flint and basalt

[jamie]

picked up some flint from texas supposed to need heat treating but seems to work pretty good as is except for the occassional screw up. plus it takes an ishi stick and me looking like im gonna bust a valve to get a full flake. its funny how every varity of stone has its own methods of working. the lower one is local basalt that was done with mostly percussion then shaped with pressure and later and grind the edges sharp. that one was done to prove a point to a friend. peace

[DanaM]

Didn't think basalt was knappable? So ya chipped it to shape then ground an edge on it? Bench grinder or something else?

Beautiful points Jamie!

[Hillbilly]

Good looking points, Jamie. That basalt's gotta be tough. I've worked some from Arizona and Mexico that knaps pretty good. That reminds me.........

[MattE]

The bottom picture appears to have some interesting platforms left. Are my eyes deceiving me? The point look like a modified Willow Leaf head? I use to make a head similiar to yours for hunting. Keep it up Jamie, I like your work!

[jamie]

thanks guys. the basalt from out west is great stuff ive used it before. this stuff is horrible but it was used in the area im in so i needed to use it. going camping tomorrow in new york . i'll sit in the creek and grind the edge on another rock.. the material is pretty much just granite. i have a hand axe i should post that is of the same material. it does have some chondial fracture when percusion is done so an axe can be knapped rather than pecked. thats what i was trying to get across to a fella up here. why peck when you can smash. lol. for a point you need to use a flake that is already close to thickness . the bulb is the hardest to work. peace

hillbilly once again dont worry no hurry. im stocked up pretty good right now. but itll be cool to take a deer with one of yours. peace

[jamie]

heres some more stuff. a basalt axe that was pecked and ground. a basalt axe that is just knapped and will tear through a 4" tree easily. a flake that was similar to the one i used for the basalt point in the previous pics.

[Hillbilly]

Cool!. I have a partially finished grooved axe and celt that I've been working on here and there, mostly there lol. They're both Virginia metabasalt (greenstone).  That pecking and grinding is a helluva lot of tedious work, but nice tools when you get 'em done.
Those handaxes are surprisingly effective, too. This one is rhyolite, made by my friend Barry McCall, and we took down a small hickory with it pretty quickly and easily. I was impressed.


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[Jbell]

Nice points Jamie! Wish I could do that! I guess I need to try again.

[jamie]

steve i built the ground and pecked one just because. to be honest id rather just use the knapped one with no handle. i like that piece you have. was just talking to a compound fella about how devastating stone points are and how well the tools work. it impresses me no matter how many times i do it.

jbell just keep breakin rock and itll happen. if you can find somebody near ya that knaps it helps too. peace

[DBernier]

Nice points Jamie. Sorry you could not come to NC this year. Maybe next.

Dick

[jamie]

one of these days 

[RidgeRunner]

Jamie, Hillbilly:
Thanks for posting the photos of your stone ax. 
I would have made one with a much wider cutting edge.  More like a steel ax.
Now I know better.

Thanks
David