white quartz

[nokswimmer]

hello....i have never knapped before but would love to give it a try.   i have tons of a "white" quartz around my house.  could i use it?  if so could someone, i don't know, run me threw getting started and let me know everything i will need?

thanks!

~Nate

[Hillbilly]

Quartz is knappable, but a lot tougher than most flint or chert.  I like working it, but it's not easy. Quartz usually works best with big hardwood or moose antler billets. I would suggest getting a knapping book or two (D.C. Waldorf's The Art of Flintknapping is a good'un) and watch some of the flintknapping videos on YouTube.



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[Otoe Bow]

Nate, these guys are great.  I've learned a ton from this site and the references that Hillbilly mentioned. 

Awesome picture Steve.  You sure that ain't ice you chewed on?   

otoe

[nokswimmer]

would i have to bake my quartz?

~N

[Hillbilly]

No, it's pretty much resistant to heat treatment. I think Jack Cresson has experimented a bit with heat treating quartzites, and had a little success with a few types. But for the most part, how you find it is how it is. I find some really well-made old points from it around here, and a lot of clunkers.

[cowboy]

I tried heat treating some stuff I found in the river - not as clear and clean as that point Hillbilly Steve is holding there, but some kind of quartzite I'm thinking (was purple). The heat made it knappable but still couldn't thin it like flint, hmm...

[Sparrow]

Hillbilly,.. that is as nice a point as I've ever seen from white quartz.Most of the old native points were pretty crude.I have better luck making large pieces with it.There is a little known quarry down in montana where you can dig up quartz crystals(Clear) that knapp pretty good.Some of them are a foot long(Or longer) and several inches wide. I think some of the clear quartz clovis lithics that were found, came from this quarry. Frank

[Hillbilly]

Thanks, Frank. This chunk knapped better than most quartz/quartzite-I'd like to have a truckload of this same stuff.

[mullet]

  Nice point Steve. There is a place down around Mount Pilot, at a Confederate Gold mine that I picked up some huge(12") long crystals.

[jamie]

i like to use small river cobbles when knappin quartz. if ya stand it on end like an egg and hit hit straight down with a bigger rock itll give ya a good starting point for creating a head. still tough though. the stuff that is almost clear seemsa to work better than the white ive found. steve that is the nicest point ive ever seen peace

[Hillbilly]

Thanks, guys. Jamie, there's some yaller quartzite around here that works pretty good too. For quartzite, anyway-it's nothing like good flint. That clear/white quartz breaks nearly as sharp as obsidian. Doesn't knap anything like it, but the flakes are razor sharp. It's hard to find, though.

[mullet]

   Here's another quartz crystal point.

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[Hillbilly]

That's a purty'un, Eddie.

[mullet]

 Thankya Steve, See that boo above my shop?

[Hillbilly]

Is that the Bambusa or Japanese arrow boo?