[TheForge] Steel for Strikers (flint sources?)

[Jerry Frost]

Oh I knew exactly what you meant. A concoidal fracture 
while sharp isn't particularly strong. Most striking 
flints are dressed so the fracture is no longer 
concoidal for strength. Take a look at gun flints for 
an example of what I mean. you want the striking edge 
just barely acute for durability.

I've been knapping obsidian since the mid 80's off and 
on, more off than on actually. Still it's an enjoyable 
thing to play with once you have a handle on it. Loius 
Leakey did mostly percussion knapping in the general 
style of the most primitive tools. From what I've read, 
he taught himself knapping more or less to be able to 
identify the earliest tools. Then again what I've read 
was about him rather than by him.

A more modern and easier to apply book is: 
"Flintknapping. 'Making & Understanding Stone Tools' " 
by John C. Whittaker. ISBN 0-292-79082-X

This book has a how to approach that tells you the how 
and why of every step so with a little practice you can 
teach yourself to be a pretty accomplished knapper.

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>


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: