Thank you for sharing this lost art of making arrow heads the old way ,I started making them because I couldn't find not even one and I have been looking for all of my life ,and I'm 57 now LOL YOU TAKE CARE KEEP UP THE WONDERFUL WORK THAT YOU DO SIR.
An AWESOME tutorial, sir. Outstanding talent on display here. Nicely, calmly, presented, and without any annoying background music. I enjoyed every minute. Thanks so very much. You are very good at what you do.
So glad I found this. I’ve been watching video after video and this is the best explanation I’ve found so far for why you hit how you do and where you do.
This is the absolute the best video I've seen on making an arrow-head. I've never used an abraiding stone, nor a screw-driver for fine-shaping the edge. I've learned a few things here.
Chart I believe can be found in alberta along the north saskatchewan River. It can be very hard to find as most of it is located under water and coverd with alge look for rocks with holes kinda like potatoes.
Mister, great job in explaining along the way. I learned a little more than usual, for this type of video. Thanks. Wish someone would explain more of the many tools and points that can be made from the leftover on the ground. I've been successful hunting with small points made from what you have laying on the ground. With very little additional work. I'm sure the people before us ,did this. When it comes to real survival, unnecessary things go by the wayside.
I work with my hands ever day so I'm able to watch your movements and learn a ton. Thanks !!. Ive only made one arrow head so far and the only tools I have are other river rocks that I have broken and now fits my hand well and has a rough side to make platforms and such and I use a screw driver for pressure flaking and a cpu mouse pad for my leather.lol but so far I've been able to work the rock ok without breaking it . I'm sure there would be plenty you could tell me about it that would let me know just how bad it is ;( but I'm having funn doing it. Its hard to find stuff so far in ga to fork without being to brittle or to soft or just to hard .lol thx for the video.
Most all flakes are razor sharp & can be used for fine cutting tools !! Wow it's best to have lots of bolders of flint to make a few arrow heads !! This is a beautiful art and usefull too !!👍👍
I noticed that type of obsidian tends to flake in lots of smaller pieces instead of large single flakes. Probably the nature of obsidian as opposed to cherts.
@@thatsmallrockshop Chris, when you say the copper doesn't spread the impact as well as antler, is that because antler tips are usually much wider than the copper tips? Thanks in advance.
@@richardwiley5933 the difference in density is I think the word I am looking for as the antler absorbed some of the blow and doesn't spread out as much of a shock wave.
Russell: Would you normally use all of that chunk to make just one small piece or could you have broken it down to smaller pieces to have made several points? Thanks for the otherwise great instructional and guide. Loved it! Paul 😀
What I was wondering also.. Seems like he knocked off chunks big enough in the beginning that would be usable. Wondered this for awhile. Seems like a waste but idk..??
ah! this i think, is a question that a lot of us probably were left with at the end - hope we’ll get the answer at some point *i were maybe thinking that the “spall” could have yielded around 4 arrow heads (the only problem is maybe that the smaller pieces could be hard to process due to odd shapes) . . . . but yeah, probably just because this was an instructional guide
I LOVE WATCHING VIDEOS OF GUYS LIKE YOU FLINT NAPPING BUT I WOULD NEVER DO STUFF LIKE THIS,I AM A STRANGE THINKER,LET ME EXPLAIN WHAT I MEAN.I MAKE THINGS TO LAST.THATS WAY TOO MUCH WORK MAKING SOMETHING THATS ONLY GOOD FOR A ONE TIME USE BUT I STILL ENJOY WATCHING GUYS LIKE YOU AT WORK.KEEP MAKING THESE GOOD VIDEOS...
what i don't understand is that you have this big piece of flint but then cut out...let's say 80%*** of it to get to the final arrow piece that maybe could have been made out of one of the chips at the beginning.. (maybe i just need to listen to this in full to understand - if i missed the importance of this, or read some of the posts in the comment section) ***meaning that 5 arrow pieces could have been cut out..well i don't know how to measure the quality of the main piece /edit: hm, maybe i get it - a chip or flake might not be possible to process on the concave side. shaping that side will only break the edge and never form the right curvature around the raised middle part - also, it would maybe be hard to hold/handle
That is why hammer stones exist. Core & blade spalling. Then edging creating platforms concentrating on the outer perimeter first. More platforms & work inward. Loose the copper billet & use a fine grained hammer stone that strikes & drags across the desired flake to be removed. Slower more even transference of energy. Just a suggestion. Tks.
