Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: Tower on June 10, 2011, 06:00:19 pm
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This was a piece of semi translucent Pedernales flint from Llano River. It seemed to knap well in the reduction stages, so I decided to finish it without any heat. The pressure flakes carried across well but a little heat may have thinned it more. The rock was tougher at the tip than the base, so it shows in the point. With all that being said I still would like to see what it would do to a Buffalo cow!
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I do believe that is the best point I have seen you post yet. Do you do most of your thinning via percussion? I used to be able to stumble with my pressure flaking, but now I can do pretty well with that, it's percussion that has given me fits. Lately it's been coming along alright, then I get careless and send an overshot flake and take off a significant portion of the back of my biface.
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Most of my thinning is with percussion, & overshot flakes can be a good thing. Even if they are an accident.
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Most of my thinning is with percussion, & overshot flakes can be a good thing. Even if they are an accident.
I used to like them, but have started losing a lot of width to them that I cant afford to lose this early in my knapping "career" haha.
If I could control them, that'd be different. The latest one that got me that upset me the most was out of a piece of Cowboy G-town. Was thinning it down and took a deep bite out of the middle with mass left on both ends. I thought I was going to snap it for sure. Especially when I came in from the other side to smooth out where that deep flake rolled out. Got it thinned and back under control and was just trying to use a small hammer stone (what i did most of the work with) and was going for some mass right at the end of the biface on a near vertical platform. With that hammerstone, I generally swipe down (probably the wrong thing to do) across the platform, more or less brushing it to rip the flake off rather than "hitting" it per say. When I did the flake detached though the middle (thickness wise) and then rolled out the top about half way down the biface. I'm not sure if that makes sense to you or not. I went back and watched Jim Winns Hammerstone tips series and looks as if he goes for a high hit on a steep platform. Not sure how it works for him, but it leaves deep bulbs of percussion for me.
Anyway I wont discuss any more of my problems in your threads, Ive already said too much to take away from the beauty of this point.
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That is one, nice, point. I'd like to stick something with it too, or it would look good in my Primo Case. :)
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That is nice.
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Yep, an overshot not planned on can mess things up a little. I have done that a few times. I use them on my final percussion passes but I terminate it close to the edge with a fingertip. This makes it easy to cleanup with a pressure flaker. If it does shoot to the other side usually the flake ridge can be carried on down the point. I start this about 1/3 from the tip. Sometimes it breaks but the more I try it the easier it is to do. I also prep every platform ( flake ridge) carefully before the next strike. This is what works for me, it may not be of any use to another. As long as we get the results we are looking for it's right for the knapper. The next time I do this I will post some pics of it.
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Really Nice man...U guys are lucky to have rock laying around down there up here u need TNT to get it out...LOL great point!
Russ
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Thanks Russ. I wish all you guys could come here to get material! Cold beers,hot grills, & lots of silica!!! Come on down boys the rock is good.
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SWEETTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
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Sweet point. I like knapping that raw Pedernales a lot. I wish I had access to a few tons of it.
Jim
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8)
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That is a great point Tower! It's rare to find pedernales that slick raw - but every once in awhile :).
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Very well made point! Love them nice notches.