Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: magick.crow on August 03, 2015, 12:19:23 pm
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I am just getting started knapping. I have played a lot with flint on vacation but at home the flint is very limited so I decided as a beginner it was better to start with glass.
I have collected a bunch of glass bottle bottoms, so far so good. But I am sitting here after just taking a glass splinter out of my thumb. Also the stuff goes all over the place and I don't have a great place to work so how do you guys deal with these problems? Do you just pull out the glass splinters after every work session or is there a better way? :-) Also do you use some type of mat? I also noted that the glass slivers stick to my buckskin I had over my legs, not good. I think I will try the other side next time. I used the inside, bad idea. So I am totally open to any insights, crits or ideas!
ALso how do you get glass slivers out of your thumb? I can't even see the sucker but I can feel it with my tongue.
Thanks all!
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Knap over a tarp so you can dispose of the glass easily. You'll get better at not getting splinters in your hands eventually. Also, when you're on vacation get your hands on as much flint as possible and bring it home. lol Your body will naturally push out any foreign objects embedded in the skin after a few days >:D The more you knap the better you'll get at not getting flakes in your skin.
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If nothing else wear good eye protection.
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I knap over a pit outside. You'll get used to slivers. Rough side down on the leather. Good glasses. Flip flops or tall boots. Don't wear cargo pants or hoodies with a pocket unless you like glass in your washer or dryer >:D Welcome to the addiction.
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"Welcome to the addiction."
LOL, it is in a long line of learning. I really more or less started with making buckskin but I can't get anymore deer skins here in Germany but the place is LOADED with good flint, so . . .
Last year I was making selfbows; much fun! Then arrows and now I need tips for my arrows but those axes look cool too. LOL
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If you are flaking glass try to have the wind at your back.
No wind use a fan. Try a folded jean leg over your leather.
Use your broken glass table tops.
Zuma
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If you are flaking glass try to have the wind at your back.
No wind use a fan. Try a folded jean leg over your leather.
Use your broken glass table tops.
Zuma
Nice work!
That brings up a question I had. All the youtube videos have guys sitting in chairs. How did the natives do it? Did they also sit on a chair or log or something?
Also the copper/iron flakers in a stick seem to go from 6 inches to 27 inches. Why? What is the difference? I also see direct VS indirect percussion? Why? Perhaps I am getting off subject but it all hangs together.
Thanks all BTW!
Douglas E Knapp
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A longer flaker gives you more leverage. Mine is about 30 inches. I put one end under my right arm and hold the tip with my right hand. My trunk is stronger than my wrist. I do sit in a chair, but am planning on switching to a shorter stool to bring my knees up higher.
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For those real fine slivers a piece of tape does a good job just rub it on and pull gets most right out
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I disagree with Zuma's positioning of the fan. If you are going to use a fan it should blow from the side. A position behind you will create a lee spot in front of you drawing dust towards your face. Think of a large rock in a stream and the water flow. Downstream of the rock is a dead spot and food flow sinto it for the fish to nab.
I often will tape my fingers before I start as a precaution. If your gonna wrap them with bandaids then wrap em before being cut. You can even use just a bandaid.
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Cool sur name for the subject. 8)
I sit on a sturdy chair but some sit on buckets or stools.
Some stand and knap.
I would prefer to sit on a three hundred pound hunk of Texas
chert. Abo folks probably used rocks and logs.
I'd try all the tools and find what works and fits.
Zuma
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I disagree with Zuma's positioning of the fan. If you are going to use a fan it should blow from the side. A position behind you will create a lee spot in front of you drawing dust towards your face. Think of a large rock in a stream and the water flow. Downstream of the rock is a dead spot and food flow sinto it for the fish to nab.
LOL You know I always have my fishin pole too.
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You have entered a very big subject. There is a whole education to be learned in knapping. There are many different methods, and many different ways to do each method. My suggestion is to keep on watching videos and trying to do what you see in them. When something clicks, and you find you can make it work, keep doing that and improve it and add other methods as you can. Once you get a good method of primary thinning, work at perfecting it. Once you find a method of secondary thinning that works, perfect it. Some knappers, me included, do a lot of pressure flaking, while some use little or none. If you work a lot of flakes or bottle bottoms, you will probably do it mostly with pressure flaking. You will find that you learn this hobby in spurts and over time learn many different techniques and methods.
As for direct percussion and indirect percussion (also known as punching), I prefer to use direct percussion for primary thinning and indirect percussion for secondary thinning. Indirect makes it a lot easier to hit exactly where you want to, not deviating to either side, and not striking too high on the platform. It is also my best way to thin pieces to a very thin width to thickness ration. I can pattern my flakes better with indirect.
With any glass including obsidian, I recommend keeping a glove on the holding hand. There are some cheap nitrile gloves at lumber stores and gardening stores.
Never brush any flakes or slivers of any knapping material from your leg pad with your hand. Use the rock you are chipping as a brush or pick up one end of the leg pad and shake the flakes and slivers off.
As for slivers of glass in the fingers, I usually get a good magnifying glass and find the sliver. Then I use a sharp knife with the blade turned up on edge and drag it across the piece of glass. Most times it will get the thing out. One of the benefits of the magnifying glass is that it lets you know what angle the glass is leaning toward. Knowing that makes it easier to drag the knife the right direction.
Happy chipping.
WA
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You have entered a very big subject.
I think after having spent some time learning about stone age survival that what a masters from a uni takes is really not that much more than what these old guy must have known. Just learning plants is a huge thing, then comes tracking, bows, atlatls, Stone craft, weaving, medicine, house building, hunting, pottery, war, sex and whatever else they must have learned.
Is there an overview of all these techniques somewhere? Right now I am just sort of randomly learning things here and there.
Thanks all!
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You can have safety in glass knappin too. >:D
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Zuma, LOL!
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Zuma, one question. Why is their a 100 dollar bill underneath your arrowheads!
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Oh, I couldn't find a penny or a dime for size
and the wind wanted to blow it away :D
Zuma