Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: Olanigw (Pekane) on April 10, 2015, 04:42:38 pm

Title: Starter kit from Pet.Co
Post by: Olanigw (Pekane) on April 10, 2015, 04:42:38 pm

Spent too much, but what the heck.

Question is,  will it work on Quartzites?

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JtmTaw0zJQA/VSgW4WRaKnI/AAAAAAAAEAg/fP3RTA-kPWU/w384-h512-no/20150410_141512.jpg)

Title: Re: Starter kit from Pet.Co
Post by: Chippintuff on April 10, 2015, 06:39:59 pm

I don't work quartzite, but the people who do say antler billets and wood billets work the best. I don't think I could pressure flake it with the tine.

WA

Title: Re: Starter kit from Pet.Co
Post by: bowmo on April 11, 2015, 12:42:54 pm

Yea, I've noticed them selling antler there. The prices are brutal but they doooo have it. It will work quartzites just fine but like Chippin said, pressure flaking it would be much easier with copper.

Title: Re: Starter kit from Pet.Co
Post by: JackCrafty on April 11, 2015, 01:21:29 pm

Question is,  will it work on Quartzites?

Yes, it will work on quartzites as long as you back it up with an explosive.   >:D

Seriously, it will work but don't try to get too fancy.  I've worked a lot of quartz and I understand why most real artifacts are pretty simple.  Here's some pics of some real quartz points:

(the third picture has Felsite points mixed in with quartzite points, esp. the middle row)

Title: Re: Starter kit from Pet.Co
Post by: Zuma on April 11, 2015, 03:52:36 pm

Pete Davis and crew are avid Quartzite knappers. They pretty much
 use Dogwood billets (bam bam sticks) and now even dogwood hammers.
Most finish work is done with antler punches (indirect).
Zuma

Title: Re: Starter kit from Pet.Co
Post by: Olanigw (Pekane) on April 14, 2015, 06:44:04 pm

Holy mother of....

I made my best effort at "spalling", first with the billet then with a soft hammerstone.
With the billet I only threw short flakes from the edge, and the hammerstone didn't do any better before splitting in half.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-t-cDHahqPVw/VS2NftcyXDI/AAAAAAAAEC0/2bMzgh8OMG8/w433-h577-no/20150414_153234.jpg)
The tine worked great on glass for jackcrafty 's style of indirect percussion, but bounced right off of the quartzite flakes, or snapped them half.

I need to find better stone...
And a bigger, fresher billet

Title: Re: Starter kit from Pet.Co
Post by: caveman2533 on April 17, 2015, 10:06:49 am

It really depends too on the quality of quartzite you are using, if you have better material like tallahatta or some of the western stuff it may work real nice. Northeastern varieties will b a lot tougher.