Knapping Question

**River Rat** · Sep 25, 2007, 11:49 AM

These are not the best, they're scanned. I noticed the one on the left has a finer knapping than the one on the right. Does that mean a more experienced person did these or what? Sorry, the rest are in display cases "glued" down. I will post pics when I finish, and again when they get displayed at the local library.

RR

**levis_dad** · Sep 25, 2007, 12:33 PM

Hi, RR. Here is my 2 cents... I have been knapping points for a while now, and I have found 2 reasons that one may have "finer" knapping than the other. One reason may be because of different material...seems the harder material will break off in smaller flakes. Second reason may be the technique...if I take my time and use shorter and quicker strikes, the flakes are smaller.

Hope this helps. you may have seen these, but I'll show them again...I knapped these out of glass.

**Neanderthal** · Sep 25, 2007, 01:10 PM

There are alot of variables. Material plays a large part in it (as levisdad said) as well as individual skill level, tools and even your frame of mind when knapping.

**BobTheBaitFish** · Sep 25, 2007, 03:31 PM

No, not necessarily. Reduction technology varied from one time period to another. Meaning the pattern of flaking and methods used varied from archaelogical time period. Stage of reduction also will also make a difference. And what the intended utilization will also make a difference, a skilled knapper retouching a uniface flake to be used once and discarded would not appear much different than a flake retouched by a novice. Direct percussion in the form of hard hammer percussion (being struck with a rock) or soft hammer percussion (being struck with a wood or antler billet) or pressure flaking using an antler or copper flaker. Both your points appear to have been made from bifaces. The point on the left shows the signs of secondary pressure flaking. If edges are beveled, then the blade was likely resharpend many times leading to the reduction of the blade to its current size and introduction of a beveled edge. The flaking style is what I expect to see from an archaic area knapper. The point on the right shows signs of having been reduced using percussion but little signs of secondary flaking. The style is what I expect from a woodland period knapper.

**Adena_man** · Sep 25, 2007, 04:17 PM

Good thread! I have always been interested in the how's and why's of flaking. Very interesting.

**Cannonman17** · Sep 25, 2007, 07:11 PM

In general the larger flakes will be the result of percussion flaking and the finer flaking is from pressure flaking. You find both styles being used to at least some degree throughout the prehistory.

**Montana Jim** · Sep 26, 2007, 09:07 AM

Flakey.

Atlantis0077 · Sep 26, 2007, 01:24 PM

Hey RR,

You can find the fine retouch on many different points from any time period. Sometimes they used this pressure flaking technique to put the fine serrations on points...some are quite exquisite. Material played a big part in what type of flaking was used as has been said....some of the points I find here made from novaculite are very finely flaked and show secondary flaking across the entire piece giving what is called a collateral flake....those are quite pricey. A lot of the nice bird points have finely serrated edges and those are newer points while Daltons which are older sometimes have deep serrations as well. I think skill played a big part too....just like artisans of today some are just more skilled than others or have a certain trademark to their technique.

Happy Hunting...

Atlantis