How to Make Thin Arrowheads, Flintknapping (HD) 

Most everyone else tells us WHAT to do.., YOU, on the other hand, tell us not only what to do, but WHY it is that you do it, AND - just HOW to go about it, to achieve the desired result. THOSE are the marks of a great teacher, and precisely why your channel is absolutely TOP SHELF.

Glad that after 20+ years of flint knapping, I'm not the only one that almost finishes a piece and then end up breaking it! Good video! :)

I always learn atleast one new helpful tip everytime I watch one of your flint knapping videos

This was by far the most educational video I’ve seen yet.

Billy, you spoil us recently. So awesome to see you back 💪🙏 Flake it until you make it 😉😉

Very good information and how to do it. Thanks. Village life is a bit noisy with car alarms and uncontrolled dogs. Ha ha

Billy makes its more better to learn to flint Knapp he is the only one that actually understands the ways of doing a proper tutorial

It was the dog that got you out of the mode. What is crazy is that you warned early in the video of exactly what happened. I Still loved the master flint napping that you do. Thank you so much for the video.

It is very easy to over complicate things when it comes to flint knapping, and lots of people do, however this is a very good, instructive and inspiring video which makes things easy to understand, thank you for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us, God bless 🙏🏻

Hi Billy, I am new and have struggled with thinning. I have watched many other knapping videos but they go to fast and really didnt explain as well as you do. I learned a lot. thank you.

Billy, they say you can't teach a old dog new tricks, But you have. this old dog is 75, thanks to you, I now Know what I been doing wrong. Thanks a lot. Walks with the Old Ones.

It’s crazy how you’re still making videos. I remember starting out making my own bows and arrows years ago in high school when I was about 14 years old. I would watch your videos, and Shawn woods for any information I needed on flintknapping, arrow making, and bow making. I’m 23 now. Through the years I’ve went from crude arrows, and low performance bows that just did their job. Had 3 bows violently explode in my hand, but have made some real beauty’s since then, and my arrow making has gotten a whole lot more consistent and prettier. Thanks for all the informative videos you’ve put up through the years, and for helping me get started all those years ago. Keep it up because I don’t know everything and still come back to your videos often 😂

Hardly anyone out there provides such a detailed explanation of the process. This video is truly a wealth of information! Thank you very much!

This is the best video I have seen on thinning. You explained things, and demonstrated them so that is understandable.

As someone who has never knapped before, I am amazed how you can read the stone and control where the flakes come off.

What a. Great ending I prefer smaller points myself nice save.

recently ive been watching your videos. I have just started flint knapping and i really just wanna say thank you so much. these videos have helped me so much. you give actual tutorials unlike any other flint knapping youtuber. i have made my very first few arrow heads following the tips your videos have given me.

Pretty much the best training on flintknapping I have ever seen Great video

I've been flintknapping a bit for about a month now. I watched this before I started and I just rewatched it. I got a lot more out of it this time. Thanks for putting this out.

I respect that you uploaded a mistake on your part. Makes me feel better about my mistakes doing exactly the same thing.

Third time watching this made it finally click. Thank for being so detailed, slow focused. This is without a doubt the best and most informative video I've been able to find. Idk if you broke it on purpose but it was the perfect ending

Thank you for this. This has been my biggest stumbling block so far, huge help in this video.

I can honestly say that I've learned more from this video than I have from the past six month's practice. Thank you! This was a freaking pleasure to watch. Beautiful flint you were working with, btw-- nice stuff.

Aww lol. Soon as it broke i remembered you saying if it doesnt detatch then dont continue to hit it ! But thank you for taking the time to explain it all in detail the way you did. I have learned more from this one video than the previous 10 ive watched. Just the details and explanation of the knapping process you exerted was amazing. And you did a fabulous job and are a great teacher and have wonderful patience. Thanks again for your video. It will be the one i send anyone to that questions or wants to learn. Also subscribe to your channel as i have. Amazing Job !

I’ve watched a lot of knapping videos but this is the best instructional I’ve seen. Thanks.

This is the best instructional I've seen so far. Awesome. Thanx

“Now we are back to looking at the thickness again”. I needed to hear that. Appreciate you saying why you picked. Particular platform.

Alway remember tiny flakes are razor sharp , like broken glass !!! This is a great program !!! The large flakes can also be made into tools !!! And large flakes are super sharp !! Even enough to shave with , or do skinning !!

