Good DVD or book for starters

[bigcountry]

I have not a clue how to knap.  I thought about taking a class offered, but figured there is some DVD's out there.  Anyone know?

[TreyNC]

If it were me I would watch a bunch of videos on u tube, make a bopper, a flaker and break some glass for a little bit. Then take the class. For me there were too many things to do at first for a video help me much. Find a video on basics, and start breaking. Then after breaking some glass and getting to know some of the very basics like angle and abrading.....abrading,..... and more abrading other things will start to make since. Guess it may depend on the cost and convienience of the class being offered too. I am still a beginer and about every 5-10 hours of knapping I can add in new tidbits that make it easer. Guess I'm a slow learner. Steal time anywhere you can. I do most of my knapping at work on breaks. I can get about 45minuts a day and it adds up.

Trey

[Hillbilly]

Buy either DC Waldorf's The Art of Flintknapping, or Bob Patton's Old Tools, New Eyes, or better yet, both of them. (Books) Read through those to get the basics in your head, then start watching those YouTube videos. There are some really good ones out there. Go to a knapin if there's any way possible. Actually sitting down with someone and watching them work in person will teach you more in a few hours than you will learn on your own in a looooonnnnng time. Oh, and break about two or three tons of rock. Unless you're akin to Sawfiler. In that case, just pick up a rock and start making killer points in about two days.

[bigcountry]

Thanks guys, I was reading PA yesterday and read about the one author reading waldorf's book.  Guess it would be a good place to start.

[Jaeger]

you tube videos and waldorfs book ,and as you learn post pics of your progress ,asking for pointers , slabs are the easiest way to learn pressure ,glass windows are cheap supply of slabs ,I have been working on obsidion and dacite.

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[bigcountry]

Good looking set of heads there.  You mean you take regular glass window and smacking?

[Jaeger]

yes if it about a quarter inch and is not tempered glass , you use pressure flaker instead of a bopper.

[bigcountry]

Well, I ordered the waldorf book.  And spent the better half of the day watching youtube videos.  And with everything in the primitive community, it looks rather overwelming and tough to learn.

Well, I guess that old saying my grandfather said still holds true.  Ain't nothing worth a darn easy.

[Blacktail]

 try making a bow.thats hard for me...LOL..its good to see you are going to give it a try....i guess its like bow making.you cant give up,thats when you fail...who knows you might just love it or hate it to death.LOL...john

[bigcountry]

No doubt bow's tough too.  Once I think I got tillering figured out, I mess up another one. 

Well, maybe I can read a bit and see.  Looks expensive unless you got access to obsidian or good rock. 

[knap_123]

loof for old tvs that are no good.  lnock the glass out and use it.  make sure to slen the lead film off it, looks like tint but its not.  or so i was told , also old ashtrays, cassarole dishes (pyrex), beer bottle bottoms,   old toilet tank tops, etc.  look at yardsales and thrift stores for cheap things to work with.  buy some bandaids also!!  you are going to get cut eventually and use eye wear. i try to keep my sunglasses on but i do forget sometimes.  but when working glass i do for sure.

[bigcountry]

Guys is this glass you guys use act like obsidian or flint? In other words, I see people using a bobber to knock off big chips or bifaces (I don't know the terminolgy yet).  Does it chip off like flint or chert, etc?  Or do you use a pressure flaker for the glass stuff? 

[knap_123]

a light bopper 1" and 1/2"  plus a pressure flaker and notcher will be all you need to get started. oh, and a good grinder as well.  go to you tube,  type in flintknapping and watch all the vids you can.  paleomanjim  has some great vids working with  slabs and obsidian. it acts alot like glass.

[Hillbilly]

Glass works much like obsidian, which is volcanic glass. With thinner pieces of glass, you would mostly pressure flake it. With thicker or irregular pieces, you would need to do some percussion. Flint is a bit harder/tougher, depending on the variety, but all knappable material breaks the same way, with a conchoidial fracture. The only difference is the amount of force needed to take a flake off in some materials is greater than in others (if you discount things like inclusions, varying textures within the same rock, etc.)