some rocks and some thoughts

[GlisGlis]

Yesterday I went rocks hunting and finally I hit a good place
there are both flint nodules and layers and some other promising rocks
need your help to ID
2 and 3 are flint . 2 different colours. both very fractured, the darker one much more damaged than the lighter. Almost unusable
4 (you got a bigger pic) has that waxy feeling and flakes well
1 and 5 are probably very similar (altough 1 is much more violet than picture displays)
I thought it was some kink of carbonate so I tried to drop hydrochloric acid on it but it had only minimal reaction. Looks like porcelaine, flakes  well and it's hard. Edges are less cutting than flint but also much less fragile

I was really happy to have finally found a source of "real " knappable stones but at the end of the day those are my thoughts:
1 almost all flint is damaged or fractured. I'll be able to save only small flakes
2 I need to learn to spall as i wasted tons of good roks and the flakes I kept arent top quality
3 I need to learn to ID rocks and judge their quality faster
4  Need to make new knapping tools
5 need to improve my knapping too
6 how the hell our ancestors did that points and blades ?!?
7 if I had to survive with that harvest my points would be microblades or bird arrows with some casual flake as knife

8 9 10 sorry for the long story 

[bjrogg]

Looks like some pretty decent stuff. It's all really hard to figure out without making a bunch of gravel.
Cooking some might help but you probably need to spall it down first. I'm still learning and starting to get more efficient with my stone but it took lots of nice spalls that I ruined or made into small points to get to the point I'm at. On the bright side, you found some stone and that's always cool. I'd probably pick on one and see what I could learn from it. Good Luck
Bjrogg

[Zuma]

From what I remember, you are from a northern climate?
In that case, surface finds can be very frost cracked.
Digging deep may produce some better quality cherts.
It looks like you are part way there. You impress me as
being a doer. I'm thinking your big score is close by and
your knapping ability will follow directly.
Zuma

[GlisGlis]

thanks Bj
yes I'm lucky to have found the place and now I'll have to learn
just moving from glass to real rock so i bet some adaptation is due

In that case, surface finds can be very frost cracked.

yes I do think it's the case
look at the 2 pretty extreme cases (layer and a cobble) I attached

You impress me as
being a doer. I'm thinking your big score is close by and
your knapping ability will follow directly.

thanks alot for the kind words
I'm a slow doer but luckily also a persistent one 

[GlisGlis]

I'm pretty frustraded
I've ruined almost all big chunks and reduced to dust many smaller. That stuff wont flakes well and mostly will end in steps or fractures
made only a couple of birdpoints out of flakes before my wirst started to hurt. If I searched for diamonds I'd have a lower waste/usable product ratio 
the fact is that those rocks are really tough
when big they wont detach long flakes with that good glassy sound I ear in youtube vids and when small even pressure flaking require much more force compared to glass (would say maybe from 1:3 to 1:5 more)
I may be wrong with technique but for sure there is something with the material too
will heat treating make the flaking esear? doable  with less exertion?
I've developed kind of a fever. Need to come back to that site and find new rocks. Than try to heat threat. ...and make some decent stuff-
Damn me and all those addictions

[Chippintuff]

Glis, That rock in reply # 3 looks like it has been cooked too hot. If you didn't do the cooking, it may have happened back in the NA days, but there is no way to get anything useful for knapping out of that one.

WA

[Sasquatch]

You have some ok rock and some bad rock.  The point you just posted looks like good quality rock, but it came from the freeze cracked rock.  When it is freeze cracked(FC) you wont get flakes to run.  this is why you are getting rubble.  This good quality rock explains why you got a point out of it. You also have some white rock, looks like raw novaculite, not sure and some grey rock in bottom left of first pic.  You need to heat treat these for good flaking.  Have you researched Heat Treating?  If i were you i would order a couple lbs of good quality rock before you get to frustrated and quit.  If you want to learn the trade invest a little money or trade.  once you get good quality rock without cracks or the need for heat your experience will be different. 

[GlisGlis]

Ty Sasquatch
bottom left is chert and it's more fractured than the lighter color stuff in middle left
I'm not going to quit
I have this mental attitude that tells me that the right thing to do is find my rock and use only what I could find or make by myself.
I accepted to start on glass only as part of basic training
I know that will make things harder but it's part of the game for me

I'll study better heat threathing

[Dakota Kid]

You may want to plan a camping trip with collecting rock a motivator. Usually there's good rock within a few hours drive from just about anywhere you might live.

[Outbackbob48]

I agree with Chippituff, looks all pot lidded from to much heat Bob

[GlisGlis]

I agree with Chippituff, looks all pot lidded from to much heat

No heating from me and I guess no human heating at all

[Outbackbob48]

Glis, I guess I said that wrong , photo rock brittle 01 is the one that looks potlidded from heat, maybe forest fires from long ago or whatever, but looks exactly like when I have overheated that same type of flint. Bob

[GlisGlis]

oh yes I see
anyway I think I start to figure out the spalling thing and made new tools today (nice ishi stick and a new bopper)
the one I named plumcolor was pretty good
Now need new rocks....       many tons       

[bjrogg]

GlisGlis I like your determination. I have much the same aditude, especially when I started. I have bought and traded some rock to though. Really I'm glad I did but also glad I pounded on that tough stuff. I really have a special spot for the tough local stuff.
Bjrogg

[GlisGlis]

Had a second batch from the same place. Better stuff this time.
also found some fossils
made a small kinfe out of a easter chocolate flint block.
I'm still a very casual knapper. 
I was tempted to write in the "I suck at this " thread
One of the biggest issue I find is to deal with big squared roks.
I always end up introducing big fractures and hinges before i can set a decent bevel