Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: cowboy on June 02, 2007, 08:37:29 pm

Title: Flint Run!
Post by: cowboy on June 02, 2007, 08:37:29 pm
Thought I'd show you guys where I pick up the majority of my flint. This is a near a little town South of San Antonio TX. I was here roughly a year ago in the winter (with no crops) and the feilds of flint just dissapeared over the horizon - got a truck load along the edges without permission, cause I couldn't find anybody. This time I ran into the farmer and got that permission. Caught him mowing his driveway - I disturbed him for a moment to ask if I could pick up some rocks, he rubbed his chin and studied on it for a bit and said sure, get all you want - uhh what you going to do with em. I showed him some of my points and explained about my illness  ;D, he didn't seem too impressed but sayed they'd found arrowheads on the place. Anyway he took me to some washes on up the road where more rock was exposed - this is what I got away with.

  Oh, I almost guarantee fifty percent of what's laying on the ground is knappable flint.

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Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: DBernier on June 02, 2007, 08:56:26 pm
Jezzzzzzzzzzzzzz! Cowboy.  :o   Bring some of that back to NC. I'll trade you for a bucket.  ;D  Man that is a "GOOD" haul. Hope to see you soon. Let me know if you are within 3 to 4 hr's driving of Mebane.

Dick Bernier
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: Pat B on June 02, 2007, 09:11:10 pm
Hey Cowboy. Can you get me some of the flint seeds? ::) Apparently it grows pretty good down there. I wonder how long the growing season is? ???   Where we live there is that much rock but very little knappable rock. Mostly leaverite(leave er right where it lays) ;D   Pat
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: Justin Snyder on June 02, 2007, 09:30:21 pm
Wow cowboy, that looks like a potato field with all the potatoes turned up. Are you sure those are rocks?  How in the world do they plow with all those rocks.  Justin
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: Marc St Louis on June 02, 2007, 10:01:27 pm
Nice
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: cowboy on June 02, 2007, 10:10:18 pm
Sure thing Dick, if I'm ever up that way again (which my work will take me there) I'll bring a bucket or two along - could alway use some more Hickory. Hey Pat when I was learning how to knap I picked up so many leaverites I used them to decorate my cactus garden - that's funny leaverite  ;D. Justin: man I couldn't tell ya, have wondered myself - all I can figure is he must have some hellava plows  ;D.

Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: cowboy on June 02, 2007, 10:17:53 pm
Hey Marc - thanks. If you need some more flint don't hesitate - I'd be proud to send ya some! Course we'd have to work out a trade, hmm - I've never tasted Moose ;D.
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: DBernier on June 03, 2007, 10:39:57 am
Cowboy, your salivating.  :P   Moose is good.  ;)
Let me know what you need and PatB and I can come up with it to be sure.

Dick Bernier
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: Little John on June 03, 2007, 12:42:28 pm
That is just too cool.   Kenneth
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: D. Tiller on June 03, 2007, 05:54:02 pm
Is that the hard stuff????  :o
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: mullet on June 03, 2007, 09:58:15 pm
  It's all hard till you get good at it.Break some rocks!
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: cowboy on June 03, 2007, 11:00:53 pm
Yessir D! That's the same stuff I sent ya. Actually the hard stuff is what ya want - the hard to break stuff is what ya don't want - the harder or denser the better. Did you ever locate some heavier boppers? That'll really help you out.
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: D. Tiller on June 04, 2007, 01:19:32 am
Nah! not yet. I've been so busy with my business I have not had a chance to get out to the work shop in a long time. I have a little modoc style bow I started a month and a half ago and I still have not had a chance to pound apart the sinew for it. Way things are going I should be in the shop again sometime next December. Man these ladies are demanding when it comes to skincare products!!!  ;D Now we are starting to cary lingerie in the shop. Should be fun selling it along with my soap products. Either that or I'm going to end up with a coronary from all the excitment!  ;D ;D ;D

