bad habits

[flecha]

I've heard people mention that working obsidian causes one to develop bad habits but no one ever says what bad habits.  Anyone know what bad habits come from working obsidian?

[sailordad]

wel ilearnes on obsidion slabs
the only bad habit i know of that i got from it
was being addicted to knapping and the want to try other materials

[DanaM]

Only thing I can think of is obsidian makes me bleed

[Hillbilly]

I don't know what bad habits working obsidian would give you, unless it's the fact that it flakes so well that you can get away with running a flake through something that you couldn't on a tougher material-but then, it works the other way, too. If I've been working something like rhyolite or raw chert, I will absolutely destroy a piece of obsidian until I get "backed off" enough to quit bashing it and overshooting flakes. Obsidian is a good material to learn on, as it's homogenous and behaves like it's supposed to. Plus, it keeps you from developing high blood pressure.

[sailordad]

I don't know what bad habits working obsidian would give you, unless it's the fact that it flakes so well that you can get away with running a flake through something that you couldn't on a tougher material-but then, it works the other way, too. If I've been working something like rhyolite or raw chert, I will absolutely destroy a piece of obsidian until I get "backed off" enough to quit bashing it and overshooting flakes. Obsidian is a good material to learn on, as it's homogenous and behaves like it's supposed to. Plus, it keeps you from developing high blood pressure.

hillbilly,i think it reduces blood pressure cause it makes ya bleed so easy lol

[cowboy]

Seems to me bad habits can be aquired while bashing on the tougher rocks and like Hillbilly said ya gotta really back off on obs. I think you can get spoiled on glass but don't guess I've worked enough of it to develop any bad habits.

[StevenT]

I can answer this one form someone that is rather new to knapping and also as a person that started with glass and obsidian before going to flint. It isn’t that you develop bad habits; it’s more along the lines of it being a lot easier. I started with glass because that was cheap and easy to get. I eventually bought some flint and almost gave up knapping because it was so difficult. So I bought some obsidian and was happy again. It was just like working glass. The truth is that it gave me a false since of accomplishment. By that I mean it make me feel like I was really knapping, but every time I picked up a piece of flint, I destroyed it. And before everyone starts throwing obsidian flakes at me, I am not saying there is anything wrong with working obsidian. It is a great median and I learned a lot of basics from glass and obsidian. And when put on the end of an arrow, obsidian will bring down game just as well as flint. But the bottom line is that, in my opinion, working obsidian is a lot easier than working with flint and it is a lot more forgiving. And in my case, it made the transition from obsidian to flint a whole lot harder. This is provided the person learning to nap wants to learn to make tools of flint. If they don’t, then it is all immaterial. Not that it has anything to do with topic, but I will say one other thing about obsidian. Be prepared to bleed, it just comes with the territory.  I dripped color a whole lot more when I was working with obsidian.

[Justin Snyder]

I have to agree with you for the most part Steven. It does make pushing a flake easier, but it also makes snapping one in half a lot easier, and the slightest mistake means blood everywhere, so I'm not sure more forgiving is how I would say it. 

[ricktrojanowski]

As a beginner, I stay away from the obsidian.  I tend to detroy it,  I found that Dacite was a better starting point for me. It flakes easily, but doesn't seem as delicate as obsidian.  Also some of the harder flints and cherts are great for learning percussion on because a miss hit doesn't mean game over like it could with obsidian.

[jamie]

i tend to make the platforms real heavy on the obsidian  and then drive the flake completely off the other edge and have to rework the edge again. or drive it through the leather pad into my hand. its like everybody said. you have to back off a bit when working it.

[Wolf Watcher]

My OPINION:  Nature's glass is good for the beginner as it works with ease and will teach you respect for the sharpness of even the tiniest flakes.  You will learn how to hold it or bleed.  I have a tube of super glue to help with the blood.  I don't get cut much now, but have the scares of learning to witness the past!  I also believe that making display quality points, knifes, and blades out of obsidian is for the truly gifted.  It requires you to be very disciplined to make something with perfect flaking patterns.  I think bad habits are just stages in the learning process!  Joe

[StevenT]

It's interesting that everyone seems to agree on one thing.... If you work with obsidian, you will bleed. So be prepared.  One thing that stinks just about as much as getting cut is when you get a very, very tiny sliver imbedded. It is clear and blends right in with the blood making it a bear to find and get out.

[flecha]

Thanks for the responses.

[stickbender]

    The only bad habit, I can think of is bleeding.   Work with Obsidian, and you bleed.    Doesn't matter if you are a beginner, or in the master class, you work with Obsidian, you're going to bleed.   Dacite is not as fragile as Obsidian, and so you don't make as many new cuss words, like when you get a really nice wintu style going, and just as you are making that last little flake, that nice barb on the finished side is gone! Oh, nasty words, and dirty names myself has broken off another barb!  Well Golly, Gee Willakers,... Son of a@$%*#!!, etc,

                                                                                               Wayne