Chert

[mullet]

  I've got some of Paul's Onandoga.That's not it in the picture.It smells like motor oil if you chip it.

[D. Tiller]

Dang, you all are lucky I'm getting tired of chippen all this obsidian. I think I've gone through a ton of it so far. Chips way to easy! 

[Pat B]

David, You need to try some of the NC rhyolite!   It is at the oither end of the hardness scale.    Pat

[cowboy]

Hey that's some cool lookin stuff Marc, looks like it was submerged - makes it that much harder to spot. Reminds me of the chert I pick up in the Brazos, just can't find anything with any size to it - would love to find the source. What's the average size of those?

[Coo-wah-chobee]

 Rhyolite.................................Ok u mean "cry-a-lot" ...........bob

[Pat B]

Thats the stuff!!!     ...but once a blade or point is made they are as indestructalbe as any stone blade or point!   Pat

[Marc St Louis]

Dick
That green piece is a chunk of old glass I picked up, sorry .

All this chert was picked up along the edge of the Mattawa river where it flows into the Ottawa river. I can see a lot more of it under water but the water is really cold right now so I'm not going in for it. The water is much higher than it used to be because of power dams downstream that were built many years ago. There may be some interesting stuff that has been submerged and cannot be seen from shore. I will bring a mask when the water warms up and go take a look.  Most of what I have here is peices of no more than 2" long but the larger chunks are about 3" long. There's a lot more there but it's all to small to be of any use

[mullet]

  Marc,If you don't want to stick your head in the water.Man that's got to be cold.You can take a 5 gallon plastic bucket and put a clear piece of flat plexi-glass on the bottom.Seal it with clear silicone and you can just walk along and look through the bottom.This is what we use down here when artifact and fossil hunting in the shallows.

[Marc St Louis]

Eddie
I don't need to go for a swim now. I went for a walk with my girlfriend further down stream and found the motherlode. Brought back some very large chunks

[Marc St Louis]

Well I found a spot that has many large pieces some as large as 20#. I lugged out about 200# of the stuff. This is what I got



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[Justin Snyder]

Marc, I'm glad to see you are smart enough to wear gloves.  I didn't when I was collecting obsidian and cut my fingers to heck.  I should be able to find the stash again though. All I have to do is fallow the blood trail.  Justin

[MattE]

Marc, is that the same type stone you sent me?It appears lighter in color than what I got. I made a few heads from the stone you sent me but it was difficult to work. I wasn't use to the stone. It did make nice points and durable ones to boot!

[Marc St Louis]

Not the same stuff Matt. The other stone came the Barrie area and was not a Chert.

[D. Tiller]

Ok any of you guys know where to go for Chert in WA state? Gots to find something different to knapp than obsidian!!! Just GOTTA!!! 

[DanaM]

Marc how do you tell chert from limestone? tjat stuff looks like limestone. I understand their found together

DanaM