Author Topic: Axes by Bill Skinner  (Read 1434 times)

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Offline Josh

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Axes by Bill Skinner
« on: July 16, 2011, 11:42:52 pm »
I ran into my buddy Bill Skinner at a Knap-in at Moundville State Park in AL this weekend.  Here are 2 stone axes he ground out.  In the first pic the one on the left has a pecan handle and the one on the right Black Walnut.  He will be along shortly to give you guys the details.  I really wish I would've taken a pic of the tree he felled with the larger axe.  Now that I have seen what can be done with them I am going to have to try to make me one now.  :) :) Outstanding work Bill, thanks for inspiring me to take on another habit/hobby.   ;D    See ya again soon!







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Offline AncientArcher76

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Re: Axes by Bill Skinner
« Reply #1 on: July 17, 2011, 12:01:18 am »
Beautiful!   I will take 2...LOL great work!

Russ
Time, dedication, cuts, tons of broken rock, a wife, and perhaps a few girlfriends are some of what it takes in becoming a skilled flint knapper!!!
 
"Ancient Art"  by R. Hill

Offline Bill Skinner

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Re: Axes by Bill Skinner
« Reply #2 on: July 17, 2011, 01:08:30 am »
Thanks Josh, I appreciate this and it was good to see you and Eric. 
The larger one is green granite in a pecan handle.  The limb fell off the tree in late June, I roughed it out with an ax then a rasp, then 60 grit sandpaper.  The pecan is still green, as it dries out I hope it will loose at least a pound of water, it weighs right at 5 pounds now.  I need to seat the blade deeper, if you hit wrong, the blade will pop out.  I cut down a privet hedge bush slightly larger than my wrist in about 5 minutes.

The smaller is greenstone from Alabama in a walnut handle.  The walnut was drift wood I found while fishing on the Alabama River.  I have actually cut some sweetgum limbs with it but that size works much better as a weapon or as a status symbol. 

Both were made by pecking and grinding, I beat on the larger for about 8 hours to shape it and ground it on my front porch, which is concrete, and some coarse quartz sand for about 8 hours.  The smaller already looked like an ax, I didn't have to do much pecking and only about 4 hours of grinding.
Again, thank you Josh for taking and posting the pictures.

Offline jamie

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Re: Axes by Bill Skinner
« Reply #3 on: July 17, 2011, 06:35:16 am »
those are awesome bill. i gotta get back to doing some peck and grind.
"Man is a tool-using animal. Without tools he is nothing, with tools he is all."

waterbury, ct

Lombard

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Re: Axes by Bill Skinner
« Reply #4 on: July 17, 2011, 06:51:50 pm »
Bill has some paleolithic skills to be sure. Those look nice, and the fact that they are functional says it all.

Offline Bill Skinner

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Re: Axes by Bill Skinner
« Reply #5 on: July 18, 2011, 12:41:54 am »
Thanks guys.  I think this is like knapping, the more you do, the better at it you get.  I think the next one I try will be a grooved ax.  I saw James Parker with one several years ago, it has been in the back of my mind ever since.  Bill