@@jimajello1028 cobblestones.. 14:30 “gotta get it thin b..” i’m rewatching the whole video again - it’s actually very pleasant to listen to (didn’t really listen the first time)
I don't want to speak for Russell because I'm just the video guy and not the expert, but I'm pretty sure the other large flakes and pieces that come off will be turned into heads too. Also you have to work with the stone's natural structure and faults, you can't necessarily separate it into several equal pieces or make one big piece, you just start working it and see what happens. We are planning to make more videos in the new year, so stay tuned because I'm sure this will be a topic Russ covers in more detail.
I've been interested in trying this for a long time, but the chips being discarded bother me. Where can you work and keep those tiny razors controlled and easy to clean up? There must be some heavy tarp or plastic to catch the debris. I'm also curious about what you do with me larger flakes that could be made Into other points. Seems like a waste of potential objects to just throw them away.
Excellent instructional video! That said, isn't that point still too thick for hunting? I thought you wanted fairly thin points that easily slip through hide and still retain enough energy to cut through internal tissue..
To my eye it looks like a piece of pumice stone. Some things to note: pumice is about a 6 on the moh's hardness scale (a hardness scale for geologists, usually used with minerals). obsidian is about a 6.5, and I'm finding flint listed as a 7, as is chert. As someone else mentioned, natural pumice will hold up better than artificial. Reason being is a lot of those abraders are likely sand pasted together. While high quality sand is quartz, which is a 7, the binding agent will be the weak link. Another option could be scoria, which is similar to pumice but has more void space. Really what you're likely looking for is a volcanic rock from magma flow that contained a high amount of gas to form the voids and sharp edges while retaining its integrity as one piece of rock. TLDR: use natural pumice stone from volcanos for best results, scoria can do, but the more voids means less supporting structures within the piece of rock. *Edit: I'd highly suggest wearing a respirator or face mask rated to handle silica dust while grinding. your body lacks the ability to expel this and the sharp edges will damage your lungs continuously. OSHA (for construction) and geologists both agree that exposure to breaking or sawing rock will be highly detrimental to your respiratory system.
The obsidian came from Mt Edziza (Edsisdza’e). Tałtan, Tudenekoten Tribal District. My mothers people. Watch the documentary: Edziza - Life From a ash and Ice.
HELP! MAKING A KNIFE FROM A BLANK! Somebody please tell me how to fix my blank PLEASE? I just started, did better than I expected however the blank slab I started with the flakes didn't go enough across, so I'm left with the flat unpolished slab in the center of my project! Did I articulate that well enough for someone to bail me out? Is this a fixable situation? 👉✌💚👈
Primitive pathways and Jack crafty some of their videos might be able to help. I've been doing tons of in-depth research but I'm currently waiting on my first set of tools and flint! Sorry fortunately I can't personally help you but maybe one of these guys can.
Expertoffx, I'm struggling with that also. I find that when I slowdown, soften my strikes with my bopper, and concentrate with more inward pressure while pressure flaking, all given I stay under the centerline then, I achieve longer flakes. Abrading if very, very, very important! Good luck man! Oh, and make sure you have something holding the piece in place. Whether, it be your hand/fingers or a solid surface of leather of the like. If you are striking your piece while it has movement it will cause a loss of concentrated force and short flakes. Aside from that, catch your existing valleys and run em!