I can see it now some gal is going to walk out of the dressing room and say "How do I look?". Oh jeesh! I'm really going to be in trouble now...COOOLLLLL!!!!  ;D Thank god I'm not married yet!
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: Justin Snyder on June 04, 2007, 01:46:02 am
Calm down David.  The only ones that do stuff like that are the ones you don't want to see anyway.  Justin
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: jamie on June 04, 2007, 09:06:47 am
i just poured coffe down my face . it burned like hell and i didnt care. thats like knappin heaven.
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: 1/2primitive on June 04, 2007, 09:41:50 am
WOW! That's.........that's incredible!  :o :o I'm determined to find somwhere like that! It's hard to believe that's real!
     Sean
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: Marc St Louis on June 04, 2007, 11:25:43 am
Hmmm. Moose for rocks. Sounds good to me :). Now I just have to shoot one, which may not be too hard if the one that is stomping my garden sticks around.
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: Hillbilly on June 04, 2007, 11:49:41 am
GOODGODALMIGHTY!!!!!! :o  :o You can't imagine the effect that those pics have on someone from The Land Of Absolutely No Flint.
If I saw that in person it would be like turning a beagle loose into a pen containing ten thousand rabbits lol. First, I'd faint. Then, when I came back to conciousness, I'd run around in circles screeching and gathering up armloads of flint while looking furtively around with a paranoid, shifty, evil gaze. Then I'd pile up a big ass mountain of it in the middle of the field and climb on top of it and jump up and down and cackle and scream, "Mine! Mine! Mine!" until I finally collapsed on top of it and lay there drooling, muttering, and twitching until the men with white coats and big butterfly nets came and took me away.................
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: Pat B on June 04, 2007, 11:52:08 am
So, you're impressed! aye Steve!  ;)  Pat
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: cowboy on June 04, 2007, 12:06:44 pm
GOODGODALMIGHTY!!!!! back at ya Steve - you got me laughing so hard in my office box here that the guys outside hammering on that steel must surely be able to hear me.....ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,...........................................................................
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: D. Tiller on June 04, 2007, 06:41:28 pm
Got that right Justin!

You guys make me bust a gut from laughing.

Weird thing Steve I can picture it in my mind. All them rocks and no hammerstone!!!  ;D
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: cowboy on June 04, 2007, 10:37:43 pm
Hey David: Here's a pic of the tools I use for knapping. These are all copper cause that's what I learned with and am the best with. I can use hammerstones and antler but am more accustomed to the copper. Anyway, their's boppers from 1 1/4" all the way down to 1/2". The bigger one's are for heavy spalling and busting those cobbles in half, also have a copper hammer there that I use for the same thing - made that after seeing one similar at a knap in, the copper head is loose and rotates 360 - that way you can wear it down evenly on both ends all the way around.
  Their's a couple of Ishi sticks in there, a smalll hand flaker - for edge work and notching, a hand pad, etc. All made by me cuzz I can't see paying the prices most suppliers want when I can do it myself - thought this might help.

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Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: Dingleberry on June 04, 2007, 11:09:14 pm
very cool, that gives me a hard on. ;D
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: PeteC on June 04, 2007, 11:13:14 pm
Cowboy,is that anywhere near Pleasanton?I lived there and worked for Halliburton years ago,and worked all over that part of the country.I've seen that same sight,plus the big chunks of root beer over toward Floresville,in Wilson county.   God Bless, Pete C
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: mullet on June 04, 2007, 11:26:16 pm
   Whew Whoo!,The root beer.I'd whack out  so bad, for some of that;You'd think me and Hillbilly were rrelated.
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: Roger on June 05, 2007, 09:05:45 am
Nice haul Paul!...looks like the good stuff no heating needed on that.

I get to come home mid July...Wooo Hooo....we need to hook up dude!

Here a couple of pics of my Honey Hole Near San Angelo, Tx

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/Sparky59/fc2.jpg)

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/Sparky59/fc5.jpg)

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/Sparky59/chert1.jpg)

