Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: Allyn T on January 20, 2023, 10:31:37 pm
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Ok so I've watched a lot of freeze-cracked's videos and he has mentioned before how he sometimes hits into the piece and seems 5o get a minimal bulb of percussion and good flake travel. Now I took that to mean he was hitting into the piece such as at an angle more in than down but now I'm second guessing that and thinking maybe he ment with his bopper swinging in line with the piece rather that catching it with the side. Either way I tried it and seemed to work well. I'm wondering if anyone else has experience with percussion and less bulbing? By the way I'm using a solid copper headed billet, my second largest one with a slowish swing. Here is the piece.
(https://i.imgur.com/Yqt7aWv.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/pQsD7FK.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/mtxDwVn.jpg)
Also I wanted to say that I've been relying on indirect a lot but it seems like some rock just doesn't like it as much. This piece which is heat treated harvester and a piece of raw Burlington I worked recently both flaked better when I switched back to percussion. This figuring out what works best on different stone is new to me but the experienced knappers are probably very familiar with what I'm talking about.
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Flakes with little to no bulbs are sometimes called "bending" flakes. They are achieved with a swiping or scraping motion of the billet. I use this method a lot.
https://youtu.be/IDZhfXIfgFE
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Very interesting Patrick, all of my billets are rounded but I do always try to swing through and treat it like a hammer stone. Really no wrist motion. That one I posted in the picture did have a tiny little lip on the platform after it sheared off.