Advise(pictures included)?

[Allyn T]

I have a preform I just worked on today, this is probably my best one yet. I'm not confident in my abilities and was wondering if anyone had advise on how to proceed. Should I continue chasing ridges with direct percussion or try indirect? Any helpful advise I'll take, I just don't wanna mess this one up.

[bjrogg]

Allyn I think it depends on how comfortable you are with each method.

I’ve found your question to be one that sometimes has a answer like “ right before I snapped it in two”
And I’ve had that answer more times than I care to admit.

I’ve also had lots of times where I just couldn’t miss and percussion was working so good that it was well worth a few broken ones from the past.

Remember a couple things. The flatter you get the more your flakes will want to dive in and step.

I’m more comfortable with percussions and tend to stick with it till not much left. But it does bite me from time to time.

I also switch back and forth sometimes even just between pressure and percussion. It’s nice to set up some platforms with pressure.

Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

PS that’s looking really pretty. I can see why your really wanting to get something from it.
Bjrogg

[Allyn T]

So how do you keep thinning without them diving? It def needs to get thinner. I'm less worried about breaking it and more worried about losing width without thinning progressing. Do you try to follow ridges BJ?

[bjrogg]

I’m kinda a opportunist. If I was better I would probably do more setting up platforms than I do, but I do do some.

I do a lot of looking for next flake that I can reduce and thin some more. Take the easy obvious ones and do some sitting up on the not so nice obvious ones.

Yes I definitely use ridges. They help the flakes travel and give them a spine that is predictable if I hit it right.

Sometimes when I have a area that’s getting pretty flat but I need to get my edge closer to the opposite side I have to force myself to just take some short flakes to move my centerline towards the side I want to thin more. Otherwise I end up with a diving step.

Honestly Allyn I still have a lot to learn and obsidian is so much different than raw chert to. But your fortunate to have found some pretty nice looking stuff and if your not afraid to hit it I’m sure it’ll teach you a lot. Having material is half the battle. It doesn’t hurt nearly as bad as paying for material and ruining it.

You’ve got a few nice ridges and some nice flakes removed. Don’t see any terrible steps yet , but I don’t want to jinks you.

I like your one edge a lot.

The other one I would try to lengthen your bevel. I usually try to establish a bevel and centerline all the way around with percussion. Sometimes I move my centerline closer to the side I need to thin more .

Also grind or tap off anything that isn’t solid on the edge your going to strike. Crumbling edge is always a bummer

Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

Do you know DVS Hunter? I don’t think you two are real far from each other.

Dave’s a really nice guy and he’s really picking up the Knapping now. Really been enjoying watching him progress.

It’s nice to have a Knapping buddy, but it comes down to a lot of hitting rocks and just plain seeing what happens.

Bjrogg

[Allyn T]

Thanks for all the advise BJ, I am at the stage where I just need to start hitting a lot of rock and even though it's free some of it is so pretty I don't wanna ruin it with learning lol. It is harder to learn on my less desirable rock though. I don't know dvs hunter but I've seen his name on here before. I have two flintknapper acquaintances I met at a knap-in, one lives near me the other about an hour away. I've taken them to some of my spots to find rock but we haven't actually knapped together.

[gutpile]

I agree with bjrogg.. do what you are comfortable with. looks like you can still follow some ridges there and reduce the thickness still too... personally I enjoy percussion.. remember every strike counts.. make sure it is abraded well so it will travel.. I am working on indirect gonna build me an antler indirect soon... I' watch the videos and trust me they make it look easy.. its not.. lol.. till you get the feel for what you can and can't get away with.. best advice I can give you is take it slow .. don't get too much in a hurry and do multiple strikes with out looking at the piece and abrading .. even if your hit didn't remove your flake.. before you hit it again look at it .. touch it up if needed..lower platform if needed , hit it harder if needed but look at it, don't just go banging away.. getting ahead of yourself is the fastest way to lose your width and length... gut

[Allyn T]

I'm planning on using indirect to try and get this closer to finished thinness. I worked on two other pieces yesterday that went pretty good. I wanna make some antler indirect too, right now I have a copper one I bought.

[Parnell]

Yeah, preform is looking good Allyn!   

[Allyn T]

Thank you Parnell, I hope I can finish it up this weekend