My brother Tom giving me some flint knapping pointers yesterday in my garage.

It was a very humbling experience for me. I have much admiration for you guys that can make a fine hunting point.

I didn’t make a point. I had one that was starting to look like a point and I broke it in half. I just made big rocks into Little Rock’s:) Can anyone recommend a good flint, napping video?

Thanks Tom for all the tips. Even though I didn’t make a point. I found flint knapping to be enjoyable. But very humbling at the same time.

Here’s a point my brother found at a flea market and gave me. I just look at this point. And wonder. Will I ever be able to make one like this.

It was definitely a fun time. I’m still in the stage of just blowing through material myself, but sometimes I make something that resembles a point. Here’s my best one, although I snapped the corner off notching.

I’d be real happy if I got one to look like that Tom! All you stick bow knappers feel free to post pictures of points that you have knapped.

Nice bunch of flint and steel rocks.

I watched a lot of you tube. It’s been a while but I think it was bu hunter or something like that I learned the most from, but there’s a bunch of good videos from knappers of all skill levels.

I still find it really humbling. I still break them, but they are a lot nicer when I break them than when I started.

If you run out of material you can use glass.

Look up knapping bottle bottoms.

At first I watched and wondered how they knew where to hit their piece. Then I started to think I would hit it there and that’s where they would hit it. Then I just had to hit it there. Soon Realized I also had to hit it there correctly too.

It can be very relaxing if you don’t let it get you totally frustrated.lol

Kinda like golf

Hope you stick with it Don. I’m sure you will get something that looks like a point. When you do hopefully that gives you the confidence to keep at it.

I made a lot of gravel until I eventually made something from the gravel

Bjrogg

Could rectangular gun flints be done this way?

Please to Remember to be careful with the knapping. Safety glasses and a GREAT DUST MASK! Also? Outside is MUCH BETTER. The dust from knapping can get into Your lungs. NOT GOOD! Silicosis! Have fun but be careful! STAY WELL & SAFE!

Reddogge I believe the term “ flint knap” comes from making flint’s for flint locks.

Knap means to shape and flint is a stone

At least I seem to remember reading that somewhere

Bjrogg

Glad you added text next to that first photo. That one could end up on a whole other website.

Very nice

Youtube is your friend but nothing beats sitting with someone. Find a knappin in your area. Lots of free help and rock to buy.

knapping has a steep learning curve to it when you don't have an elderly Indian sitting next to you... i can make the shape wonderfully, but they are thick as a brick. :^(

I couldn’t find the knapper I watched the most in the past .

I did watch one of Ryan’s on thinning and I thought he did a great job explaining how to thin those difficult points.

He had a beginners video to that I didn’t watch, but I suspect would be a good place to start.

Hunt Primitive.

Bjrogg

Brian, pease show some of your work. They are art pieces

Thanks Jay.

I will see if I can post a few. I have been busy with other things and haven’t had time to do much lately so I will have to post some older ones if they will post for me.

Honestly though. I’m ok but there’s much better knappers than me out there.

I’m nearly self taught so I know there are lots of tricks I could learn from a really good teacher.

Having said that there are lots of tricks you just have to figure out by doing them yourself.

I’m definitely getting better, but some of these guys really have my admiration.

Bjrogg

Like I said. Still keeps me humble.

I still break more than I care to

Bjrogg

But I do get more that I’m happy with than I use to too.

Bjrogg

Don’t know where that picture came from it’s not even one of mine.

Try again Bjrogg

Bjrogg, I understand gun flints are knapped out of rocks. My question should have been are they made using the same technique as arrowheads?

Reddogge I’m certainly not an expert on flints from flintlocks but I’m sure they use some of the same techniques.

I did watch a short YouTube tutorial on making flints for them.

It wasn’t very in depth but it was more like what I would call removing a “spall” from a core.

Flint knapping is very much about angles. Direction of strikes and “platforms “

We generally don’t like 90degree angles and have to “zig zag “ to get the angles we want.

I wish I could give you a better answer but I really have never tried to do that

Bjrogg

Bjrogg...what is the flat-black colored point above knapped from? actual flint maybe? that is very nice...i can get glossy/glassy obsidian, that looks more like what i want.

Very nice points Brian. Thanks for sharing them with us.

Pondscum2 that flat black colored one is some local chert from the stone quarry.

I find it on the windmill access roads on our property.

I have a really hard time finding anything that isn’t completely ruined by the crusher but once and awhile I get lucky. Would love to get there after they blast and before they run it through crusher. It’s pretty rare, but it is really nice quality stuff. I’ve found it pure white too and a mixture of the two.

I believe it is true flint but I’m no expert. I’m not sure exactly what the difference is between chert and flint but it is a very fine silica stone and I love it’s flat black yet smooth as glass looks.

I put that one on a red osier shaft from my farm and I’m hoping to get a buck with it and a bow I made from a tree on my farm.

Bjrogg

Now that IS a skill! THANKS for the photos!

Thanks guys.

Pondscum2 here’s that point on its red osier shaft

Bjrogg

That'll march.

thanks for the pic, looks even better mounted. i find some chert in local river beds, but it is pretty grainy. going to try to heat- treat some and see if it helps. much of it is a very pretty yellow/gold. heat might change that though...there is a spot nearby in Hawkins Co. that they find "jewelry grade" golden chert (looks like glossy butter) i have read about, but have been unable to connect with. dang it!

Hope you can make a connection with some pondscum2

Sounds like some nice stuff. Usually the finer the silica the nicer it knaps. Give that other stuff a good heat treatment. It might help. Usually heat bring out more colors.

Bjrogg

That looks like it would have been a good way to spend some time.

Don I have some I found here in Maryland on the Eastern shore that look a lot like that tannish brown you have .

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