My First Artifact - Scraper or Axe?

Gruman84 · Dec 28, 2016

This is my first post in this forum. I have recently found this item on my family's land in west Texas (Glasscock County) about 200 yards from a very large creek. It was lying in an area where there was a lot of soil erosion so I believe that is what unearthed this. I need help on identifying this piece please. I wish it were complete but it fits perfectly into my right hand and seems like it could be used to skin animals or scrape hide.

Btw, I'm fascinated by all of this and have wanted to go back out there to search the area for more ever since I found this one. Please let me know what you think about it!

redbeardrelics · Dec 28, 2016

That looks like a nice big uniface skinning tool or scraper to me. A very nice find !

Buckleberry · Dec 28, 2016

With the beveling on only one side, it would likely be a scraper...and a nice one, great find, you can be sure there are more artifacts where that came from, scrapers would have been used in a camp...plus the water source makes it a good site to look for more.

Gruman84 · Dec 28, 2016

Thank you very much! Is there any info you could tell me about when these were used? This area was predominantly Comanche and maybe a little bit of Apache. Iv'e also heard they leave the rough edge on them for grip as scraping the fat off hide would get very slick so the roughness added extra grip.

San Antone · Dec 28, 2016

That is a classic Texas Kerrville Knife. Excellent one at that.

Gruman84 · Dec 28, 2016

Also found these nearby. Is this some kind of tool? The other piece looks like a fossilized part of a shell. Any thoughts?

Here are some other flint pieces found nearby as well.

crj1968 · Dec 28, 2016

I can't answer any of your specific questions, but that is a really nice find !

Get back out there!

The Grim Reaper · Dec 28, 2016

San Antone said:
That is a classic Texas Kerrville Knife. Excellent one at that.

I agree. That is a very fine example of a Kerrville Knife and they made those with the core left at the base like that on purpose.

Kerrville Knife

quito · Dec 28, 2016

Very nice! The other 2 pieces were worth picking up too.

old digger · Dec 28, 2016

Looks like a really nicely worked knife.

quito · Dec 28, 2016

Oh yeah, Welcome to the forum!

You should include your location (state) in your profile.

roscoelux · Dec 28, 2016

A beauty!

monsterrack · Dec 28, 2016

Welcome to T-net :hello:

and that is a super find. Like the others have said I would do more looking in that area. :icon_thumleft:

unclemac · Dec 28, 2016

the first photo, the one on the left looks like it could have been used as a spoke shave for arrow shafts...on the last photo the bottom amber colored one sure does look like a broke gun flint.