Stone ID and a couple of points and blades...Thanks JC!

[ssrhythm]

I’m going to try to post some pics and hopefully they won’t get all re-sized to the carnival-mirror look.
I found some surface chert nodules near my home, but freeze cracking put a hurting on them.  The first two pics are of chert that my landlord left behind...she’s a rock hound, and she left stuff all over the yard.  Anyhoo, the purple/white with black snowflake/flecks is absolutely nuts premium awesomeness...but it was a big square/cube and had Lots of cracks.  I managed a few decent spallscc BBC and a lot of smallish flakes.  I’ve knapped it once, and the little shark-looking knife was the result.  It’s raw, and it knapps flawlessly.  I am just figuring this stuff out, yet I produced that blade.  I don’t want to really ask the landlord where it came from, because then I’d have to tell her I bashed her sample into a lot of smaller pieces.  I’ve never seen anyone knapping it on YouTube, so I’m hopeful someone on here can positively iD it and tell me where I can go find or buy a truckload.

The second knife pic is a tiny, scalpel sized blade I knapped from a small chunk of the second stuff I found in the yard.  Then there are pics of both types of stone.  The second is multi-colored with what looks to be iron/rust in it.  It’s translucent when thinned, is granular, yet is super-incredibly sharp when it’s fractured and worked.  I spalled out one 12” x 12” Boulder of the stuff after realizing it fractured well.  I’d have never thought the rock was worth a flip, but It knapps as well as the purple/white chert, despite it being completely different.  Neither are heat treated.

Much thanks to Jack Crafty, as studying his vids when it was too cold to pee outside really helped me figure some things out once I started chipping again.  JC...pm me your address, and I’ll send you a a couple of pieces of each of these rocks and let you see what you think.

Thanks for your efforts to ID this stuff in advance.

[ssrhythm]

I’ll try to post other pics once I’ve logged off and given this rest...there has to be a better way to post pics on a website!  Arrgh!

[ssrhythm]

Try this...

[ssrhythm]

And the rusty, granular, translucent stuff...

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Other stuff

[bjrogg]

Sorry I can’t help, but I will be watching to see if someone else can. Looks pretty slick.
Bjrogg

[JEB]

Those are dendrites in the off white rock. Google dendrite to get a full description if you like. That rock looks like some really nice material.

[ssrhythm]

Those are dendrites in the off white rock. Google dendrite to get a full description if you like. That rock looks like some really nice material.

I'm a medical guy, so I was thinking neuronal dendrites...and yes, that's what it looks like.  I guess that's why they named them that regarding rock formation dendrites.  Thanks for the info, good reading. 

All I know is that my landlords found or bought this rock somewhere; I'm leaning toward them finding this rock, as that is what they enjoyed doing...rock hounding.  Regardless, it has to have a name.  If they found it, there is more out there somewhere.  If they bought it, then someone will surely know what it is and where to get it...and hopefully there will be some to purchase.  I'm going to give it a little while and see what hits, but eventually I'm going to have to just bite the bullet, send them a pic of the rock, and ask them where it came from.  I might take the "I screwed up and ran over this rock with a lawn mower and want to replace it for you" approach...of course, I don't condone lying, so that won't happen regardless of how good a plan it is.  But, if I don't figure it out, I'll bite the bullet and try to find out from them.  I have now have some purchased georgetown, keokuk, dacite, agatized volcanic ashe, noviculite, knife river and various obsidian...and while I have not chipped the noviculite or the knife river, I can say without hesitation that this purple and white stuff is much easier to knap and more beautiful than anything I've bought; II wish I had enough to give a pile of it away.  Oh well, thanks for the replies and efforts to ID it.  Ill keep y'all posted regarding any info I find on this stuff.

[JackCrafty]

Looks like you have various types of agates, jasper, and chalcedony. They likely come from various parts of the country and are collected because of their value as semi-precious stones or the variety of colors. The rock you have with patterns that look like stems with small leaves is probably moss agate (it's actually a chalcedony - so it gets confusing).

Most of these types of stones are collected from river beds by hand and there is not a source that can provide "truck loads" of these materials. They are rare, in other words.

