Knappers

RedOak · 02-04-2002, 04:33 PM

I don't know if any of you traditional guys have gone quite this traditional yet. But are there any flint Knappers in here?

arrowsmit · 02-04-2002, 04:55 PM

DWP, (my wife's bro in law & my long time bowhuntin compadre) used to knapp some fairly decent heads. We've both talked about killing a deer w/one, & we've both been out w/em in our quiver but neither of us has ever taken that shot yet...IMO would be about as cool as anything, a guy whittlin out his own bow, makin arrows from rivercane & wild turkey feathers, then getting meat for the table w/a head he knapped out himself. I'm just not nearly that talented...

Grey Taylor · 02-04-2002, 05:35 PM

RedOak, does intent to learn count?

Lilhunter · 02-04-2002, 05:42 PM

cant get past shattering rocks LOL! Got some obsidian and made one helluva mess in the hunting room...was picking out glass slivers for weeks....figured I would leave that hobby to someone else <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>!

RedOak · 02-04-2002, 08:12 PM

arrowsmit. Yes I do agree that would be cool. When some of the guys over in the Bow forum get to bashing on us gun guys I feel like asking them if they would consider making ALL their equipment and foregoing the scent-lock suit, treestand and other goodies.

As far as learning try old coke bottle bottems if you can find them. Most bottle bottoms are not thick enough except for doing a little pressure flaking on. Picture in your mind what happens when a BB hits glass and rotate your angle of strike so that only part of the cone is on the form. Also I wouldn't recomend doing it inside as flint and chert contain a high amount of silica and can cause silicosis. This is like asbestosis ecept the silica particles collect and cut and scar the lungs.

Once you get the hang of it you have a real appreciation for the work that went into the points. Especially the Paleo and Early Archaic points. Around here good workable material is hard to come by. Most native points were made from quartz. About the only thing I have found I can work it with is a steel hammer.

Lilhunter · 02-04-2002, 11:18 PM

I think I have the concept but man I cant thin mine down..I start with plate glass at work...man I made a mess there too, atleast it was on a tile floor LOL.....anyways, I want to try some flint someday, probably wont happen though...got 2 hickory staves in one corner, a corner full of martha stewart tamata stakes and some river cane in the other...a box full of turkey feathers from Missouri from the spring of 2000...I was thinking exactly what you were vic...but I wanted to nab a bou! I do have some big ole blades from a industrial sized band saw I figured I would go the trade point route first...now if I could ever find time to whittle on those staves LOL!...one of these next few nites if this cedar strip canoe forms dont start behaving I just might take a break and get on it.....as for the knapping...maybe I'll start trading LOL!