Antler tipped ishi stick.

[StevenT]

If this is a stupid question  , just say so. I know different tools work on different rock and in the different stages. I am very new to knapping and so far have had my best luck trying to run flakes with an ishi stick. However, I like the idea of using deer antler to pressure flake, I just haven't had much success at it yet. I have seen video's of people making a small rod out of deer antler and inserting it in the end of an ishi stick instead of copper. I am thinking about making one and giving it a try. I would have a couple questions: Has anyone done this and how did it work for you? Second, and this is part that may sound stupid: Is one part of a deer antler stronger than another part. In other words, if I am going to go through the effort of cutting out a long piece of antler and then going through the effort of shaping and sand it down to something the size of a pencil, I want to use the best part of the antler. Is there any one part or side that is the hardest? Thanks.

[DanaM]

Never used antler but I believe you want to use a tine or just the end of a tine inserted in a stick.

[madcrow]

Yep, the tips work great.  You can also add a set screw to the stick and make several points that are shaped different.  Kinda like a multi tool.  You can have tips that are flat, rounded, and pointy.

[D. Tiller]

Or take the cannon bone from cow. Season it and cut it into needles and then use those.

[StevenT]

OK, I may be stepping in it, but how do you "season" a bone short of using salt, pepper, etc....

[D. Tiller]

Stick it under a pile of leaves or composts and let the ants at it for a while then let it dry out a bit. Age is the master here. Just keep an eye on it. After its out of the rubber like new bone state its ready to go.

[nugget]

I made some ishi stick out of dseer antler tines set into the end of bamboo. They work good. I have several different ones with different shaped tines in them.

[D. Tiller]

I'm going to try the bamboo. Sound like its right up my alley! Simple and easy to make, that is! 

[Hillbilly]

Alan Shook (Woodland Roamer) makes some nice antler Ishi sticks by sticking a tine into a piece of cane and wrapping it. They work great. You don't have to work the antler down, just use the end of a tine and keep it sharpened how you want it.

[nugget]

Hillbilly,That is where I got the idea from. I saw them at HIckory and copied them

[Hillbilly]

Yeah, there were about ten of us looked at it and went, duh! Why have none of us thought of that before? I've spent a lot of time hollowing out split pieces of wood to make antler Ishis in the past. Takes a few minutes to stick a tine in a piece of cane, and works just as good or better.

[aaron]

what i do is get a straight tine and drill a hole into the cut end (like a horn nock), then i insert a stick into the hole- that way you get a nice large handgrip and no chance of breaking ..

[StevenT]

I take it if you use bamboo, you would have to split or notch it first befoe wrapping it, right? Anyone got a picture of one made up this way? It sure sounds a lot easier than spliting antler to get a tine.

[Woodland Roamer]

Yeah I've been meaning to get pics of those on here, just haven't done it yet. I cut the cane about two inches below a node and just take a tine and file it down to fit inside. I then melt some pine pitch (you could use modern glue or possibly no glue at all) into the cane and insert the tine. Then wrap with sinew or rawhide to keep the cane from splitting. I usually wrap with leather too to make it more comfortable to use. I'll try to get some pics on later today.

Alan

[Woodland Roamer]

Ok here are some pics. In the second pic I removed the leather so you can see where I cut the cane below the node, insert the tine up to the node and then wrap with sinew. It's a good idea to rough up the area under the sinew with a flake or such so the sinew will have something to grip or else it may want to slide off. You can make them double ended too like the top one in the last pic.