If you don't wear gloves, you'll bleed.... As I'm holding my phone, I have a bandaid on my left ring finger from a bad cut I got yesterday, knapping obsidian. Go figure. 😅🤣😂
Now boys, don't fight....everybody knows the Indians didn't like to prepare platforms, smashed material into thumb scrapers & were great plumbers with copper fittings.
Way back when the white man first met the North American Indian the white offered the Indian Cooper billets in a trade for antler. The Indian got so excited he traded all the antler he had. Well, the Indian heated the copper & banged out some beautiful jewelry ornimants from it. It was as good as it got cause he traded it for 3 beautiful Indian women cause copper was like gold to the Indian people. He made Love over & over again to them all night long until he died of a heart attack. From that day forward the Indians never traded copper for antler again & would never pretended to use it to make stone tools again. They felt their ancestors who came back out of love to feed them & provide them with Flint knapping tools had put a curse on them. They then felt antler would get you great stone tools & too much copper could get you women who could be bad for you. Sad story.
This has been the best instruction vid I have ever seen. Your words were so perfect in describing the process.
This is an excellent Knapping video! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. I was fascinated by how this is done.
Thank you for sharing this lost art of making arrow heads the old way ,I started making them because I couldn't find not even one and I have been looking for all of my life ,and I'm 57 now LOL YOU TAKE CARE KEEP UP THE WONDERFUL WORK THAT YOU DO SIR.
An AWESOME tutorial, sir. Outstanding talent on display here. Nicely, calmly, presented, and without any annoying background music.
I enjoyed every minute. Thanks so very much. You are very good at what you do.
What a flintknapping video....Please keep making these for us....great flintknapping and even better teaching....Thank you.
I agree, this guy is an excellent teacher. 👍
This was absolutely perfect ! Much more than instructions, it was a meditation on hand craft. Truly a zen and the art of knapping intersection.
So glad I found this. I’ve been watching video after video and this is the best explanation I’ve found so far for why you hit how you do and where you do.
This is the absolute the best video I've seen on making an arrow-head. I've never used an abraiding stone, nor a screw-driver for fine-shaping the edge. I've learned a few things here.
Chart I believe can be found in alberta along the north saskatchewan River. It can be very hard to find as most of it is located under water and coverd with alge look for rocks with holes kinda like potatoes.
Thanks for sharing your art with us Tim. Great educational video.
Excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are a born teacher..... thank you!
Best video I have watched . He explains every detail.
this video is great and deserves WAY more views!
Great learning video!!! I learned so much thanks
great video russell, I follow your "originals" on FB, good to put a face with the work, you explain things very well, and you work is top of the line
Mister, great job in explaining along the way. I learned a little more than usual, for this type of video. Thanks. Wish someone would explain more of the many tools and points that can be made from the leftover on the ground. I've been successful hunting with small points made from what you have laying on the ground. With very little additional work. I'm sure the people before us ,did this. When it comes to real survival, unnecessary things go by the wayside.
I work with my hands ever day so I'm able to watch your movements and learn a ton. Thanks !!. Ive only made one arrow head so far and the only tools I have are other river rocks that I have broken and now fits my hand well and has a rough side to make platforms and such and I use a screw driver for pressure flaking and a cpu mouse pad for my leather.lol but so far I've been able to work the rock ok without breaking it . I'm sure there would be plenty you could tell me about it that would let me know just how bad it is ;( but I'm having funn doing it. Its hard to find stuff so far in ga to fork without being to brittle or to soft or just to hard .lol thx for the video.
Most all flakes are razor sharp & can be used for fine cutting tools !! Wow it's best to have lots of bolders of flint to make a few arrow heads !! This is a beautiful art and usefull too !!👍👍
so, would you argue that a lot more heads could have been made from this block of flint..
excellent teacher!!!!!!! Thank you sir!!!
You are a teacher Sir. Thank you.
Great video, thanks! Your a nice guy 👌
Amazing video! A great talent you have!
Tim Shaw: thank you very much for this awesome video. I enjoyed every moment of it. Can hardly wait to give it a shot myself. :-)
Omg thank you I was not zigzagging and I got it thin on one side and not the other I love you
I noticed that type of obsidian tends to flake in lots of smaller pieces instead of large single flakes. Probably the nature of obsidian as opposed to cherts.
It's from using a copper bopper. Using antler won't crush the obsidian like copper does. As copper doesn't spread out the impact as well as antler.
@@thatsmallrockshop Chris, when you say the copper doesn't spread the impact as well as antler, is that because antler tips are usually much wider than the copper tips? Thanks in advance.
@@richardwiley5933 the difference in density is I think the word I am looking for as the antler absorbed some of the blow and doesn't spread out as much of a shock wave.
@@thatsmallrockshop it must be because his is worn out. I’ve watched people do it with the copper one and get nice single flakes.
Russell: Would you normally use all of that chunk to make just one small piece or could you have broken it down to smaller pieces to have made several points? Thanks for the otherwise great instructional and guide. Loved it! Paul 😀
Exactly what I was thinking....maybe for instructional purposes.
What I was wondering also.. Seems like he knocked off chunks big enough in the beginning that would be usable. Wondered this for awhile. Seems like a waste but idk..??
ah! this i think, is a question that a lot of us probably were left with at the end
- hope we’ll get the answer at some point
*i were maybe thinking that the “spall” could have yielded around 4 arrow heads (the only problem is maybe that the smaller pieces could be hard to process due to odd shapes)
. . . .
but yeah, probably just because this was an instructional guide
fantastic video, great personality! Thank you.
my best knives have been large flake which I dull the upper part for easy handling
Brilliant video
Wow That is very interesting, very educational.... Thank you
Thank you kindly Sir.
Awesome video, very detailed!
I LOVE WATCHING VIDEOS OF GUYS LIKE YOU FLINT NAPPING BUT I WOULD NEVER DO STUFF LIKE THIS,I AM A STRANGE THINKER,LET ME EXPLAIN WHAT I MEAN.I MAKE THINGS TO LAST.THATS WAY TOO MUCH WORK MAKING SOMETHING THATS ONLY GOOD FOR A ONE TIME USE BUT I STILL ENJOY WATCHING GUYS LIKE YOU AT WORK.KEEP MAKING THESE GOOD VIDEOS...
Super great tutorial !!! Can you tell me sir just where you got that terrific looking leg pad ??? Thank you so much.
However do you approach a flake that thick on one end and thin on the other, I think you have helped me with a spal . You are the best I have watch
what i don't understand is that you have this big piece of flint but then cut out...let's say 80%*** of it to get to the final arrow piece that maybe could have been made out of one of the chips at the beginning.. (maybe i just need to listen to this in full to understand - if i missed the importance of this, or read some of the posts in the comment section)
***meaning that 5 arrow pieces could have been cut out..well i don't know how to measure the quality of the main piece
/edit: hm, maybe i get it - a chip or flake might not be possible to process on the concave side. shaping that side will only break the edge and never form the right curvature around the raised middle part
- also, it would maybe be hard to hold/handle
That is why hammer stones exist. Core & blade spalling. Then edging creating platforms concentrating on the outer perimeter first. More platforms & work inward. Loose the copper billet & use a fine grained hammer stone that strikes & drags across the desired flake to be removed. Slower more even transference of energy. Just a suggestion. Tks.
@@jimajello1028 cobblestones..
14:30 “gotta get it thin b..”
i’m rewatching the whole video again
- it’s actually very pleasant to listen to (didn’t really listen the first time)
that is really cool
What a master
Great video... but seemed quite wasteful...?? Can you please educate why you didn't knapp multiple heads out of the large stone? Thanks so much
I don't want to speak for Russell because I'm just the video guy and not the expert, but I'm pretty sure the other large flakes and pieces that come off will be turned into heads too. Also you have to work with the stone's natural structure and faults, you can't necessarily separate it into several equal pieces or make one big piece, you just start working it and see what happens.
