Broadspear

[caveman2533]

This is an authentic Pennsylvania rhyolite Susquehanna broadspear preform. the base is unfinished.
This blade is  is 5.425 inches long
2.44 inches wide at the widest.
.260 inches thick at the widest point = 9.3 to 1 and just north of that the thickest point is .335 inches if using this measurement it is 7.2 to 1..

This is what I am chasing with my reproductions.

[Ghost Knapper]

Hope you don't mind, I grabbed a photo of it at Oregon Ridge.  Do you have any other originals to show what the base would of looked like when it was finished? Im still trying to get the nerve to work a piece of jasper into one.

[Chippintuff]

That is a nice point. I haven't worked any rhyolite yet, but you have a handle on it.

WA

[caveman2533]

Here is one I made of rhyolite not nearly as long but finished form would be much like this. Banded Rhyolite, used a wooden billet and a peg punch to notch the base.

[Ghost Knapper]

Tough looking stuff. So the base would of been squared off instead of semi pointed as is on the preform?

[caveman2533]

yes

[Marc St Louis]

Why would you think the base is unfinished?

[caveman2533]

Preforms of the finished Susquehanna broadspear were pentagonal. Would have been squared off then angled notches placed into it much like the point I made.

[mullet]

Tough looking stuff. So the base would of been squared off instead of semi pointed as is on the preform?

Crappy looking stuff. Get some green or brown, but you did good with that black cryolot.

[Zuma]

Pretty ambitious Steve.
Have you seen Scott Silby's
big abo rhyolite blades?
Zuma

[caveman2533]

No I have not seen Scotts blades, are they the green rhyolite?

[Marc St Louis]

Preforms of the finished Susquehanna broadspear were pentagonal. Would have been squared off then angled notches placed into it much like the point I made.

Not going to argue with you but the sense I got from looking at that point is that it was done.  It just doesn't seem to have the material left in it to make a point like yours

[caveman2533]

Mark,
No material needed to punch notch the base, It is basically finished except for bringing in the base. these were thinned diagonally from the sloped shoulders. It is hard to get pictures of but all four "sides" were thinned or attempted to from the shoulder. One failed because of a crystal.  Note this is an exceptionally thin piece and is masterful work for this material. the average width to thickness  ratio of these points is 5 to 1.

[turbo]

No I have not seen Scotts blades, are they the green rhyolite?

I would love to see these too. I have a stash of NC green rhyolite myself.

[Zuma]

No I have not seen Scotts blades, are they the green rhyolite?

Lol, me too!
I guess I just thought he had some he discribed from some
digs around the fault line near Great Falls. Sorry, he don't
have them. If I am not misstaken the green is NC stuff.
Your work looks like a pretty good grade of Rhyolite that
can be found near Gastonia? Nice work.