blade material choice

[banoch]

If you were going to make a knife blade for a knife that you actually were going to use is there one type of stone that stands head and shoulders above all others. Sharpest, strongest, most durable. What is the best way to join it to the handle?  I appreciate your help.        banoch

[sailordad]

personaly i like what ever i can get my hands on,as i live in an area that doesnt have much for knappible material
obsidion gets harper than stone,but stone is more durable than obsidion,bot hhave pros and cons
as far as hafting to a handle
do you want to keep it primitive or dont realy care?
if your going for primitive,then pine pitch and sinew
or if ya dont care,then two part epoxy works great
i have done them both ways,the yeach have pros and cons

[knightd]

My vote is Ryolite!!

[Pat B]

I'd say rhyolite also. Very tough stone and can be made very sharp.
  A stone knife is made for cutting or sticking and NOT for prying. No knife is made for prying but you can get away with a little with a metal blade...NOT WITH STONE!
An obsidian blade is the sharpest but it is brittle so not as durable. The design of the blade will matter also.

[cowboy]

Some of that Pederanales stuff can be purty darn tough, but have to agree with the Rhyolite thing - I just don't have it around here. I slot my handle to accept the stone, wrap it in sinew, then cover with tbIII to waterproof.

[mullet]

  If you want a sharp, durable knife and want to punish yourself,  try raw Coral.

[banoch]

What about chert or flint? Does anyone have any ryolite big enough for an 8"blade they are willing to part with? Thanks for the suggestions. If made thicker would obsidian be a GOOD choice?

[leapingbare]

I'd say rhyolite too, but most flints and cherts make good uns too.

[Hillbilly]

A lot of stone makes good knives, especially raw stuff, but my top three choices for a user would be rhyolite, rhyolite, and rhyolite.

[leapingbare]

Come on now, I'm an ex N.C boy myself, i know all about Riolite and yes its very durable, but if you have not knapped it before your in for a rude awakening its tough stone and tough to knap. But Riolite like most other lithic meterail can be found in different grades and some riolite is more like a mid-grade chert and some is like granite.. There is nothing wrong with a flint or chert blade they can be just as sharp and functional.

[Hardawaypoints]

I like the Pedernales, it can be tough. But I'll vote on the Rhyolite side for durability and sharpness.  Once you get a good edge on Rhyolite, it's gonna be there a while.

Like any rock, quality varies.  Some is primo, while some is awful.

Jim

[aaron]

for obsidian, I'd go for one of the tougher obsidian varities such as Glass Buttes Dacite (a.k.a. "g'dacite). It is not as breakable as regular obsidian, not by a long shot! In fact it's so danged hard to work, I usually don't mess with it unless i'm making something I am going to use. Now, there are a number of different "dacites" out there- most are an opaque grey obsidian. Some, like "riley Dacite" (this is all from oregon) are alot like regular obsidian (i.e. glass-like). G'dacite is much different- it's also opaque grey, with a dull luster (or lack of luster). This would not have to be thicker than a flint blade. I may have a chunk I'd trade for some of your local stone....

[mullet]

 I'm a real fan of Dacite. Easy to work, sharp as obsidian, and tough.

[FlintWalker]

I've only worked a couple pieces of it, but I think Knife River flint would be a heck of a choice for a functional knife blade.

[stickbender]

     Do like the native people did, go with what you have, or trade for better stuff.   You won't find anything sharper than obsidian, but you have to treat it like glass.  Uh......because it essentially is.  Make it a little thicker, and shorter.  Any stone blade is going to be somewhat fragile, compared to a steel one.  Even Rhyolite.  Though it is tough stuff as every one here seems to assert, it is not steel.  Like they said, stone knives were not for throwing, stabbing, (except in emergencies) or prying with.  It was a cutting instrument.  You have a lot of material choices.  Experiment with different types of stone, and see which one suits your particular needs, and holds up to your type of usage.   I wouldn't know.  I never made a knife.  I am ecstatic when I make an arrow head, that is not a bird point, or granules for the debbage pile.

                                                                                      Wayne