Quartz Arrowheads

[tlee]

Greetings to all! I was glad that I came across this group, my name is Terry and I live in Stone Mountain Georgia. I started collecting arrowheads a few years ago from the numerous construction sites popping up everywhere. Since there isn't any flint naturally found here in middle Ga. all of my finds have been knapped from milky white to clear quartz. I recently brought home some large quartz "rocks" to try my hand at turning one of them into an arrowhead. I've read some stuff from this group and a couple of videos from utube, but thats about it. Any and all suggestions as to how I can learn to become a flintknapper would be great.

[Hillbilly]

Welcome aboard, Terry. Quartz is pretty rough stuff to start on. It works best with big hardwood billets and/or moose antler. Here's a recent thread:
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,5995.0.html

[Ryan_Gill_HuntPrimitive]

Welcome to PA. to be honest, if you want to start knapping..... toss that quartz aside for now. its tough stuff and often had lots of fractures. its a good way to get discouraged fast.  if you post in the "trading post" forum or look online you can find some obsidian to start on, its a lt easier to flake and doesnt take as much effort to get an arrowhead out of as quartz. also try knapping glass or toilet tank porcelain to get started. just my suggestion, but avoid texas chert until you have the basics down, only because you'll end up with a bruised leg and busted fingers by the time your done making big rocks into little ones
      do yourself a favor and check out flintknapping tips on youtube.  but more importantly get yourself a dvd. 3 rivers has some good choices.  if you like aboriginal tools. i recommend john McPherson's breaking rock dvd set.
     good luck to you and keep us posted with your progress-  Ryan

[Wolf Watcher]

Welcome to PA:  Quartz can make an old knapper cry!!  Do you have any mom and pop rock shops in your area?  They are often a good place to get some obsidian or other easier materials to learn on!  Also they often have some slag with is man made glass that comes from big casting operations.  It is really good to learn on and won't cut you quite as bad as obsidian.  Get on the web and check out flintknapping knapins.  There are some in your state.  Going to one of them will cut years off of the learning curve.  Good luck,  Watcher

[mullet]

  tlee, I have on good authority, (phone call last nite), that Brian Melton will be back from Oregon on Sunday. Brian and his brother are bringing back a trailer load of Dacite. I'd get in touch with him. Dacite is not as touchey as Obsidean but still easy to work.

[tlee]

Thanks for the advice yall. I got my hands on some pieces of pretty thick glass and porcelain, made a notched out leather pad and tried my hand at pressure flaking today. I used a 16 penny nail and was actually able to make a fairly "primitive" arrowhead. I'm not finished with it yet but am looking foreward to learning more and more. You guys are great and I am enjoying going through old post and looking at pics of everyones work.

[leapingbare]

hey hey i have smacked some sweet quartz! the milky stuff seems to flake nicely, i like how the points tern out too.

[Sparrow]

 There is some pretty flint comes out of south georgia,cannot remember the name of it but they find it along some river there.A friend sent me some years ago and it made some beautiful points.Sounds like you might need to do a "Rock Run" Whoo Hoo ! Road trip. Frank

[Pat B]

Frank, That is probably Flint River chert from along the Flint River in GA.     Pat