Very clear and well explained, this video helped me a lot in understanding my mistakes. I'll be sure to watch it a few times to to make sure I memorized all your tips. Thank you very much for this video

This was such a helpful video. I'm a very visual learner but also I need to understand the technical aspects about anything I want to learn. This is going to help so much. You should make more like this to explain spalling , and pressure flaking and bifacing.

You give very good advice to folks. I live in Oregon. And I hunt the same way. And have a lot to show for it.

this is the best explanation I've ever seen/heard on how to shape and thin the stone. walking us thru the process numerous times really made it clear how to adapt the technique to different situations on the stone.

Glad to hear you say you don't care what others are thinking. About bloody time. Very glad to see you go back to this build. Glad you realized your true followers aren't going to talk s*** about you or about what you're doing.

Very good explanation of the process. What makes it outstanding is that you let us use your eyes and watch your brain performing the process. Excellent.

I dont know how many times ive watched this video so far but it never gets old. Possibly my favorite knapping video on the interweb. Verry informative. Love your channel.

Still successful video. Made a lot of sense how to set up your work. Learned something new! Thank You for sharing.

Love the detailed explanation. Never saw a better video on knapping. Thanks much!

One of if not the best thinning videos I have watched! Thanks Billy, I learned a lot!! Great job!

I really appreciate how you take the time to explain things in a way a new Knepper can understand. I learned more watching this video than I have from 10 others.

You are like the Bob Ross of stone flaking. "Happy little flakes"

My heart sank when the preform broke! This video was very in-depth! I learned a lot from this video! Great video👍👍

Outstanding lesson. Thanks!

Very nice video learning alot from it. Thank you Gene Gorringe Mi ✌️ 🇺🇲

Excellent video.....Great teaching....Thanks for doing these for us.

Great explanation, love your work, Had to laugh when you yelled at the dog😂😂 And yeah sometimes you get ahead of outselves become inpatient and break preforms, thank you for showing that its all important that we never stop learning✌️❤️🙂

Excellent explanations of what you are seeing and looking to do in the next step.

Great video. I just started Knapping and have been struggling with the very thing he describes at the beginning. Excellent job explaining platforms and their preparation.

Excellent video. thanks for posting!

You yelling at the dog holy hell that spooked me lmao

"Follow a ridge over a hill". I have been doing this, but I didn't understand WHY! Thank you for a great video. I am now a new subscriber!

*Subscribed* Beautiful visual and verbal tutorial. I really appreciate the close-ups of the platforms and how you show exactly what is going to happen when you strike the stone. There is a lot of great FREE information in this video! Thank you so much!

DUDE I JUST SUB ,,,JUST A FEW MINUTES OF YOUR VIDEO ,,AFTER THIS TEXT IM GOING OUTSIDE AND MAKEING ME ONE.

I've been trying to get started in this hobby and I've watched dozens of hours of videos on RU-vid, and you are the best teacher I've seen so far. Thank you.

I finally understand the concept.

Looks like something that a person needs to take there time on and not get in to big of a hurry. And the dog doesn't bother me at all. It's in his nature to bark. Good lesson. I've never even tried this before. Im just curious about it. Looks like this sort of craft isnt completely controllable. Beautiful arrow heads. 😊 Grate job. Thanks

Amazing work, appreciate it.

I just now subscribed and liked. Before you broke it I was thinking man isn't that thing done already. Are you some kind of perfectionist. I could put that on a stick at that point and kill something. But 40 minutes in and you almost had a finished product that is amazing. You are next level on napping bro. Learned a lot from your video. Always been into finding them I have material on my land but I've only ever found one almost complete dual face scraper about 3 in Long. I think I'm going to have to start following that ridge up and over the hill. Great video

You have skills. Great explanations.

This video helped me understand & learn alot about flintknapping. Gave me more confidence removing flakes. Just started working some obsidian a week ago & it's going alot better than I thought. Still alot for me to learn but thank you for such an informative video, definitely helped alot.

Dude you are amazing at what you do keep up the good work.

Excelente. ..you learn more from the mistakes. ..and still a beautifull finish work. Congrats.

Good stuff.. Really liked how you kept it real even with the mistake.

THIS GUY IS INCREDIBLE!!! THANKS!!!

Good job Billy

Great video!!

Great video Billy. I've always liked how informative you are and how you show how to persevere through mistakes. You're awesome my friend.

great teaching video!

thank you so much , yu have helped me a great deal , been doin git a while on and off, and im getting better after seeing your video ! thank you !!

