Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: The Burnt Hill Archer on September 10, 2009, 12:01:39 pm
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the knife blade was from a bi-face that i got in that trade. the others were all from flakes. the blade is very thick, not really sure why. i tried to thin it out by moving my platforms twards one side and pressure flaking them off, but i think i should have maybe used percussion to thin it out first. he had it set up with a nice zig zagged pattern all down the side, and i should have taken advantage of it i think. oh well, its the first knife blade ive attempted, and im happy with it. ill probably haft it on an antler and give it to my dad for a display.
then the other orange obsidian point was from a flake, and i was actually getting some good flakes off it. its the sharpest one ive done yet. still not gettin a constistant thickness though...
the other clear obsidian point has a mass on the back that i couldnt get off either. it just wouldnt come. oh well, i can just set it up in a case with the buldge to the back.
anyhow here ya go. the two smaller points are for necklaces for my wife and my buddy Josh.
(http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff212/theburnthillarcher/flintknapping/100_2106.jpg)
(http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff212/theburnthillarcher/flintknapping/100_2107.jpg)
(http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff212/theburnthillarcher/flintknapping/100_2108.jpg)
(http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff212/theburnthillarcher/flintknapping/100_2109.jpg)
(http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff212/theburnthillarcher/flintknapping/100_2110.jpg)
(http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff212/theburnthillarcher/flintknapping/100_2111.jpg)
(http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff212/theburnthillarcher/flintknapping/100_2113.jpg)
(http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff212/theburnthillarcher/flintknapping/100_2116.jpg)
(http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff212/theburnthillarcher/flintknapping/100_2114.jpg)
(http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff212/theburnthillarcher/flintknapping/100_2115.jpg)
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nice work
that blade looks fine to me,i was told that if ya want a usable obsidion knife blade that
it should be a liitle thicker for durability,since its more fragile than chert
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NIce work indeed. That will be a fine knife blade.
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Nice improvements! To thin a blade like that with pressure would require moving the edge well below center and running fairly thick flakes past center. You'd loose a lot of width that way. I think it's thin enough for a knife blade anyway.
To even up the thickness on the others. Just run flakes off those low platforms to remove the humps.
You'll get alot better once you do it a little while longer. You'll be knapping one day and things'll just coming together how you want it and you'll say..AhHaa! ;D
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YEah dude, don't worry about the thickness..it's better that they are thicker cause then they're stronger. Plus, those don't look overly thick to me at all. I used to try to make all my points super thin when I was first started flintknapping, because I felt that was the true sign of a skilled knapper. But after finally achieving that goal I've kinda regressed and now my points aren't so thin any more. Sure, I can make them paper thin, but it doesn't result in a better finished product...it just results in my having to spend more time to make the damn thing.
My hunting arrowheads are actually kinda fat and ugly. The only thing I spend time on is making them sharp, but beauty and symmetry aren't requirements for an arrowhead to be effective. I've shot and killed several animals with ugly, thick arrowheads and not once did the animal pull it out, look at the point, and chastise me for shooting an ugly point. Instead, they ran, bled like hell, and died. And I ate them. So there ya have it....my treatise on ugly points. By the way, those points look great ....perfectly functional and beautiful!
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Nice looking work. :)
Pappy
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Beats the snot out of what I have been doing the last few days. All I have been doing is breaking them. I'm going to take up tiddly winks or something. Bill
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they look great tome. the slabs of mahagony obsidian i got have translucent areas that i love to work. Is the medium arrowhead made from purple shin obsidian. I like the way arrowheads made from keokute myself.
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im really not sure what type of stone these are, other than the obsidian ones. and even there, im not sure of the different names for them. in the top picture, the second from the right, this stuff worked a bit tougher than the obsidian, but it has almost a creamy texture, and feels pretty strong. it didnt want to crush when the platform got a little too thin. not as much as the obsidian anyhow!
thanks for the complements though!
since these points, ive only made one more for my dad for a necklace. its the best one ive done yet. some of the flakes went a whole 1 1/2" before they came off. and thats with pressure flaking! ive never gotten them to travel like this.
Phil
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you have the makings of a real good knapper as fast as you are coming along ,I wish I could progress like that!
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Hi burnt,
i get my different types of obsidian from this website ( http://www.orerockon.com/ore_rock.htm ) which i look at and compare types of stone that can be worked to make artifacts. Ive started making blades but i need to learn to mount them on wood or antler. Im very interested in primitive crafts and that is why i joined this website to learn thing or find people who have a passion for indian crafts and lifesytles. oh here it the website were i get my tools or stone http://www.flintknappingtools.com/, i hope this helps you in your work.
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thanks for the info and sites Warhawk. im going to check them out right now.
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Beats the snot out of what I have been doing the last few days. All I have been doing is breaking them. I'm going to take up tiddly winks or something. Bill
oh man i hear that, in the last week i have made 2 points,busted about 25.
i aint knapping for 2 weeks and then see what happens