Claude VanOrder in Tenn.

[mullet]

  The wife called me this afternoon with the facts about Claude moving. He closes on his house Feb.11. Then he is going to visit some friends in South Carolina. Then go see his daughters in South Dakota, his oldest lives there. Then he is buying a place in Waynesborough, Tenn.
 Kathie said he won't be settled in enough to attend the Classic this year , but will be there next year.

[leapingbare]

Waynesboro huh.. thats about 2 1/2 hr dive from here and in good flint contry!!!

[mullet]

 I see some big Cumberlands in the future.

[jcinpc]

he will be here for awhile, he`s going to Sopchoppy, then the Dade City knap-in.He will stay local with his son, let his girls finish school out there.he hasnt even started to look for a place in Tn. Told him he better start looking now I thought I sold alot of rocks, but let me tell you, I havent seen so much rock leave 1 place in such a hurry. People have been buying all his rock. I dont envy his packing and storage. He gave me buckets of slabs for my cabbing,got a nice elk bopper that was just laying around. Seriously , this man lives it, not just knapping but a true artist in all things. A head pot drying on a table, arrows being fletched on another table, ivory carvings laying there, dozens of bow staves in various stages of work. I have pics to put up but photobucket is being a pain.

Its sad to see a good friend go but I know its better for he and his family. Now i wished I ahd taken him up on his offer to teach me to knap, no one taught him, just 55 years of learning experience. He has more rock than most serious rock collectors,lol and knows a ton of info that cant be taught, he said yesterday that he doesnt write anything down and really isnt into the computer age, so that means when he is gone a wealth of knowledge goes with him.

[Bone pile]

Yeah I hate to see him go but I hope the best.I've been going up every month or so and spend the day with Claude.It's always informative,like Jeff says truly a man of many talents.I'm going up Tue to hang out and see if there are any scraps left in the yard.And ask more questions,always more questions and then listen and watch a true artist.
Bone pile

[jcinpc]

scraps. lol thats funny, look along the fence in the back, thats the new hiding location.I am amazed at the amount of debitage in the yard. He was a digger collector too and when you look in a yard like that of someone who , when he knaps a point follows the trues style not just thin, you see alot of interesting info laying on the ground. Its just like digging a quarry site or a living area and matching those flakes.

[RidgeRunner]

Waynesboro Tn.   That is only 80 miles or so from the house.
Will have to make a trip up to see him some day.

David

[Bone pile]

A day at Claude's is a day at the museum.I went up Tue afternoon and hung out picking in the yard,came up with a nice pile of rock.He still has plenty of material I'm sure it will be hauled out one way or another.He'll be at the Sopchoppy and Dade City knapp-ins ,I'll be getting as much instruction as I can soak up.
Bone pile

[leapingbare]

he will only be a 1 1/2 hr drive from me.. i plane to meet him and get some lessions.

[mullet]

 I'll be at his house before I leave.

[stickbender]

Eddie,
     When are you going to be at his house?  I would like to go with you.  When are you going south?

                                                                       Wayne

[jcinpc]

your too late, Eddie tell you rwife if she makes it over there your rock is at Ricks or will be. In the past 3 days we have hauled and thrown away over 3000lbs of rock.Dug holes inthe yard and buried it along with buckets of clay for his pottery making. Tomorrow is his last day there. I hauled about 1000lb today and dumped it, of course I highgrade all my loads,lol. It was never ending, you would rake a spot and think you had it cleaned itand out pops a broken KR folsom. I bet I found at least 20-30 of those throughout the yard.

I found a pile that was buried of black skin india agate heads, cooked and spalled coral and coastal.  hundres of pounds of Tx rock and spalls. If anyone would have shown up the last few days you could have loaded your trucks and he would have welcomed it. It ALL HAD TO GO. He had chip and flake piles everywhere and in those piles buried under leaves and dirt now after 10 years were cooked and ready to go bifaces and preforms of coral .I found 4 big chunks of palm wood. Today I git a killer chunk of Flint Ridge. Black with red and yelow lines in it.

Its hard top believe that everything is finally packed and moved out, piles of bow stave, buckets of antler and ivory.Crates of all kinds of rocks and crates of jade.You name it it was there. 3 or 4 kilns that were needing repair went. ITs sad to see him go. Heres something he made for Rick from a Sperm whales tooth that Ricks had