Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: uwe on September 09, 2008, 04:20:47 pm
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Does anybody make the Clovis spearheads? What is the special technic to make them? Tge same question goes ahead with the Folsom.
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Check out these videos:
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=Flintknappingtips
This will get ya going!
David T
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Its all about the nipple! >:D
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Yeah the nipples are very important . Trap
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:o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o
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Yep, have to agree with everybody. You can never go wrong with a high, proud, nipple.
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If you're playing with more than two your a sick man! :o ;D
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;D ;D ;D ;D ;D I guess I just have my mind in the gutter. ;)
Pappy
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I guess I just have my mind in the gutter.
Pappy
Pappy, don't feel like the Lone Ranger! ;D
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I'm a Clovis expert (Show me your Nipple!)
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Careful now.... ;D
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As Mullett pointed out, the most desired nipple will be well delinated and not diffusely spread over the rest of the piece. The hue and texture will be dependent on the rest of the body with firmness usually being the most sought after characteristic. A failuire to be fully extended will usually end in a failure of the entire piece.
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;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Mullet, appreciate the happy faces from an expert knapper like yourself. One more thought on the nipple and I'll shut up and let more knowledgeable people comment. When working the nipple one must always keep in mind that each nipple has its own unique characteristics. Some require only gentle manipulation before they become properly extended, while others require a more aggressive approach. Whichever the case, each must be massaged properly to achieve its maximum extension and firmness. When this is accomplished a satisfactory piece can then be knocked off.
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Hahahahha, xin your killin me hehehehhehe!!
uwe: Wish I had some wisdom to share on this point type - have tried fluting several times (and will continue to try) with the same disasterous results. From what I gather: you need a fairly thick point with a good median ridge, set up a nice nipple on the base end, then strike or use pressure with a jig to flute. I haven't tried it that many times (am gun shy) . It's doable obviously - wish I had more info :).
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Like Cowboy said, Just make sure you have the piece supported really well or you will break the distal end. I know this because I've probably broken 30 or 40. Yes, my learning curve is pretty flat. Lots of support if you're not using a jig.
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God I hope the two princesses never see this post! :o
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Tiller, I hope they do see it. Two members, both Tennessee boys, of our coterie confessed to some sort of gutter tittilation by the mention of Clovis pt nipples. I can only assume this resulted from the repression into the subconscious of some vague lascivious thought. Confession has a purifying element all its own, so I think they're OK now,However, just to make sure maybe the princesses should go to the next knappin and give themboth a spanking. I think both parties would enjoy it.
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xin you are killing me. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D I think I will go back to napping. ;)
Pappy
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J. B. Solberger made a jig that made fluting quite easy. I have several of his points and they were all thin. What I have found that works SOMETIMES is to push the point into grass sod to give support to the blade. I have one of his jigs that he sent me before he passed away but don't use it. Watcher
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As Mullett pointed out, the most desired nipple will be well delinated and not diffusely spread over the rest of the piece. The hue and texture will be dependent on the rest of the body with firmness usually being the most sought after characteristic. A failuire to be fully extended will usually end in a failure of the entire piece.
So yer saying they need to be perky ;D ::)
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St M, That's 10-4 good buddy! Without sounding didactic, let me briefly recapitulate the transfornation of a Clovis pt preform to to a well fluted Clovis pt. Gently push the material away from each side of the nipple being caqreful not to disturb the nipple itself. Once this has been done the nipple will usually present itself standing alone and firm. Before proceeding with the fluting, the nipple should be checked for firmness as any flaccidity could cause the fluting to end in failure. I usually do this by tweeking the nipple between the thumb and forefinger. Once firmness has been established the piece can be given a very satisfactory fluting. After the fluting a little clean-up of the distal end is usually necessary, but this can usually be accomplished wth pleasant memories and great anticipation of future fluting. Pappy, glad to see you got a chuckle. You and 3 or 4 other guys are the real backbone of this website. Really apprciate your work and contrbutions.
