A Harrison Co Flint Thebes

[ToddsPoint]

I cut a nice nodule of Harrison Co IN flint on my rock saw. This material is known as Wyandotte Chert to geologists.

One of the slabs had a crack and broke. I hadn’t chipped a point for quite a while and had the itch. I went for the broken piece.

Knapping a slab is somewhat easier than working a nodule. It’s essential to make the flake scars go all the way across the faces to eliminate traces of saw marks.

Once the saw marks and flat faces are gone it looks more like a normal preform.

The slab starts out 3/8” thick. Once you drive flakes across both faces there is very little thinning left to do. I added notches and took one set of resharpening flakes off each edge to start the beveling and give it serrations. This is a pretty fair looking Thebes knife.

 

[russau]

The master at work ! Gary you make it look so EZ !

 

[CreekSide]

I cut a nice nodule of Harrison Co IN flint on my rock saw. This material is known as Wyandotte Chert to geologists. View attachment 2223830

One of the slabs had a crack and broke. I hadn’t chipped a point for quite a while and had the itch. I went for the broken piece.View attachment 2223831

Knapping a slab is somewhat easier than working a nodule. It’s essential to make the flake scars go all the way across the faces to eliminate traces of saw marks.View attachment 2223832View attachment 2223833

Once the saw marks and flat faces are gone it looks more like a normal preform.View attachment 2223834View attachment 2223835

The slab starts out 3/8” thick. Once you drive flakes across both faces there is very little thinning left to do. I added notches and took one set of resharpening flakes off each edge to start the beveling and give it serrations. This is a pretty fair looking Thebes knife.View attachment 2223836

Fine looking material and knife

 

[Oldrvrrat57]

Again you make me envious of your skill! Beautiful Thebes

 

[knapper1492]

I cut a nice nodule of Harrison Co IN flint on my rock saw. This material is known as Wyandotte Chert to geologists. View attachment 2223830

One of the slabs had a crack and broke. I hadn’t chipped a point for quite a while and had the itch. I went for the broken piece.View attachment 2223831

Knapping a slab is somewhat easier than working a nodule. It’s essential to make the flake scars go all the way across the faces to eliminate traces of saw marks.View attachment 2223832View attachment 2223833

Once the saw marks and flat faces are gone it looks more like a normal preform.View attachment 2223834View attachment 2223835

The slab starts out 3/8” thick. Once you drive flakes across both faces there is very little thinning left to do. I added notches and took one set of resharpening flakes off each edge to start the beveling and give it serrations. This is a pretty fair looking Thebes knife.View attachment 2223836

What did you use to make the notches? Was it a single blow or a gradual removal of material to make them?

 

[Older The Better]

I can’t get past that driving flakes all the way to erase the marks… of course I mainly use glass bottle bottoms, I can get my hands on pretty much as many of those as I want for free… definitely a well made point

 

[Tesorodeoro]

How long did it take you after slabbing it?

 

[ToddsPoint]

What did you use to make the notches? Was it a single blow or a gradual removal of material to make them?

I used a piece of copper wire stuck in a wood handle as a punch. Alternate from one side then the other for each notch. The key is to hold the preform down flat against a leather pad with your hand firmly so the preform don’t move when you strike the punch.

 

[ToddsPoint]

I can’t get past that driving flakes all the way to erase the marks… of course I mainly use glass bottle bottoms, I can get my hands on pretty much as many of those as I want for free… definitely a well made point

To get flakes to go past half way across the biface, you have to lower the platform closer to the side you’re wanting to remove flakes from. A platform on the centerline will only get you flakes that go half way across. It’s geometry and hard to explain with words. A knapper could show you in 2 minutes.

 

[ToddsPoint]

How long did it take you after slabbing it?

I didn’t time it but I’d guess a half hour total. More or less. With a slab, once you get the flat saw marks removed, there is very little thinning to do. A point made from a nodule usually requires more thinning. The slab started out 3/8” thick.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

I didn’t time it but I’d guess a half hour total. More or less. With a slab, once you get the flat saw marks removed, there is very little thinning to do. A point made from a nodule usually requires more thinning. The slab started out 3/8” thick.

Interesting. Something Ive always wondered..how long they spent time on a small point.

 

[russau]

The better Knapper's gain speed and quality with experience and knowledge . At my rate I'll be a old man with a long white beard before I am that good if I ever get there! practice practice practice , is how we get there !

 

[ToddsPoint]

I hafted the Thebes. Deer season starts Fri. I’ll take this up to the deer camp and let the young guys experiment with it skinning a deer. I’ll try and get some pics and post them here.

The paleos had an artifact that looked like, and is called a crescent. I’ve not read what particular use they were made for. I’m thinking the sharp curve formed a sort of hook for skinning or gutting. This one is from the Fenn cache.

I had a curved broken slab of this same Harrison Co flint and I chipped one end like the crescent. Hopefully I’ll get to try it on a deer this weekend.