Fkn hilarious how he turns into me at 44:48

That's some amazing precision.

Excellent tutorial. NE Saigon Vietnam

Thnxs for uploading and sharing this detailed info 👍🏻🇺🇸

Excellent instructional video - the best I've seen. Even your breaking encourages me since it can happen to experts. You are a great teacher!

Another excellent video. You're the Bob Ross of flintknapping, which is why I just about died when you started yelling at your dogs LOL

best knapping vid i've watched in a week

Thia is a grate video. I have watched it several times and I have almost got it down. I am making thinner arrowheads now. but still need a lot of proctors

Excellent video. Learned a lot....Semper Fi...

Excellent.....I've always loved looking at stone heads but now I want to have a go myself.

Great work , I ha ve learned a lot Thanks Don.

Thankyou, i learned a lot and will make start on my new arrows.

Lmfao when he yelled at the dog I lost it. Thanks for making me laff dude. And great flint napping skills.

Great job for this 70 yo newbie from Alaska. I can break the rocks much faster than you. Lol! Thinning is definitely an issue for me. This was very well explained and demonstrated. Right now, after a couple weeks, I’ve developed a talent for making fat little “jelly bean” arrowheads without notches. Lol! I won’t give up and great videos like yours keep me going. Thanks again.

Nice instruction!

Tremendous video. Great temperament during the process, great explanation. Helped answer many questions I’ve had. Sorry it broke at the end but it didn’t affect your video. Happy to subscribe. The dog comments were hilarious.

Thank you for taking the time to make this video! You did a wonderful job explaining everything. I will recommend this video to my flintknapper friends. May your arrows always fly straight. #----->

Your mistakes teach us even more on top of your excellent instruction. Thank you for keeping them in!

Been there, done that TOO many times! Each knapping session, in my opinion, is another lesson in how or how not to make a point. I still get upset though, when you get 90% completed, only to have it snap. Appreciate the great video!!!

24:03 this was soooo satisfying

I've watched and rewatched some of your videos. I'm learning to knap and have obsidian to work with. Your instructions have been outstanding. I'm always trying to go to fast.....

Your videos are the best. A lot of explanation, the kamera all the time has sharp pictures, you make it slooly, step by step, I learn a lot. Thank you.

Great video. It was educational watching you use stones and antlers as our ancestors did. Most other videos show the use of copper boppers, steel nails, and grinding wheels, none of which are authentic. Keep up with the great work you do!

I was feeling bad about that last hit...I was thinking, "man he's going to take the whole point off". I was right and wrong. Love how you explained what went wrong. Great stuff.

wow! thank you 😊 best vid ever👍👍

YOU MADE IT!!!😱 thank you soo much very helpful!!!❤️

Nice video, very eye opening .

Hey there, Primitive Pathways! I enjoyed your video very much, thank you for sharing this and for these very detailed instructions. I am new to flintknapping and didn't know much before that, but now I feel like I am catching the concept. Will see how it goes for me, I am eager to find out. Anyway, I wasn't going to leave a comment, but you know what? People kind of forced me to, because I read some of their comments and felt a bit disgusting about the modern mentality of what you can call main stream folk. I mean, in this video, you are showing proficiency in an ancient skill, or should I say art, your are explaining in detail how it works, the principles, the technology, even though a primitive one after years of experience and most probably after testing all this from start to finish - like being able to build the bow, the arrow, the arrow tip and then use it and acquire food with it, which is a ton of diverse and specific, self-sustaining skills that 99,9% of modern people don't possess AND they are focusing on the part where you break the piece in half. It's super stupid. It's this devastating consumer mindset that modern world inflicts in everybody, as if only the end result matters. Well, hello! not every piece comes out right in any business! Not to speak about primitive men, who had to get there by lots and lots of trials and errors. You did well in the end, by making use of those pieces, but I am commenting on this, because it seemed you feel a bit sorry to break that stone. From my perspective this is nothing to be sorry about, I still think you did a great educational work with this video, even more so by do breaking that piece of stone, because you have also shown the back side of the process. So, congrats, man. Keep up, you're doing great.

I was just having trouble with this! Thank you!

You make it look easy.

That’s the billy berger flake I’m always talking about. 32:30

Great instructional video. The principles never change. I learned some hammerstone tricks! Peace my friend.