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Offline jthompson1995

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  • Parkville, MD
Starting to get it
« on: December 29, 2010, 09:07:20 am »
Since deciding to try my hand at knapping a few months ago, I've made some pretty rough, small points. Well yesterday something finally clicked and I was able to make these points without breaking the rock in two. They're not perfect by a long ways and I am still working on thinning some more but they are by far the best points I've made to date and I am very pleased on how they came out.

I am getting better at understanding how the rock breaks and going from a larger blocky piece of rock to a point while keeping length and width from shrinking too much. These were both done with copper boppers and flakers, percussion mainly with pressure finishing/final shaping.

The first is silver sheen obsidian with a really nice streak across the middle. This started as a block about the size of a pound of butter. I was pleased I thinned it down to this point quickly and have some large flakes left for more points.









Next is a turkey tail in keokuk. This isn't as thin as the obsidian but I was able to keep the full length of the spall I started with and the stripe across the tip.





And here's some pics of both together.







Thanks for looking.
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A man who works with his hands is a laborer, a man who works with his hands and his mind is a craftsman, but a man who works with his hands, his mind and his heart is an artist. - Louis Nizer (1902-1994)

Offline nugget

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Re: Starting to get it
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2010, 09:44:06 am »
Way to go. Keep at it
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Life is not a journey to the grave with the intentions of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body. But rather to slide in sideways, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming....WOW WHAT A RIDE!!

Offline warhawk

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Re: Starting to get it
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2010, 01:56:08 pm »
Thats pretty good and the more you practice it will get better>
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Offline Sparrow

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Re: Starting to get it
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2010, 03:49:17 pm »
 Very Nice !  That thinning thing comes with Technique , practice and nerve. (Also, lots of broken bi-faces)  Paleo man Jim's,  you tube video's helped me alot. Keep at it,you are getting there fast.  '  Frank
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Frank (The Sparrow) Pataha, Washington

Offline leapingbare

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    • http://www.flintknappers.com/jessewright/
Re: Starting to get it
« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2010, 05:00:18 pm »
Looking good! You got to stay with it, Knap as often as you can to get better.
practice, practice, practice!

Looks Grate for only knapping a few months!
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Mililani Hawaii

Offline jamie

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  • born again pagan ,dirt worshipping heathen
Re: Starting to get it
« Reply #5 on: December 29, 2010, 09:54:27 pm »
very good work. like jesse said practice practice. go on youtube and look for a video by paleomanjim. its called isolating platforms. it'll help you out a lot with thinning. just dont start making em too thin its a curse.  ;D
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