Most of what you have can probably be heat treated but, as you've stated, if it knaps well in the raw state, I wouldn't mess with it.

It's extremely difficult to identify stones without knowing the source because many stones are similar. Even when the source is known, it might not have a proper name and just gets classified as a "chert" or "gravel" or "agate".

As a rule of thumb, some of the best stones for knapping come in small nodules, so you won't usually find someone who has large pieces of really good knappable flint or chert. The ones that do have these stones usually don't sell to the public because private buyers and professional knappers are willing to pay a premium for good rock. These guys will have first dibs on anything a seller has to offer. Also, many rock hounds are also part-time knappers, and I've met one guy who was very nice to me and showed me his private inventory behind his rock shop but cringed at the idea of selling me any. He was pleased that I appreciated his "treasure" but said he was saving it for himself and then gave me a devilish grin. 

Knap-ins are the best places to bring your samples and ask for ID on type(s). However, most people won't be able to give you an exact answer, so be patient. It's not easy. On top of that, some people will know the answer but won't give it to you because there is a lot of competition for rock sources. Locations are also kept secret because outright theft or over-harvesting of rock is common.

Just because someone has stone available, doesn't mean there is a steady supply chain or a network of knowledgeable people. I've been knapping seriously for 10 years or so, and I hardly ever ask for specific rock because almost no one has it at a reasonable price. I've also received rock that I was told was one type that turned out to be another type. These days, I don't really care any more. I just collect everything and anything when I get the chance and toss out the stuff I can't knap.

I hope this hasn't discouraged you. I sometimes come across as pessimistic or downright nasty. Please forgive me. I just want you to know the truth.

I hope that helps.

[ssrhythm]

That helps a lot...good info.  And heck no, I’m not discouraged. I hunt.  I hunt everything.  I hunt most stuff with a selfbow now.  I hunt morel mushrooms and other wild edibles.  I do what I do because I love it, and most of the things I love doing have strong element of a mysterious search involved.  If I could buy Morels at the grocery store, they probably wouldn’t appeal to me as much.  I guess it’s similar with rocks.

I’m loving knapping...I mean, it’s become a freakishly strong addiction, and while I’m happy I can purchase some good rock, knapping stuff I’ve found is far more satisfying and exciting to me...even if most of what I’ve found is junky and small.  (Except for my landlords rocks...I’m feeling pretty guilty about knapping what I’ve found around the 5 acres I’m renting, but I just couldn’t help it...and they’ve abandoned it for three years, so...)

Anyhoo, no...I won’t ever be discouraged by scarcity of material, because I know it’s out there if I’m willing to put in the time and work to get decent material.  I said I WANT a truckload of the purple and white...I’ll be thrilled if I can find ANY additional quantity.

If I have to, I’ll buy stuff, and if I decide I’m ready to try to make a huge piece, I’ll either figure out how to find a big piece of knappable rock or pony up the cash if that’s what it takes.  It is what it is...being discouraged won’t help a thing, and as long as I have something to Knapp...I’m a happy man.

Again, I really appreciate your vids and responses.  Between you, Freezecracked, paleomanjim, flintknappingtips, edbo, and others...I must have watched 6 hours/night since Christmas while the weather has been too cold and nasty to get out and Knapp, and it made a huuuge difference.  I notice your vids don’t have ads, so I suspect you aren’t making a bunch of money posting the videos, but even if you are, thanks for taking the time to teach in the vids and to post them.

[JackCrafty]

Yeah, knapping is certainly addictive. I'm on the "down slope" when it comes to knapping these days, so I don't approach it with the same energy and enthusiasm that I did in the beginning. It's mostly me just trying to prevent myself from losing the skill and sometimes trying a new technique to keep it interesting for my YouTube viewers. And I never liked seeing ads on videos so I didn't monetize my channels (and don't plan to). I make a little money here and there with knapped pieces but nothing to speak of. Maybe I'll buckle down and do it full time. If I do, I'll probably lean toward art pieces and not reproductions.

I'm working a lot of glass and obsidian at the moment and I think these materials get a bad wrap. There's enough variety that it stays fairly interesting and challenging. And the edges are wicked sharp. Always nice.