Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: billy on July 12, 2009, 11:54:34 pm
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Here's a pic of some of my quartz points, made out of local quartz that I've picked up in creeks around my home here in north GA. The top row are points I made this weekend. Of course quartz was heavily used in prehistoric times in this area.
I'm gonna haft these to some arrows and try to kill something with them this fall. Now I know these look a bit crude compared to the points ya'll have posted on here, but quartz requires you to take a "quit while you're ahead" kind of attitude when working it. You have to learn to live with problems like step fractures and crushed platforms...trying to fix them will often result in a broken point that would have been perfectly functional otherwise.
But don't let their crude appearance fool you, these points are sporting some VERY sharp edges that will be lethal....I just hope I can make an accurate shot. Enjoy...
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cool points!!!
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i have to give it to you guys that chip that rock...we have alot of it around here and i have only taken one flake of a rock and i thought i was betting the heck out of it.thats some great chipping billy...do you tear up the hammer stone and antler when chipping it...john
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Quartz....Aarrggg......! :o >:(
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hey blacktail...
No, the quartz doesn't usually wear down my antler tools any more than flint does. Now some of the tougher quartzite does if it is a stronger variety. But I've also worked some quartzite that was a pussycat compared to some of the grainy, tougher quartzite. It all depends on what you get. Most of the points in the picture are made from quartz that's quite brittle and flakes easily, though some of it was more crystalline and a bit tougher to flake.
One of my main complaints with quartz is that it tends to shatter into tiny slivers that easily get stuck in feet. I had three different cuts bleeding on my right leg just from flakes falling and gently bumping against my skin as they fell. whenever a piece of quartz would hit my leg, I'd look down and within a few seconds a small bubble of blood would slowly appear and get progressively bigger as time went by....that quartz is unbelievably sharp.
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Those look nice billy.
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Nice ones, Billy-they should get it done. I'm like you, I spring more leaks knapping quartz than knapping obsidian.
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Quartz looks nice with blood all over it ;D
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that is the coolest when you make it from a rock you picked up ,instead of paid for I think dont know why it just is?I wish there was a volcano in Ky. so we would have obsidion.
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Jaeger, KY hornstone is better rock than obsidian...:)
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Sounds good! Where is a good place to get it ?
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Them look good billy! I know you'll have some blood on em soon..
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yeah, very nice. Could you post pics of them hafted? Good luck with the hunting.
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Nice points Billy! I love using that quartz.
Alan
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Nice points billy, I've yet to get anything from the tough ass quartzite I gather here in the UP
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Billy
Those are some great points. That white quartz is the only local Knappable stone we have here on LI, it is some tough stuff. Good job, I'm sure you will get some meat with those.
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I hear about how tough this rock is, I don't boubt it a bit. :o Those look perty good to me and they do look sharp! I gotta get my hands on some of this stuff sometime. ;)
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Good job Billy. That quartz is some tuff rock. I have had nothing but problems with it. I have only made one nice succesful quartz point, while on a deer hunting trip. I gave it to the man who owned the property where we were hunting. He was very impressed and very happy. I've never tried to do another.
Allen
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awesome points billy. those two on the lower right are almost crystal. looks like some of the better quartz. ive located an ol quartz mine not far from the museum i do work for. gonna hit it this week and see whats available