Author Topic: Knappable stone in central Alabama?  (Read 3977 times)

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Offline Sidmand

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Knappable stone in central Alabama?
« on: March 11, 2014, 03:53:15 pm »
Does anyone know of a place in central Alabama, particularly within an hour or so of Birmingham, where a person could go look for some knappable stone for arrow points?  I know that I can buy stuff online, and I can certainly find plenty of glass to work with, but I would like to find something better.  I want to make some points for some cane arrows I am making for myself and my daughters.
"Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing." --> Aristotle

Offline Ryan_Gill_HuntPrimitive

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Re: Knappable stone in central Alabama?
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2014, 05:47:37 pm »
Yes, Northwest of B-ham about 1-2 hours, the creeks there have yellow cobbles about as big as baseballs. many are fractured, but keep looking around and breaking some open. Some will be pretty slick. They are Jaspers. When heat treated they will turn blood red and get slick.  Here is a point I made from one.
Formerly "twistedlimbs"
Gill's Primitive Archery and HuntPrimitive

Offline Sidmand

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Re: Knappable stone in central Alabama?
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2014, 08:45:20 pm »
Thanks! Can you give me a town/city name close to the area?  Is that towards Ft. Payne?  Those are great points.
"Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing." --> Aristotle

Offline Scallorn

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Re: Knappable stone in central Alabama?
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2014, 09:47:13 pm »
I live in far east TX and I have the same problem you do. The only stone I get comes out of creeks in cobbles about the size of tennis balls. They aren't very big, but when you heat treat them they can turn some pretty cool colors. I'm guessing the red/orange/yellow ones are some type of jasper like twisiedlimbs has. The others are quartzite witch is very difficult to knap. You jus have to hunt the creeks and dig a little bit.  ;)

Offline RidgeRunner

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Re: Knappable stone in central Alabama?
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2014, 09:48:15 am »
Sidmand:
Go the the town of JASPER AL.
From there work your way West to the Mississippi line and North to Bankhead Forest.
Look in the creeks and rivers.
Some places have tons and tons of Jasper type rocks.
Most are not going to be usable.  You will have to sort through lots of them to find the good ones.
But there are lots to sort through.

David
David Key / N.W. Alabama

Offline Sidmand

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Re: Knappable stone in central Alabama?
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2014, 12:27:42 pm »
will do, thank you.  I have some relatives in Jasper, and I know a good bit about the area.  Will go out there and poke around in the near future.  Now to find a thread on heat treating jasper (stone).  Thanks for the help all!
"Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing." --> Aristotle

Offline Ryan_Gill_HuntPrimitive

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Re: Knappable stone in central Alabama?
« Reply #6 on: March 14, 2014, 11:48:11 am »
Ridgerunner said it.  Jasper and head west. I got these between jasper and winfield
Formerly "twistedlimbs"
Gill's Primitive Archery and HuntPrimitive