Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: nocams on August 07, 2010, 01:39:28 am
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Working on getting my bifaces clean, convex and right thickness. What is about right for thickness ? Thanks for the help.
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good question
mine always look like two turtles rubbing bellies ;D
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;D ;D ;D
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each type of biface will have a "proper" thickness based on archaeological specimins. thickness is often expressed as a ratio. Many clovis points were in the range of 1:4 to 1:6.
A 1:4 point four inches wide would be one inch thick, or two inches wide and half an inch thick.
Other points have their own range of thickness. Bifaces like the sweetwater are up to about 1:15 believe it or not. I consider anything above 1:6 pretty dern thin.
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Hey. Depends on what your making. If you want to make (Lost lakes, Pinetrees, kerks, ext...) deeper notched points you need to get the base thin enough to notch it well. The best way to do this is to thin from the base. your get a few steps and henges propably but those will be easy to remove with some flakes from the side.
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each type of biface will have a "proper" thickness based on archaeological specimins. thickness is often expressed as a ratio. Many clovis points were in the range of 1:4 to 1:6.
A 1:4 point four inches wide would be one inch thick, or two inches wide and half an inch thick.
Other points have their own range of thickness. Bifaces like the sweetwater are up to about 1:15 believe it or not. I consider anything above 1:6 pretty dern thin.
I saw a cast of the Sweetwater biface today for the first time and it is ridiculously thin...Like so thin, I can't believe it. Whoever made that thing gets the knapping championship belt, because the rest of us aren't even close.
Jim
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Thanks guys ! So far I am getting them around 3/16" to 1/4" thick. Learning my angles right now. Trying to learn what angle to hold the point at to get the length flake I want and NOT hinge it. Too little angle and short flake, too much long flake or shorter one and a hinge. Sure am loving this stuff ! Wished I would have started sooner. You would get quite a laugh watching Mason try to teach his Dad what to do.