more leather pad work

[iowabow]

I made three points this is the best of the three.   I can control it enough to make an OK point but still not stopping flake where I want.  You can see also that I have a few small steps on the edge as I was finishing the point.  It is good and thin and came in at 100 grains.  I guess the next step to t make a point without steps on the edge. 

[Will H]

Nice point John! I love that Burlington...I made a few preforms this weekend with that that u gave me. Maybe I'll have some time this week to finish em up.

[iowabow]

Can't wait to see them! This leather pad stuff is the holy grail of flint knapping it is powerful stuff.  I am so hooked on figuring out how to control flakes now. 

[Timo]

Nice point ! I don't see nothing wrong with it. Those little steps and hinges will bother you from now on. I sense that you are a bit of a perfectionist?  I guess that most knappers are, it can be a hindrance at times.

Try to use a little anvil in the leather pad, stone or other. I made one from a piece of moose antler, once you learn where to place it under the point,it will help you to control terminations.

[iowabow]

Thanks timo I will try that on the next preform.  Well I worked all day on pressure and this is what I was able to do.   I am very happy to have figured out a few things. I almost gave up for the day before I grabed this piece. What a difference each one makes. 

[iowabow]

With the leather pad I found that you really have to have convexity because when the pad works right it is going to take a flat flake out. If the surface is flat it steps on me everytime but on the hard pad it shoots short so not the same.  Powerful stuff this leather technique is wow! To much fun.

[jonathan creason]

I had a nice suede pad I used for a long while that I really liked.  I put it away to try harder pads for a while, and now I can't find the dang thing.  All this talk about leather pads has me wanting to go back to it.

[iowabow]

All kidding aside I worked really hard to learn to thin for the past 6 months. I can tell you for sure that i can make OK points from the hard pad but it is more difficult.  When I went to the IBO in TN Shannon could make a point in an hour and it was taking me like 4 or 5.  Also I had to really plan harder to make sure the flakes were perfect.  The leather pad has so many advantages but you have to work for it before you start to see the results.  Like I said before I started working the pad on about the 16th or 17th of July and only yesterday had any real control that came out of those efforts.  I think the reason is because there is so many more things that the leather can do that the learning curve is greater but you gain many more skills and techniques in the process.  I bet you pros are getting a good laugh  you all went down this road it is hard to find words to discribe how the technique is different.  When Shannon first showed me this I thought you have to be kidding me.  I could not hold my hands in postion to take even one flake off. He looked and me and laughed and Said "that pad thing has completly thrown you for a loop" boy he was right.  Sorry for the long post but this is cool stuff 

[cowboy]

Those are some really nice flakes you got going there John - and a nice point. You sure your last name isn't Walker ?

[iowabow]

Thanks I really would like to be able to one day make one of those pinetrees he makes man there nice.

[iowabow]

Yes another side notch but on the leather hand pad!

[Tower]

Yer crankin m out now!

[Timo]

Good looking point!

I have a friend that went though Breast cancer a few years ago. I had some cooked Burlington that had the same color as your does,so I made here a big Dalton from it and gave it to her at one of the knappins. She tells me it'd one of her fav points.

[mullet]

 Tim, can you explain your anvil, maybe show a picture?

[iowabow]

Yes that would be real cool if you could post a pick of it.  Thanks all