Anybody got a recommendation on a basic flint knapping kit?

There are a couple on line, but they can vary significantly in price. I used to have a kit...but I can't find it! Guess I'll have two when it turns up.

Sparks

Heavy antler baton...course abrading stone...copper tip preasure flaker, fine bone or antler secondary flaker...leather pad or apron, safety glasses, and the most important part...knapable flint or glass...
T.Albert

no need to add there

Band aides, ant-bacterial wash, a tetnus shot and lots of stone.

Oh and if you find lot's of stone let me know. I keep breaking mine into dust.

buck

Buck,
Just heard there is an annual rendezvous site in these parts where the obsidian lays around on the ground just like--yep--rock. Haven't been there myself. But if I told you about it, "I'd have to silence you," or words to that effect.

I'll try bringing you back some. You in Colorado?
(Cache la Poudre?)
Sparks

Mr. Sparks,
Yep Colorado is the place and I can't tell you more.. Ol Mr. Sticks would be sniffen around tryin to find my lost cache. And I'll be darned if he get's it before me!! I bet you he would show up here wearin my hat and just giggling like a school girl... Ugh! Then he'd probly stick a stick in my eye. He has threatened such things you know. It's written right here somewhere in these very archives..Why I oughta..

Now Mr SParks, Why did ya have to bring all that up?
GRRRRRR.....RR....rr.r.r Oh yeah ...Obsidian...lying on the ground you say?

Enough to make all the black dust a guy could dream of? Could it be true? You aint just pulling on my leg are you?
Boy, If I ever came across a situation like that I would collect a bunch and put it into a hole in the ground and not tell anybody about it. Nope id be my little secret. I would even come up with a good name fer it.. I'll get back to you on that..

Obsidian.. just lying there? Next yer going to tell me that some people know the ancient top secret art of turning that stuff into usable tools and points...
Sheesh, now you got me going..

Maybe I'll go dust off that old sledgehammer I've been using for my precision knapping work and get to work.

buck

Buck,
Actually someone has already put a bunch of the obsidian into a hole and named it. I think they call it a cache In reallity, it all came OUT of a hole once and is laying on the ground. Yep. A hole that went down into the center of the earth. It belched steam, molten rock and glass it did.

And it was people what make that into tools that told me the where-abouts, in a general way. Actually, it was someone who is close to those two guys what told me.


Well, after ordering a flintknapping tool or two, I found the ones in the house that I had lost. That's a sure-fire way to shortcut your searching.

I'll save you a piece or two...more except they were saying something about carrying it on one's back and starting off for it a day before the rendezvous.

Free...but not without a price...

Sparks

Mr Sparks, Are you telling me you would have to hike in, load all this stuff on you're back and then hike out agian?

I'll take a small load of 100lbs or so

I hope you find some good material. We will have to compare knapping notes at some point. I am always looking fer somebody to teach me a thing er two.

buck

Heck,
I might as well give you a full backpack load--250 lbs or so. Maybe we can even make it a three way trade where you give Sawbones something to cover my knee surgery when I bring the load in.

I've got three flintknapping books--Believe it or not, TWO of them are called "Flintknapping." One by Hellweg and the other by Whittaker. The third one is called "The Art of Flintknapping" by D.C. Waldorf. Haven't received the Waldorf book yet...expecting it Tuesday.

So far, all I know is you have progressively smaller rocks, antlers, or brass tipped sticks to hit progressively smaller rocks before grinding them completely into dust, sometimes with usable byproducts. For instance, in the midst of making dust, you might come up with something sharp enough to allow Sawbones to do knee surgery.

sparks-I do believe I know where you're talking about...it's east of Bend(sort of)and west of Millican(sort of)....I used to live out that way..was a good winter rendezvous out at HorseRidge too....

Mitch,
Perhaps! I don't know myself, rightly. I just know the people that know where it is.
Sparks

I do believe we talking about the same spot..I do remember picking up some snowflake obsidian in Idaho a few yrs back at a rendezvous on the SW side...and the obsidian "place" your possible refering to in/near Oregon isn't a big secret, it's just hard to find!!

Mitch,
It's particularly hard to find for those who don't know it's there.
Sparks

Flint Knappers at work

You call them Flint Knappers?
Why neither one of em has a pile of rubble!
Why I just look at a rock and end up with a pile bigger en both of -em put together!

buck

quote:

You call them Flint Knappers?
Why neither one of em has a pile of rubble!
Why I just look at a rock and end up with a pile bigger en both of -em put together!

You must be a flint "scrapper"...

And there Ain't NO BLOOD!

[QUOTE] You must be a flint "scrapper"... [QUOTE]

HAW! HAW!

At least I do not eat the stuff, cause the next day that would make you a "Flint Cra.."
Ouch, I dont suppose I will finish this post

Oh and Mr. Sparks made a good point too they aint bleeding! The picture must have been posed!

A tarp on the ground will keep you from creating an artificial archeological site, and keep the barefoot kiddos from slicing the holy screaming red bejabbers out of their feet!