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Muskyman:
Good news. I finally had a piece that was really looking great. It was a large flake that I picked up from one of the pieces I had destroyed. I watched a jack krafty video about beginners using flakes to start with. I took to it with my flaker and before long I had a nice looking point made.

Bad news. I decided that it needed to be a little thinner on one side and of course I broke it in half.
I should have probably just notched it and been happy with that but it does make me feel a little hopeful. Pretty sure it was lack of support and hitting it to hard with my indirect tool that broke it..

Also I’m pretty much out of rock. I’m thinking I’ll get some larger flakes on my next order since thinning seems to allude me. I’m hoping my daughter out in Austin can find me some Georgetown and ship it to me.
I didn’t get a chance to take a picture before I broke it.

Parnell:
Sounds like your progress is perfectly on schedule!
I found I could get points out of my early debitage after awhile.

paulc:
I have plenty of nice, thick glass you could play with if you send me a pm with address.  I will never use it all.  It has its own challenges and some folks say you learn habits that won't work with actual stone...but it'll keep you learning. Paul

bjrogg:
Sounds like the normal progression of a good knapper. I think we all look at the things that are wrong with our points. That’s what we as knappers see. We always want to just get that step out, or get this side a little thinner. I think that’s how we get better.

You need to find a balance. Learn your limits yet keep pushing them. The ones you save now will probably look pretty crude to you in a couple years if you keep pushing. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t save a few or even set them aside for now.

I still break lots of them. They are just a lot nicer when I break them now than they were seven years ago.

Bjrogg.

PS glass is a good option. It’s not like working raw stone, but if your budget doesn’t allow good rock it is a good alternative. It’s just like obsidian.

Muskyman:
Thanks for the offers and encouragement guys. I’m keeping my failed pieces and have thought about taking some and cutting the turtle backs down with a diamond blade saw and starting over on them.. I’m thinking I need to loose my bull in a china shop mentality. I think that will help me some. I’m finding that if a flake won’t release just bashing it over and over and harder and harder doesn’t seem to be the answer  (lol) here’s a picture or two of my broken point and some other attempts.

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