fatchap Posted April 2, 2020 Report Share Posted April 2, 2020 Bit of a long shot but may be lucky, has anyone on here attempted to make or made a flint knife, stone age style., I'm thinking antler handle held in place with twine, as authentic as I can get. Found this lump of I think flint And got me thinking can I turn it into a knife, Been on you tube for inspiration and they make it look too easy. Has anyone had a go? Easy, Difficult? Total nightmare don't bother stick to metal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatcatsplat Posted April 2, 2020 Report Share Posted April 2, 2020 Look up a guy called William Lord - He's on Facebook and YouTube - Absolutely fantastic fella and very keen on "caveman" survival (but without being a complete helmet). Makes flint knives and axes, knapping it all himself and using all natural sourced materials Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted April 2, 2020 Report Share Posted April 2, 2020 that is no way flint................ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatchap Posted April 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2020 3 hours ago, Fatcatsplat said: Look up a guy called William Lord - He's on Facebook and YouTube - Absolutely fantastic fella and very keen on "caveman" survival (but without being a complete helmet). Makes flint knives and axes, knapping it all himself and using all natural sourced materials I will have a looksy 2 hours ago, ditchman said: that is no way flint................ Really!! to be honest I have no idea, Looked a bit like flint on the tinterweb so assumed it was flint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted April 3, 2020 Report Share Posted April 3, 2020 8 hours ago, fatchap said: I will have a looksy Really!! to be honest I have no idea, Looked a bit like flint on the tinterweb so assumed it was flint. its a shame that we are on lockdown......i could have found some flint for you.........it is blue black with a white chalky covering and it worked properly will split in plains.....Norfolk is the home of flint.....some knappers like to put the flint nodes near the fire to warm before knapping........it is a great skill........to learn you would need to sorce at least a couple of CWT (hundredweight) and the right tools to learn........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted April 3, 2020 Report Share Posted April 3, 2020 1 hour ago, ditchman said: its a shame that we are on lockdown......i could have found some flint for you.........it is blue black with a white chalky covering and it worked properly will split in plains.....Norfolk is the home of flint.....some knappers like to put the flint nodes near the fire to warm before knapping........it is a great skill........to learn you would need to sorce at least a couple of CWT (hundredweight) and the right tools to learn........... Grimes Graves? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnphilip Posted April 3, 2020 Report Share Posted April 3, 2020 The guy of Time team phil Harding is very good at it . If you can understand him 😀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted April 3, 2020 Report Share Posted April 3, 2020 14 hours ago, fatchap said: Bit of a long shot but may be lucky, has anyone on here attempted to make or made a flint knife, stone age style., I'm thinking antler handle held in place with twine, as authentic as I can get. Found this lump of I think flint And got me thinking can I turn it into a knife, Been on you tube for inspiration and they make it look too easy. Has anyone had a go? Easy, Difficult? Total nightmare don't bother stick to metal? Here’s some flint all the way from my Grandparents garden in Barrow Suffolk, I bought it back some years ago with the intention of doing what you were thinking doing but never got around to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted April 3, 2020 Report Share Posted April 3, 2020 that is flint but is poor quality............a grimes graves flint as tightchoke says is pure and inclusion free...... on another note ....before Napolean bonapart declared war on britian his war dept ordered up 500 barrells of knapped flint from grimes graves knappers...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted April 3, 2020 Report Share Posted April 3, 2020 13 minutes ago, ditchman said: that is flint but is poor quality............a grimes graves flint as tightchoke says is pure and inclusion free...... on another note ....before Napolean bonapart declared war on britian his war dept ordered up 500 barrells of knapped flint from grimes graves knappers...... As you say poor quality but it was part of his garden wall. Makes you wonder who first picked up a bit of flint and thought that would make a great knife, I’ll take it back to the man-cave and have a play, perhaps a ditchman of the time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatchap Posted April 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2020 So what is it then? Can I still use it or is it just flint that can be used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatcatsplat Posted April 3, 2020 Report Share Posted April 3, 2020 5 hours ago, ditchman said: that is flint but is poor quality............a grimes graves flint as tightchoke says is pure and inclusion free...... on another note ....before Napolean bonapart declared war on britian his war dept ordered up 500 barrells of knapped flint from grimes graves knappers...... Take a look at Will Lord - Makes a bundle for flintlocks for reenactment societys https://www.will-lord.co.uk/events/grimes-graves-ultimate-flint-knapping-experience-23rd-may-2020/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted April 3, 2020 Report Share Posted April 3, 2020 I have a fairly large collection of ancient flint arrows and tools which I found in Texas and the ranch we hunted had a site where the native Americans had a 'vilage'. It was apparently a 'factory' site for making tools and arrow heads and after a heavy rain you could walk over the area and pick up dozens of flint arrow heads, spear heads, scrapers and oval pieces which I was told where called preforms. The flint was worked by pressure not hitting apparently and this flicked slivers off leaving a sharp edge. Some of the scrapers I have had been reworked many times to get an edge and one I have which I found on top of a rock which had been used for grinding corn and obviously scrapping hides is polished smooth to ditchie spec by some old squaws hand and where it was left seemed to indicate it had finally got to where it could not be re sharpened and thrown down whilst she fetched a new one. I have not looked but I am sure there are a whole bunch of youtube videos on the subject. Picking one of these pieces up and handling it for the first time in maybe a 1000yrs or more gives you quite a thrill. Best of luck because the number of broken arrow heads and spear heads I found on the village site indicates even the experts failed occasionally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted April 3, 2020 Report Share Posted April 3, 2020 5 hours ago, fatchap said: So what is it then? Can I still use it or is it just flint that can be used. it is rubbish.................there does look to be a bit of silica in it surrounded by schist...