R
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: Dingleberry on June 05, 2007, 12:19:15 pm
Ladies and Gentleman,    I would like to apologize for my message that I posted above.  I wrote the message in haste thinking it was funny but realized now that it was totally inappropriate.  I told my wife what I wrote and she was completely mortified.  I hope everyone will forgive me and not hold it against me.  Thanks and Sorry.
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: DanaM on June 05, 2007, 12:28:31 pm
And here I thought I was good at putting my foot in my mouth :o
Plead insanity brought on by the sight of all that rock ;D
I don't think any permanent damage was done
to err is human, god knows none of is perfect
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: Hillbilly on June 05, 2007, 06:19:45 pm
And to think of the millions of dollars wasted on viagra every year............... ;D
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: mullet on June 05, 2007, 07:06:17 pm
    I'm really glad you apologized,I was wringing my hands and like your wife mortified and shocked.I almost couldn't look at the picks of the other honey hole without dredging up that awful visual.Almost scarred for life. :-[
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: DanaM on June 05, 2007, 09:01:42 pm
I'm sure his wife will make him suffer for such language, perhaps D. Tiller has an appropriate soap for the occasion. ;D
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: D. Tiller on June 05, 2007, 10:31:07 pm
Sure do! I remember a child comming in the shop and sniffing the vanilla bar. Thought it was soooo good that he just had to take a bit of it!  ;D That poor boy was spitten for the next hour!!!
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: cowboy on June 06, 2007, 12:43:37 am
Pete: Not sure where Pleasanton is but if it's anywhere near Lytle then you were in the same neighborhood - I have several buddies in Floresville though, may have to hit them up about creeks over that way next week.
Hey Roger - man that does look like a honey hole! I know there's some good stuff around San Angelo - looks just like all them creeks around San Antonio. What a coincidence! I'll be taking my vacation second half of July - I'll give you a holler.
And as for you Dingleberry ----- naw. I'm glad to see you renigged on that comment, I understand - yes we all are human - maybe not so bad around the deer camp - but here? I forgive you.
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: basil_brush on September 23, 2007, 02:15:39 pm
Excellent, from those pics I'm now certain of what to look for and realise that there's loads of it the back garden where I'm living at the moment. ;D
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: cowboy on September 23, 2007, 04:33:31 pm
Where do ya live basil? I may have to pay a visit ;D.
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: basil_brush on September 23, 2007, 06:11:11 pm
I'm in the UK, so I doubt I can be of any help to you there.
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: D. Tiller on September 23, 2007, 07:20:44 pm
Cowboy, one of these days I will have to drop by your neck of the woods! I would love to hunt up some more of that flint. I will give the heat treating a go some time this next week or so. Got a lot of alder so it will get nice and hot!

David T
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: cowboy on September 23, 2007, 08:23:37 pm
Yep basil - don't look like I'll be paying you a visit, hehe ;D. Don't know what kind of rock you have over there - all you can do is break it open and see what's inside. These rocks in the pictures look like most any (they have a thin layer of cortex on the outside) which is kinda like oxidized paint - it's dull and crumbly, the good hard stuff is protected within. Let us know if you find anything good :).

  Hey D, if your ever around give me a shout. Keep that fire good and hot all day.

Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: D. Tiller on September 24, 2007, 09:16:45 pm
You got it! It may be a while before I'm down that way though. Need to get a life one of these days!  ;D
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: Robinwho on September 26, 2007, 11:20:47 pm
Aaaah ! now I understand, so your the guy that makes all those arrow heads and spreads them all over the US so tourists think they found a 5000 year old arrow points, how much you get for that from the US tourist Board ?, LMAO

What your going to do with all that flint ?, Wow ! ;D ;D
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: Knocker on September 27, 2007, 01:00:02 am
Hey Cowboy, I don't know what Basil_Brush has in his yard, but some of the best flint is supposed to come from England.  English flints are imported to the states for use with Flintlock rifles in the rendezvous crowds.  I've heard said that good English flints are the best for making a spark. 

I live in Western Washington, and don't know how far you have to go for good knapping materials here.  I know there is a lot of obsidian at glass butte in Oregon which would be a bit of a trek for me, but I might give it a try if I ever get into knapping.

Keith
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: cowboy on September 27, 2007, 11:49:46 am
Robinwho: Only one's I throw around are the broken one's - they get tossed out in the yard for visiting kido's to find, their funny to watch - like Easter egg huntin :). I'll knap a lot of that stone I've accumulated, and will trade a bunch of it also.

Hey Keith: I've never been to the NW, don't know what a feller might find up there to knap. I would think with all the volcanoes that their would be obsidian in your neighborhood (state) somewhere. If ya ever do pick up knapping - that natural glass (or man made for that matter) would be some great learning material. Television picture tubes make some fine blades and points ;).

Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: stickbender on September 28, 2007, 01:35:36 am
     Aw, Man!  You lucky dog you!  That reminds me of when I was in england for the World Clown Convention, and wondered if I would be able to find any flint, and then I saw a couple of chunks in the little flower beds, and got all excited, and then went down to the beach, ( I was in Bognor Regis ) and the whole beach is covered with Flint!  Dark blue, almost black flint!  I wish I had kept most of what I was able to bring home.  Not much, but chert here in Fla.  and some coral geodes in Tampa bay.  I need to make a run to Ga. sometime and look for some up there.  Man, talk about finding a mother lode!

                                                                                 Stickbender
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: basil_brush on September 28, 2007, 04:07:47 am
Cool, maybe I'll visit Bognor Regis, it's only a short train journey along the coast. I've never been there before though.
Title: Re: Flint Run!
Post by: cowboy on September 28, 2007, 10:04:52 am
That sounds interesting stickbender. Basil - if you go there and can post pic's I'd like to see that site :).