Let's see some pointy thing's. Could be stone, bone, steel, etc. Could be a arrowhead, knife, hawk, etc. The only stipulation is YOU made it in 2023.

Black Butter Obsidian from Flagstaff,AZ. John

Go Blue !!!

Oop's got in a hurry like the broken point's. Need to chill and get ready for the game. Any who .....

POINTS OF 2024

get those out of the way John,lol

Nice knife Brian. I think I'll have to make a handle for that blade.

Not broken, just a happy accident. John

OH MY! LOVE ( I repeat) LOVE THE TALENT from the WALL!

Where do you find your fiber optic glass? Here's one I found (on-line) ??

Try Craig Ratzat at Neolithics for fiber optic. That is where I buy mine.

Comes in a variety of colors and is easy to work. Most of these bright colors is fiber optics.

Nice stuff guys. I only had a couple pieces of this stuff. I think I got it from Frank at the primitive archery meet in Marshall Michigan. It makes a nice sharp point. I like it better than regular glass or obsidian.

Bjrogg

Beautiful artwork! You guys are gifted! What handle material it that with all the slotted holes? It’s very unique.

Handles are dead cholla cactus from New Mexico. I gather it up when I am out there in the winter.

Beautiful work.

Sorry my pictures were to large I guess. I don’t know if something happened to my resize app. Always worked before. I tried some different settings. See what happens

I broke a nice one in three pieces earlier today. I think I will put this one down now

Bjrogg

Apologies Folks, but do people use the fiber optic glass to actually hunt? The reason I am asking, is worries about any chemicals or contaminants in the glass that could leech into game and possibly cause harm? Pls advise? BTW? Beautiful points.

I guess I have never hunted with a fiber optic glass point Batman. As far as physics go I don’t see any reason they wouldn’t work. They are very knappable and you can get a very sharp edge. I don’t know of any harmful chemicals associated with them but I guess I haven’t looked into it.

I’m going to see if I can post the resized pictures that were removed earlier.

First point of the year. Obsidian with a cholla handle

Bjrogg

Second point is fiber optic glass I thought would make a nice Christmas Ornament

Bjrogg

I don't know about any of that chemical stuff Batman. I know I cut myself on it almost every time I knap it and haven't grown a third eye yet.

You know Jon that third eye might come in handy if you lost one knapping.

Always wear eye protection. No joke.

Bjrogg

Another one of my favorite threads every year. Thanks for sharing all.

Sorry turned settings down a little on my resize app. See how that works.

Broke third but fourth came out really nice.

Bjrogg

Really been where I need to be for knapping lately. It seems like I either have it or I don’t so I’m taking advantage of it while I’m there.

Obsidian blade I knapped from a spall. Halved with pine pitch glue and white tail sinew. Cholla handle with black walnut and oak button.

Base is reclaimed black walnut from a pallet with the living edge showing. The base from a shed antler. I cut a grove for knife to set in. Then I lined the grove with scrap red fox leg fur.

I like it

Bjrogg

One more picture

Bjrogg

Nice work Brian.

Thanks Jon and thanks for the cholla . Hope you have a good winter

Bjrogg

Mike, Love that blue point!

Brian, nice job capping the cholla.

John

Glass, just having fun

Maybe one day I’ll get as good as some of you other guys, man, some of the points you all make are just so beautiful!

mechanic, that point looks really nice. It takes time is all. Make sure you save your 1st point to compare your work from a year from now. That is when you will notice a difference. Try and get to a knap in and sit with other knappers. Most all a really helpful and enjoy giving some tips of the trade.

I agree with Jon. Those look promising mechanic. The funny thing is we knappers always seem to see what’s wrong with our points. That’s what we want to fix.

I can see lots of things that are right about your point to. Keep on chipping.

Bjrogg

PS glass is always hard to get good pictures of to

Believe me there’s so much more to learn. I hope totem shares some of his work. He is definitely on another level.

Bjrogg

Jon, Bjrogg thanks for the words of encouragement, I’m enjoying it more and more. I would like to knap along with someone who knows what they are doing, how do I get in contact with knappers around me?

Pawel, google flint knaps ins near me and check out Flintknapers.com. Flintridge is one of the largest and is in Coshocton, Ohio.

Jon, thanks, posted in flint knap-in , hopefully there’s something around me. This is another one I tried with black glass.

You are definitely learning mechanic. I wish I had more time with other knappers to. I’m appreciative of the time I’ve had but it was very limited. Actually I probably gained more from the material and tools I gathered. Shipping stone isn’t cheap. It’s really nice to have opportunity to see the stone. Hold it in your hand and maybe even hit it. Talk to the vendor. Spend the dollars you would have spent on shipping towards some stone instead.

You tube had a few really good videos. I watched a lot of YouTube. There was a guy that would explain his percussion really well. How he set up his platforms and then draw with a marker where he expected flake to travel. That’s when I started to really get it.

It is a very humbling skill. Very unforgiving. Your mistakes are literally in stone. Even when you know exactly what you want to do. You have to do it.

