly where, but it's there. Chert is what you want-usually when knappers say "flint," they're referring to chert. Geologists say that there is no true flint in the US, except maye the Georgetown stuff from Texas. The rock you have there looks like limestone. Some high-grade limestone is knappable with wooden billets, but it's tough material. If you can find chert, that's what you want. Some chert knaps good raw, and some needs heat treatment.

[patio87]

On heat treatment:

How do you know/tell if chert needs to be heat treated, and why?

[sailordad]

if you break your wrist off trying to knapp it,it probably needs a little heat treating

[jamie]

or ya need stronger wrists

[Timo]

Patio, If you knock off a flake and the area inside feels,"slick,or waxey" then you are good to go.( by the most part) But even if it is good,sometimes heat treating will help the material to flake better.

If the area feels course maybe like fine sandpaper, then it might take some heat to make it more knapper friendly. many variables.

[DanaM]

Stopped at a rest stop way down in southern Illinois and I swear the retaining wall was all chert, me and VB were gonna liberate
a piece but there was to many folks around

[venisonburger]

Hey Dana, I still think if we could have got to our knapping tools we coulda pulled it off.
VB

[billy]

Patio,

Yeah, that stuff looks like limestone.  Looks way too chalky to me, but at least you're on the right path: limestone is where chert is found.  There is some flint in southern ILL, though I've never been there and found it myself.  Now if you go to Missouri, there is chert all over the damn place.  Central Missouri on I-70 around Columbia has lots of chert.  I've seen what appear to be large flint nodules still lodged in the limestone of roadcuts in that area.  I've also seen large beds of chert wherever the highway cuts through a hill.

I would start looking in creek beds, and start tapping rocks.  Flint will ring, sounding almost like porcelain. Non flint type rocks will give a dull thud.  If you can't find any around your place, begin widening your search.  The midwest has lots of flint when you get into the right areas, so I'd just start looking.   

[patio87]

Patio,

Yeah, that stuff looks like limestone.  Looks way too chalky to me, but at least you're on the right path: limestone is where chert is found.  There is some flint in southern ILL, though I've never been there and found it myself.  Now if you go to Missouri, there is chert all over the damn place.  Central Missouri on I-70 around Columbia has lots of chert.  I've seen what appear to be large flint nodules still lodged in the limestone of roadcuts in that area.  I've also seen large beds of chert wherever the highway cuts through a hill.

I would start looking in creek beds, and start tapping rocks.  Flint will ring, sounding almost like porcelain. Non flint type rocks will give a dull thud.  If you can't find any around your place, begin widening your search.  The midwest has lots of flint when you get into the right areas, so I'd just start looking.   

Yeah it is very chalky and the edges sort of just flake off with the pressure of my fingers holding it. I kind figured right away it was no good. But I am pretty positive I found chert in the area and I will post the picture below. I'm also not in Southern Illinois but in the northwest, around 17 miles west of Chicago.

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[redwasp]

that looks like alot better material to try. good luck