# Making blades (flint-napping)



## Daxil (Jan 25, 2014)

I started practicing flint-napping and created this. It is a crude stone blade attached to a branch. I heard that bones make better handles as well as antlers. The thing is that,Ironically,I am having trouble finding rocks...and the ones I find are artificial stones which are flimsily. Are there any tips you could give me? Specific stones? Thanks!


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

A local man makes hundreds of arrowheads out of glass beer bottles. He said they are easier to work than rock ( though he makes rock ones also).


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## Daxil (Jan 25, 2014)

hiwall said:


> A local man makes hundreds of arrowheads out of glass beer bottles. He said they are easier to work than rock ( though he makes rock ones also).


Glass tips huh...that could work and bottles are abundant here.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

Maybe not so good in actual use but easy to find and will provide experience. Plus the different colors are pretty! (try the blue)


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

*Really*



Daxil said:


> View attachment 9121
> I started practicing flint-napping and created this. It is a crude stone blade attached to a branch. I heard that bones make better handles as well as antlers. The thing is that,Ironically,I am having trouble finding rocks...and the ones I find are artificial stones which are flimsily. Are there any tips you could give me? Specific stones? Thanks!


Did you actually make these or did you just pick them up in the driveway ?


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## Zanazaz (Feb 14, 2012)

Daxil said:


> View attachment 9121
> I started practicing flint-napping and created this. It is a crude stone blade attached to a branch. I heard that bones make better handles as well as antlers. The thing is that,Ironically,I am having trouble finding rocks...and the ones I find are artificial stones which are flimsily. Are there any tips you could give me? Specific stones? Thanks!


Knapping is the shaping of flint, chert, obsidian or other conchoidal fracturing stone. Other stones won't work. I suggest a google search of flint knapping, and you will find tons of information. Also unless you can harvest flint in your AO then you might have to buy some online. It's a great skill to learn, but it takes years to get good. Good luck.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

There is a web site called Native Way Web Shop, I suggest you pay them a visit and purchase one of their starter kits, they're only about $25.00 and you get a Billet, Pressure Flaker, Leather Pad, abrading stone and about 2 Lbs. of Spalls along with instructions. You might also want to purchase a book or video, which they also sell, to get a better understanding of the process. Make sure you also wear eye protection and don't Knap any where folks go bare foot. A razor sharp shard of flint in the eye or stuck in the wife's foot is no fun. With a bit of practice you will be making serviceable points, they won't be works of art, but they will work.


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## Zanazaz (Feb 14, 2012)

camo2460 said:


> There is a web site called Native Way Web Shop, I suggest you pay them a visit and purchase one of their starter kits, they're only about $25.00 and you get a Billet, Pressure Flaker, Leather Pad, abrading stone and about 2 Lbs. of Spalls along with instructions. You might also want to purchase a book or video, which they also sell, to get a better understanding of the process. Make sure you also wear eye protection and don't Knap any where folks go bare foot. A razor sharp shard of flint in the eye or stuck in the wife's foot is no fun. With a bit of practice you will be making serviceable points, they won't be works of art, but they will work.


If you are working inside ( or even outside ) you can put a tarp down where you are working. This makes for an easy clean up.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Very cool stuff - - love the tips on making arrowheads from glass bottles.

God help us if we ever have to *rely* on this tech to survive!


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## Daxil (Jan 25, 2014)

BillM said:


> Did you actually make these or did you just pick them up in the driveway ?


I got some stones from the drive way and shaped them by hitting them with other stones.I can't seem to find good stones though.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

Daxil said:


> I got some stones from the drive way and shaped them by hitting them with other stones.I can't seem to find good stones though.


Daxil not all stone is suitable for making points. The stone in your drive way is most likely Dolamite and while it can be used for things like a war club, it makes poor points. If you live near a stream or lake you might be able to find suitable stones there. The first thing though is to find your self a good hammer stone, it should be roughly egg shaped, smooth and fit your hand well. This is used to rough shape your project. Don't forget that stone is not the only thing used to make points, bone, shell, and even stout thorns can be and were used. Use your imagination and see what you can come up with.


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## biobacon (Aug 20, 2012)

Ive been knapping for 15 years. It can be a long and sometimes painfull leaning experience. There is a good flint in texas to knap. You need to find flint, obsidian, agate, or even petrified wood to work with, basically something with a high content of silica. Glass is high in this, that's why bottles work but your limited in size before the curve sets in. Your plan is study how the rock breaks and then try to duplicate it over and over again until you can predict what action the breaking will cause. once your good at this you can control how much breaking and at what angles the rock will break in. (a lot easier said then done, because rock content is not as uniform as it looks), then you can strike, or knap (In German, where the term comes from, as gun flint makers were called knappers) the rock into a point (a unified term for spear or arrow head). It will be a little bit before Im a regular again but if you have a question I may be able to help you. Im far from even a journeymen knapper but I can make decent point of 3-4 inches with out breaking it most of the time with only a the occasional band aid.