When it works out it’s pretty cool

Bjrogg

Bjrogg, there’s something very mystical about stone and glass especially when it flakes, that’s a very nice point you have there, just imagine handling that before metal was used by man.

Mystical like mushrooms? I think these two go together. My mushroom carving could be better.

Bjrogg

Maybe there will be more by spring

Bjrogg

Picked this one today

Bjrogg

This is on nasty, wicked sharp one. Definitely one of my better ones.

Bjrogg

Kinda having fun with these. Needed to transplant them into a bigger container.

Bjrogg

This one is my favorite so far

Bjrogg

The TV repair man said this one wasn’t worth fixing. He was just using the wrong tools.

Like I always say. If you can’t fix it with a hammer stone. Then you just can’t fix it.

TV glass . Percussion and pressure flaking

Bjrogg

Bjrogg , that’s the kind of tv show that I like watching, lol.

Bjrogg, those are all super cool,very nice work!

Wear a respirator when working that stuff.

Always knap in well ventilated area. I like a ceiling fan lightly blowing down on me.

Here’s one from white glass countertop. Technically I knapped most of this one awhile ago. Just decided to finish it up now.

Bjrogg

Always enjoy this thread. You guys make some really beautiful things. Thanks for sharing with us.

Good looking knife Jon. JF

Nice knife Jon. Is that fiber optic glass?

Bjrogg

Brian thanks. It is opalite,( glass)

Very nice work, guys.

Do miniature points count?

Knife blade? Maybe

Jon Stewart’s display stands are just as beautiful as his knives. WOW!

Jon Stewart’s display stands are just as beautiful as his knives. WOW!

They sure do Mechanic.

Bjrogg

Crikey, I'm jealous of all that impressive craftsmanship!

Got my hands on some black obsidian, sure is easier to knap than chert . Can’t figure that chert stuff out for nothing, just keeps stalling out on me.

Nice Pawel.

Yes they are very different yet the same.

Bjrogg

Bjrogg, im just an amateur trying to imitate what you guys are doing, im a long way away from being that good.

You are doing real good Pawel. When working harder rock like chert make sure your platforms are isolated and ground real good before you push your flakes.

Lots of good looking stuff popping up here. Here's a hunting point stalled out on the notches. John

Just finished this knife. Flagstaff, AZ. black butter obsidian with Michigan whitetail deer antler handle. John

Carved eagle head with pumpkin obsidian eyes. John

OUTSTANDING knife and handle John.

Love it Stoner.

Nice to see you

Bjrogg

Mahogany obsidian, I love this stuff.

Except when the point breaks, haha

I saved it? Notches next.

Definitely making progress Pawel.

Keep on chipping

Bjrogg

I feel your pain Pawel, but if you ain't breakin you ain't learnin.

Thanks guys, I just discovered that good abrading and having the copper of correct hardness makes a big difference in the process.

Knapped this blade last night. John

Helps if you attach the pic, DA

My latest Davis Creek obsidian from Frank Newman at Outback Rocks.

Wow that’s pretty stoner. Nice

Bjrogg

Stoner, that’s an interesting stone, has that “ galactic “ look, I like it.

Stone: getting ready to slab up about 40#s of that Davis Creek obsidian. It is tricky stuff to cut right to get the best out of the rainbow look tho.

Speaking of stone knives , I found this interesting video on YouTube describing the technique used in making long blades using pressure system ( technique), it’s from spain I believe. https://youtu.be/yNl91sDc5hI?si=h2rJ68rqmlC3_PiI

What amazing talent you guys have. Thanks for sharing your photos.

Thank you everyone for the compliments, there has been a lot of broken / 2-4-1 pieces to get to this POINT. No pun intended.... well maybe.

When I was at OJAM I spoke with Vyrl Keeter about cutting rainbow obsidian @ 10* off the grain of the stone, this works. But speaking with Frank Newman he said to cut it with the grain best you can. Mother nature does not go in a true straight line.

Contact Outback Rocks, Frank is a great source of knowledge and rock.

Another chunk

That’s obsidian Jon? Crazy stuff

Bjrogg

It is Brian. You want a slab pm me your address. Dang stuff has those little white spots on it but most go away when you pressure flake it. PM an addresss.

Thanks Jon.

Looks very interesting.

Hope you had a nice winter.

Bjrogg

Purdy rainbow obsidian there Jon.

Found this in a trash pile in the woods. Gonna try to make something from it.

Cleaned of the thick rolled edges.

And this is what i got done so far. I will clean it up some more and shape it up better. Will post after i get back to it.

Busted: Great work on that bottle bottom. They can be tough to do and you have that work down real good.

Stoner, everyone tells me to cut 10% off center or you will lose a lot of the color with rainbow so that is the way I cut the slab posted above. The two old time rock cutters that told me that are Mike Cook and Graig Ratzat.

couple I knapped today. The white one is from a piece if dinner pate I found on the desert last winter and the brown one is jasper from California.

life isn’t long enough and I’m a slow learner on top of that! But you guys are good!

Bottle bottom hunting point halted on chundoo shaft with pitch glue and craft sinew.

