Let's talk flint knapping.

[Blood Trail]

So y'all know my quest in becoming 100% primitive for next year. Meaning I want to kill an animal with bow and arrows that I made. Nothing bought and finished.

I was at a rock show yesterday and picked up a box of magonany obsidian. Nice-sized chunks and hard as all get out. I thought it would be brittle.

Anyway, I don't have anything as far as boppers, pressure flakers, etc. I was wondering if someone could kinda show me the ropes. HINT: Muzzlebrake

[Bisch]

Well, I was gonna say talk to muzzlebrake, but you are already on it. Send Steve a PM and I'll bet he will get you fixed up!

He is probably hunting with Daniel from Austria this weekend!

Bisch

[SamHarper]

Are you going to make your own glue and string from natural materials, too?

[Tracker0721]

For boppers you can find a dowel the diameter you want then put a copper cap on it. Or take the fatty side of a deer shed and grind/sand it down to a rounded end. For flakers use a tine that you sharpened or use a copper nail pounded into a dowel then cut the head off and file it to a point. With obsidian antler works best, but copper is good for beginners. I'm not that good but I've been trying on and off for years and read a lot of books.

[Tracker0721]

Oh yeah for the boppers fill the cap with lead(fishing weights) then heat it up so the bubble of the cap is full of lead. That way you can really bash some stone and it doesn't cave in.

[Flint knapper]

I could show You what little I know if you ever travel out to Olney!

[backinthegame]

make sure you have a good piece of leather when working with Obsidian. That stuff is sharp glass. Used to mess with this a lot as a kid, old man in the neighborhood introduced me to it and I was obsessed. Kinda miss it. Also, make sure you have a containment method for your flakes, they get on the ground and someone steps on them they gonna get cut up.

[Rakkasan2187]

Good luck. This something I've always wanted to learn how to do. Please post up pics when you get going, I would love to see them.

[tex4k]

If you can't find any hands-on help, or are getting impatient, look up paleoman Jim on u-tube he has some pretty good videos.

[Tracker0721]

If you ever make it down towards Temple there's a guy who sells lots of stone named Curtis Smith. Well known stone dealer and knapper. Maybe give him a call and he might know more knappers in the area. And there's a google thing that has a map of tons of flint knappers. Don't remember how to use it again, I could call one of my buddies in Washington who is on it. That and primitivearcher.com.

[RickyS]

If you ever make it down towards Temple there's a guy who sells lots of stone named Curtis Smith. Well known stone dealer and knapper. Maybe give him a call and he might know more knappers in the area. And there's a google thing that has a map of tons of flint knappers. Don't remember how to use it again, I could call one of my buddies in Washington who is on it. That and primitivearcher.com.

Try ebay for stone too.

[muzzlebrake]

Where you live Leon?

[Blood Trail]

Are you going to make your own glue and string from natural materials, too?

Already made a batch of hide glue. I plan on making my string out of gut or yucca.
Sam, I need to pick ur brain too, brother

Where you live Leon?

Brother, I'm in Lake Worth but I can travel.



All,

Thanks for trying to get me steered right. Ao appreciate it!

[tradtiger]

I could show You what little I know if you ever travel out to Olney!

They say to never play cards with a guy named Doc, but I bet it would be a good idea to get in touch with a guy named Flint Knapper to learn about knapping flint arrowheads. Just a thought!

[SamHarper]

Already made a batch of hide glue. I plan on making my string out of gut or yucca.
Sam, I need to pick ur brain too, brother.

About the yucca string? It was pretty simple, really. I cut a few yucca leaves, took them home, hammered on them lightly and separated the fibers, then soaked them in some water over night. Some people recommend soaking it for a week. It causes the useless stuff to rot off, leaving the fibers. But it stinks, so I didn't wait a week. I separated the fibers as best I could by hand, then made a couple of bundles and started twisting them into a flemish loop on one end, then just continued twisting. I tried to maintain a uniform thickness by adding a strand whenever it needed it. I'd dip the strand in water before adding it to make it easier to twist. It gets kind of soapy, and by the time I was done, my fingers looked like prunes. I got about 12 feet out of three yucca leaves. Then I burned off the frays and loose ends by passing it over a fire. It came out kind of nice.

http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/56225/My-first-string-out-of-natural-materials#.VDtkQEvfBZ4

I have no idea how strong it is, though. I kind of doubt it's strong enough for a 50 lbs bow. I would think a sinew or gut string would be a lot stronger. I saw a video of a guy on youtube making a string out of gut.