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As I said before you are killing me.I don't know weather you are serious or not ,but that last post made me spit my Tobacco out. ;DNice thread on a kind of somber day. ;) ;D Thanks for the complaments but I don't do much around here but add moral support. :)
Pappy
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;D
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Pappy, It has been raining for two days here in North Tx and it looks like with Ike in the Gulf it may well rain on through the weekend. I was beginning to get a little cabin fever,couldn't ride my motorcycle, when I came across this post. It struck me that ouir hobby lends itself to come clean but naughty humor. Hope I was able to tread the line between naughty and lewd and keep it clean. You're really too modest about your contributions to the website. Without you and others like you offering help and posting pics of your work the whole thing would just go away. Hope you were amused and thanks again for your contributions.
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Xin, I like your style......Apparently you too are a silver toungued devil......
Wayne
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Uh....I still don't get the whole extended, isolated, and firm thing. Me needs a picture (or two). >:D
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Crafty, I regret to inform you that I am unable at this time to furnish any pictures. I don't have a digital camera and am terribly technologically challenged. In the interest of harmony and the furtherance of brotherhood among knappers I will attempt to paint one more word picture. Fluting is knocking off a couple of easy pieces ,not taking the whole enchilada. To have a successful fluting , it is usually necessary to isolate the piece you want to knock off. Sometimes the piece doesn't want to cooperate so the successful fluter is rewarded by diligence. Once the piece has been isolated induration of the nipple is essential. Checking is tactile and must be performed with persistence and commitment . Now that the piece has been isolated and hardness of the nipple has been assured the fluting can begin. It is recommended that the fluting commence with slow steady pressue and end in a forceful climax. Using these techniques, well tested by time, the knapper can be assured of knocking off a couple of easy pieces. That is all I've got to say about this subject.
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I think I see it now.....
[attachment deleted by admin]
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Thanks for the nippeldiscussion and even for the youtubes. I watched a lot and saved it for the first time under "Favourites" on the PC.
Seems to be a hard job. When I see the apparatures the idea grows, if the Paleoindians did use similar things like the compound jigs.
Now 10000 years later its a lot of speculation what was or what had been possible. Are there any finds of I call it "How to`s"?
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I have a theory on how they made Folsoms. I think they did not form the point before fluting but actually had them squared off then they fluted it so there was no risk of snaping the end off. then all they had to do was trim it all up after the job was done.
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Tiller, Bob Patton has done a lot of Folsom replication experiments, and makes very authentic looking pieces. From studying old points at various stages in the process, he figured that the preform was made, pressure flaked to build a median ridge, and like you said-blunted/rounded at the tip to withstand placing the tip on an anvil block while striking the fluting blow. After the flutes were struck, then it was retouched and refined. Uwe, the old ones didn't use fluting jigs. :) The flutes were done by direct or maybe indirect percussion.
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Tiller I have had that same theory. I had always thought about trying it. That is when I learn to knapp, and actually have some rock to practice on. I have seen the fluting jigs, and they are pretty neat, but I have always thought about making a preform, and then smacking it. I have another idea too, may or may not work. I thought about heating a point up, and then taking a stick that has been soaking over night in water, and laying in on the the base of the point and spalling a flake off, and then doing the other side. I know, I know, yeah, I do have some strange ideas now and then......
But......has anyone ever actually tried it? Just imagine if the Wright Brothers has gone along with the current wisdom of the time......
Wayne
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Wayne, give it a shot but the old theory about dropping water on the blad to cause flaking is a bit of a myth if you ask me. All it does is cause hairline fractures in the stone but not spalling.
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PS: Anyone try to do the flutes using bipolar percusion? I have seen this used on small stones but I bet it might work for folsoms if set up correctly.
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Tiller, the method I was talking about that Bob Patton uses is similar to bipolar-the tip is rested on an anvil of antler or wood, and the flute detachment blow travels to the anvil and bounces back up. His replicas have the same ripple patterns, etc. as the originals.
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Man! I thought I had brought up a new method. I will have to try it and see how it works. If I can ever get some time to knapp again.
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Tiller, Bob Patton has done a lot of Folsom replication experiments, and makes very authentic looking pieces. From studying old points at various stages in the process, he figured that the preform was made, pressure flaked to build a median ridge, and like you said-blunted/rounded at the tip to withstand placing the tip on an anvil block while striking the fluting blow. After the flutes were struck, then it was retouched and refined. Uwe, the old ones didn't use fluting jigs. :) The flutes were done by direct or maybe indirect percussion.
Sure! But when I see the power of fluting it makes some thoughts.