Heres a video


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## vidarr (Jun 25, 2013)

I too have grown an interest in knapping. Just completed my tools, and I'm having issues finding flint and other chert. I don't want to buy them, as that defeats the purpose for me. I have a friend who is a geological technician, and knows his rocks, so I asked him to keep an eye out while in the field. Perhaps find if a local university or college has an anthropology department, or geology department and just go in and express your interest in this skill, they might point you in the right direction to search.  

Edit: also, beer bottles are a great starting point, and it becomes the best hobby ever! Want to make a dozen arrow heads? Gonna be happy with the results no matter what once you're on the twelfth beer! 

Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


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## testhop (Dec 20, 2009)

Daxil said:


> View attachment 9121
> I started practicing flint-napping and created this. It is a crude stone blade attached to a branch. I heard that bones make better handles as well as antlers. The thing is that,Ironically,I am having trouble finding rocks...and the ones I find are artificial stones which are flimsily. Are there any tips you could give me? Specific stones? Thanks!


bening you are in TEXAS you are in a very good place to find flint one place is look for lime stone some time flint and lime stone are togather.
TEXAS is a big sulppier of lime and gysum to the rest of the country


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## nathan (Nov 6, 2008)

Flint is in creeks here in Ohio,also arrowheads in plowed fields


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## biobacon (Aug 20, 2012)

You wana be careful of some of that flint in creeks. It is often well worn, and thus brittle. It might work for small "bird" points but once you try to start making things in the 2 inches and more it will often crack on you. But free is free and if that's what you can get aint nothing wrong with that. But your not going to be making a 6 inch clovis point with it ether. LOL. Flint Ridge Knapp in is coming up for all of you in the Ohio Valley region. If any one wants information PM me.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

You know an old TV screen or monitor makes some decent blades, getting hard to find them lately though.
That and they sell real good at craft meets. save the REAL flint for when you get good.


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## nightwing (Jul 26, 2014)

we used to do this before television had more that 3 channels 
so daytime TV was soap operas so kids got lost and did STUFF

it is not easy and shards can hit you in the eye as well as cut the crap out of 
you.
Barring bleeding to death or putting out an eye we managed to make some 
arrow heads but I did find a new respect for the people that did it before me.

I have a few in my collection and they are perfect and very hard to duplicate 
I know that specialist in the field can tell from the shapes when and who may have made them. 
one in my collection is awesome small will fit on top of a penny and 
so well formed it still makes me wonder who the crafts person as I do not know if it was a man or woman who made it.
but to me it is a work of art.

I have a friend that made flint knifes with horn handles and rawhide 
strapping very original looking if it were not for the obvious missing 
calcification and other signs of age and weather I would almost 
think they were originals

I am impressed with those who can nap I do not do it well and do not have the time to spare from reloading to become proficient at it either 
so carry on and please post some pictures of your efforts I think we would 
all be interested.


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## DM1791 (Oct 6, 2014)

*Knapping (not sleeping)*

I started knapping about five years ago. I used to collect stone tools, points, etc on my grandparents' land and have been fascinated by the production process for years. I never did much research into it until recently, though.

I have done flint, obsidian, glass, and chert tools. Best to work with is either glass or obsidian, to be honest. Flint and chert are a little more durable, but they are also way more difficult to work.

Any glass that is not tempered or safety glass can be knapped. I get rock glass from a local aquarium for $2.00 a pound and use that. Obsidian is better and makes sharper blades/points, but no local volcanoes in rural NC. I have had Obsidian shipped from Idaho, and it works great. You need chunks at least 4-5 inches across on one side, though. Too small, and they tend to shatter more than flake.

I will post some pictures of what I've made so far. It is an awesome hobby, and with a little practice you can be making functional blades/points within a year or so. I've made several arrowheads that are way sharper (obsidian) than any of the steel broad-heads I used to use bow-hunting for deer.

I also saw a video of a guy take down a full grown Elk bull with an obsidian tipped spear thrown with the aid of an atlatl. Got it in the neck from about 30 yards, and the thing made it maybe 2 dozen steps before it dropped.


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## DM1791 (Oct 6, 2014)

*Tools for knapping...*

And, as an aside, anyone interested in this kind of thing, please don't go out and drop 50-60 bucks on a "tool kit" for knapping.

I made all of my tools myself, mostly from scrap. With 20 bucks and a home depot, you can get the supplies to make good copper-capped bobbers, knockers, and flakers. I think I have maybe 25 dollars total invested in my tool kit and it has served me well for five years.

I can post instructions on a separate thread if anyone is interested.... Just let me know.


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## Jewel (Sep 6, 2014)

excellent thread and truly appreciated!


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