[TheForge] Steel for Strikers (flint sources?)

[Bruce Freeman]

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear.
Stones that fracture conchoidally are "easy" to sharpen.  Easy, that is, if you're a flint knapper.  You can chip off pieces and leave sharp edges.
I've only done some reading on flint knapping.  Most recently writings of Louis Leakey.  He's fairly clear, which is more than I can say for some other authors.  But it's real obvious that you don't learn knapping from reading - you have to try it.
I've heard that "johnstone" is a good material to try knapping.  That's the ceramic from old toilets...
Bruce
NJ

>>> frosty at customcpu.com 4/18/2007 1:17 PM >>>
Bruce:

You don't need a concoidal fracture for sriking a spark 
just a sharp edge. I've used flint, chert, quartz and 
even granite.

Knapping stone is fun if you don't mind the sight of 
your own blood. Obsidian knapps reasonably easily if 
you select the right stone. By easily I mean much less 
force, the other side of that is it's more fragile. If 
you decide to give it a try let me know, I've done a 
bit but to go into it at all takes some wordage. <grin>

And no, obsidian won't strike a spark.

Frosty
-------------------------------
If it ain't forged
it ain't real.
Wrought iron is.
The FrostWorks

Meadow Lakes, AK.

http://www.artmetalradio.com/ 

From: "Bruce Freeman" <FREEMAB at pt.fdah.com>



Mike,
Is that Wheeler Mtn, VT?
Have you tried working these rocks yourself?  I've been 
tempted to try "flint knapping" on chuncks of glass, if 
I can find any such these days.  Glass, though, is Mhos 
5 or 6, which is probably to soft for striking sparks. 
Flint is Mhos 7.
I'm wondering about using agate as a "flint".  It's 
hard enough, but probably doesn't have a conchoidal 
fracture, so would have to be sharpened by grinding.
Bruce
NJ


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