Love the vids Paleo! Been knapping for 6 months now and have come a long way thanks to your vids and a few others' not to mention dedication and hard work on a daily basis. I emphasize that everyone should practice on slabbed material at least to start with. It conserves resources and cuts down on pollution for all those beginners!
@Mizzoufan1234 I dont know about Kansas but Missouri has great chert resources. I collected in the southern part of the state and there is lots of Burlington, Reed springs, Pierson, etc. If you can find a construction site in Springfield you might check it out. Sometimes the graders uncover lots of high quality Burlington....jim
Hi Mike, glad you ike the vids. If the slab is thin (1/4" or less its usually best to thin the faces with pressure, too much risk of breakage with percussion. Thicker slabs (3/8" or greater) are usually best thinned with percussion. Hope this helps and good luck with your knapping....jim
Just get some glass or some knappable rock and start removing flakes with either percussion or pressure. Let the experience guide you to the next step....
Sorry, I know there are guys who sell slabs at knap-ins and probably the internet, but I'm not sure who. You might try Ebay, I have seen them on there before. I sold my saw last year so I dont knapp slabs much anymore....jim
So working on a center line at start is best before the shape? Then making platforms below the center line, at ridge line that you intend to take off? TY
hey jim i know you collect and cut your own rock but im from b.c. canada and good knappable rock is hard to come by and i was wondering if you knew of a place or website where i can buy slabs like this
Can one knap slabbed stone using a hammer stone instead of those tools? I ask because in a survival situation with no tools, to knap slabbed stone like this, one would have to use other stones.
Yes if the slab is thick enough you can use a suitable hammerstone to shape or thin it. Good support is the key and the width of the slab cannot be too much. Use finger support directly below where the flake will be removed and have the back edge of the slab supported as well. Hope this helps....