Working on a few obsidian slab preforms. If anyone can lend a lead on material sources I could really use some more stuff to practice on. I got the sickness for sure.

very nice work busted.

Neolithics has a nice selection of slabs and bulk. Craig has very fair prices on his products.

Don't waste nothing is becoming my motivation. Good rock is expensive. So I'm trying to get something from the small debris around my knapping spot. This is what I came up with for today.

Check out Frank Newman @ outback rocks. Got a lot of great material from him and knowledgeable too. John

Tonight's submission. I feel like I can clean it up some more. Thanks for the encouragement and a big thank you that have reached out and shared your knowledge and most recent a surprise box of materials! You gentlemen are top notch.

I picked up the habit this past summer and here’s a few I’ve done .

Some knives that need to be finished as well

Outstanding work.

Some beautiful work guys.

Wow keefers! You have been busy! And your work looks fantastic.

So here is the point I knapped for tonight's humble submission.

Beautiful stuff fellas.

Thanks so much for sharing the photos

This was intended to become a long dagger however I mucked it up a bit but was able to change directions and make another style of blade.

Well done fella's 3:16

Happy Thanksgiving ya'll! Snuck away for a few mins and knapped this one out.

Hafted up a knife tonight. Pretty happy with how it turned out. It ain't good as most of you guys but I feel I'm learning.

Also dropped another of my knapped knifes and broke little more than and inch off. Perfect opportunity to knapp out a little point on the easy from the broke off piece. I reknapped the blade also to a tanto style blade.

Mathew that is looking good there’s one of yours that reminds me of one of mine and I was trying for a certain look and when I went to notch it I blew out too much and had to come up with a different plan cause like you my supply’s are limited and I absolutely hate to waste something I’m working on . I’m sure the Natives went though the same problems as we do and I’ve found some crude looking heads in the fields in my day but we need to remember they had to use these as tools and weapons to eat and they didn’t have a sporting goods store to go buy a dozen heads lol. Knapping heads for us is a hobby or like me it’s therapeutic and time spent relaxing even though it can get frustrating when we break a point . Here’s that one I messed up but did get a head out after my notch’s got way too big. I was shooting for the design I marked out and a picture I cut out I saw somewhere of a head I really liked the looks of . I had it looking pretty good and was trying to notch it and went and blew a chunk out and man did my heart start to race then I thought let’s see if I can save it and I think it turned out ok.

Here’s the finished head which I have in pictures earlier .

Notice I used a sharpie to center the middle somewhat and that was so when working an edge I would know if when I apply pressure I wouldn’t run all the way across and hit the opposite edge and create a hinge or shelf . It’s a learning experience and have one mentor that helps me over the phone and texts . I greatly appreciate my mentor and I do need to sit in a Knap in one day .

Very nice looking heads.

Good looking work Busted and Keefers. Keep at it.

“ I’m sure the Natives went though the same problems as we do and I’ve found some crude looking heads in the fields in my day but we need to remember they had to use these as tools and weapons to eat and they didn’t have a sporting goods store to go buy a dozen heads lol. ”

That is the thing that has really impressed me as I have been picking up scraps of information here and there… just the sheer distances across which good stone was routinely transported, without benefit of wheels or horses…. It’s already been concluded that those “bird points” were actually used for big game, and I’m sure that those “micro points” like bustedarrow’s would have been used until there just wasn’t enough left to be able to make it stay put on a shaft. These guys couldn’t afford to waste ANYTHING…..

So it’s no wonder they adopted Trade Points so eagerly… Just think about being able to pound a point flat and resharpen, as opposed to coaxing a whole, new point out of the shards of a larger one.

It does keefers. I was not intentionally trying for it, just free handed it but your point design is ingrained in my mind. I love it and am going to cut a 4" preform to try and replicate it. Would love to make one for a display.

You guys are really improving. Love seeing that.

Bjrogg

PS I might have to get at it again soon

Mathew I just took a screen shot of that design and had my wife enlarge it to a certain size I wanted and she printed it on paper and from there I cut it out on some of that thick white boxes or anything you can glue it on then trace that as a pattern. From there I just draw it out on the preform and start sending flakes . Here’s my very first one that actually made it out of obsidian

Then this blue one from slag glass which I love the color

Notice on both my notch’s don’t run in too deep . That’s cause I’m “Chicken” lol to go any further cause I haven’t got that under control yet . I was doing that mahogany obsidian one and blew a cone out so big on the other side and had to come up with a plan to not wast it . I watch Mike Cook and he makes it look so easy and so does Ryan Gill . Thank God for folks like these who share their techniques unselfishly on you tube videos and here as well. I’ve found most guys are so helpful to share what they know or learn here and I’m forever grateful for them. Keefers

Tonight's blade knapped from a preformed slab. It got a little wonky on me but I didn't break it and was able to complete it to my liking. Will haft it next session.

Dang, Keef! Them’s PURTY!

All of you guys…. Just incredibly cool that you are preserving the Craft. One of those Bucket List items for me.

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