(a metermohpic rock) sometimes has quartz granite inclusions...which is rubbish and crumply.... but if you like it keep it and make it your bestest stone ever................ you could use it as a bottom scraper................but make a knife out of it ....i think not.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted April 3, 2020 Report Share Posted April 3, 2020 12 minutes ago, ditchman said: it is rubbish.................there does look to be a bit of silica in it surrounded by schist...(a metermohpic rock) sometimes has quartz granite inclusions...which is rubbish and crumply.... but if you like it keep it and make it your bestest stone ever................ you could use it as a bottom scraper................but make a knife out of it ....i think not.. Are toilet rolls still difficult to get hold of? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted April 3, 2020 Report Share Posted April 3, 2020 25 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said: Are toilet rolls still difficult to get hold of? yup and the moss has dried up........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted April 3, 2020 Report Share Posted April 3, 2020 Times are tough in Narfalk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatchap Posted April 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2020 1 hour ago, Walker570 said: I have a fairly large collection of ancient flint arrows and tools which I found in Texas and the ranch we hunted had a site where the native Americans had a 'vilage'. It was apparently a 'factory' site for making tools and arrow heads and after a heavy rain you could walk over the area and pick up dozens of flint arrow heads, spear heads, scrapers and oval pieces which I was told where called preforms. The flint was worked by pressure not hitting apparently and this flicked slivers off leaving a sharp edge. Some of the scrapers I have had been reworked many times to get an edge and one I have which I found on top of a rock which had been used for grinding corn and obviously scrapping hides is polished smooth to ditchie spec by some old squaws hand and where it was left seemed to indicate it had finally got to where it could not be re sharpened and thrown down whilst she fetched a new one. I have not looked but I am sure there are a whole bunch of youtube videos on the subject. Picking one of these pieces up and handling it for the first time in maybe a 1000yrs or more gives you quite a thrill. Best of luck because the number of broken arrow heads and spear heads I found on the village site indicates even the experts failed occasionally. Very interesting. makes me wonder what some of those odd shaped pieces where used for such as the one top row 5 from the right looks like a cut in half mushroom, what purpose did that serve? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted April 3, 2020 Report Share Posted April 3, 2020 3 minutes ago, fatchap said: Very interesting. makes me wonder what some of those odd shaped pieces where used for such as the one top row 5 from the right looks like a cut in half mushroom, what purpose did that serve? thats an arrow head with the tip broken off....................it was made in the stoneage when men started to learn to swear... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatchap Posted April 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2020 (edited) And still swearing now, my workshop is a tad crowded my cooler tub fell over today resulting in a domino effect not to mention the wave of water that spread everywhere. Its carnage in there, There was swearing, lots of swearing. Edited April 3, 2020 by fatchap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted April 3, 2020 Report Share Posted April 3, 2020 12 minutes ago, fatchap said: Very interesting. makes me wonder what some of those odd shaped pieces where used for such as the one top row 5 from the right looks like a cut in half mushroom, what purpose did that serve? That is a broken spear head, the pointy half has broken off. It obviously was done by the chap making it as it was alongside one of the piles of flint in the village area. He would probably then redo that to make something smaller if possible. It was interesting that no flint existed within 100 miles of this site and it was all brought in. There where large piles of it dotted about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Boggy Posted April 4, 2020 Report Share Posted April 4, 2020 On 03/04/2020 at 17:23, Walker570 said: I have a fairly large collection of ancient flint arrows and tools which I found in Texas and the ranch we hunted had a site where the native Americans had a 'vilage'. It was apparently a 'factory' site for making tools and arrow heads and after a heavy rain you could walk over the area and pick up dozens of flint arrow heads, spear heads, scrapers and oval pieces which I was told where called preforms. The flint was worked by pressure not hitting apparently and this flicked slivers off leaving a sharp edge. Some of the scrapers I have had been reworked many times to get an edge and one I have which I found on top of a rock which had been used for grinding corn and obviously scrapping hides is polished smooth to ditchie spec by some old squaws hand and where it was left seemed to indicate it had finally got to where it could not be re sharpened and thrown down whilst she fetched a new one. I have not looked but I am sure there are a whole bunch of youtube videos on the subject. Picking one of these pieces up and handling it for the first time in maybe a 1000yrs or more gives you quite a thrill. Best of luck because the number of broken arrow heads and spear heads I found on the village site indicates even the experts failed occasionally. That’s a mighty fine collection you have there. I once found a flint hand held axe similar to that shown at the start of Time Team on the North Kent coast, but don’t know what happened to it. Can I ask what the white object is top row 5th item in. Looks like a tooth of some sort, only I have one identical and always wondered what it is from. Many thanks, OB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted April 4, 2020 Report Share Posted April 4, 2020 Found that in Sandy Creek, Texas and I believe it is just an old cows tooth. Never did feel like throwing it out as it was of those memory days. The pointy piece below is a scraper, they would work a sharp edge on there and then use it to scrape hides clean before stretching and tanning that one is unuual in having a curved side and a straight side. The black object to the right of that is a small meteorite I found down near the Mexican border. Really all of these items are rubbish compared with many I found because I was normally guiding a hunter an if I saw a piece I would give them first chance to pick it up and keep it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted April 4, 2020 Report Share Posted April 4, 2020 have you got any spoke spanners ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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