We are planning to make more videos in the new year, so stay tuned because I'm sure this will be a topic Russ covers in more detail.
I've been interested in trying this for a long time, but the chips being discarded bother me. Where can you work and keep those tiny razors controlled and easy to clean up? There must be some heavy tarp or plastic to catch the debris.
I'm also curious about what you do with me larger flakes that could be made Into other points. Seems like a waste of potential objects to just throw them away.
Excellent instructional video! That said, isn't that point still too thick for hunting? I thought you wanted fairly thin points that easily slip through hide and still retain enough energy to cut through internal tissue..
You need to retain some tip mass to keep the arrowhead from shattering under the force of impact.
OOOGA BOOOGA!!!
It’s a bit like whittling a toothpick from a tree! Does anyone know what he uses for a grindstone?
Artificial abradors or grinding wheel cut up in chunks. I like to use natural abrasive stones. Makes me feel that much more connected with the art!
To my eye it looks like a piece of pumice stone. Some things to note: pumice is about a 6 on the moh's hardness scale (a hardness scale for geologists, usually used with minerals). obsidian is about a 6.5, and I'm finding flint listed as a 7, as is chert. As someone else mentioned, natural pumice will hold up better than artificial. Reason being is a lot of those abraders are likely sand pasted together. While high quality sand is quartz, which is a 7, the binding agent will be the weak link. Another option could be scoria, which is similar to pumice but has more void space. Really what you're likely looking for is a volcanic rock from magma flow that contained a high amount of gas to form the voids and sharp edges while retaining its integrity as one piece of rock.
TLDR: use natural pumice stone from volcanos for best results, scoria can do, but the more voids means less supporting structures within the piece of rock.
*Edit: I'd highly suggest wearing a respirator or face mask rated to handle silica dust while grinding. your body lacks the ability to expel this and the sharp edges will damage your lungs continuously. OSHA (for construction) and geologists both agree that exposure to breaking or sawing rock will be highly detrimental to your respiratory system.
The obsidian came from Mt Edziza (Edsisdza’e). Tałtan, Tudenekoten Tribal District. My mothers people. Watch the documentary: Edziza - Life From a ash and Ice.
I can't believe it takes a 5-10 lb rock just to make one 3 - 4 inche arrow head
Love this
I’m new and I tried to Knapp a granite rock smh mistake just messed up the copper and the granite did not break lol
HELP!
MAKING A KNIFE FROM A BLANK!
Somebody please tell me how to fix my blank PLEASE?
I just started, did better than I expected however the blank slab I started with the flakes didn't go enough across, so I'm left with the flat unpolished slab in the center of my project!
Did I articulate that well enough for someone to bail me out?
Is this a fixable situation?
👉✌💚👈
Primitive pathways and Jack crafty some of their videos might be able to help. I've been doing tons of in-depth research but I'm currently waiting on my first set of tools and flint! Sorry fortunately I can't personally help you but maybe one of these guys can.
Expertoffx, I'm struggling with that also. I find that when I slowdown, soften my strikes with my bopper, and concentrate with more inward pressure while pressure flaking, all given I stay under the centerline then, I achieve longer flakes. Abrading if very, very, very important! Good luck man! Oh, and make sure you have something holding the piece in place. Whether, it be your hand/fingers or a solid surface of leather of the like. If you are striking your piece while it has movement it will cause a loss of concentrated force and short flakes. Aside from that, catch your existing valleys and run em!
If you don't wear gloves, you'll bleed....
As I'm holding my phone, I have a bandaid on my left ring finger from a bad cut I got yesterday, knapping obsidian. Go figure. 😅🤣😂
Iv still never seen anybody make a arrowhead from chert like they say they did
Nigel's grandad flint knaps?
Copper is much harder than antler.
Since this video talks about a pre-Neolithic traditional heritage why not do the video with all ancient tools. Otherwise is it really educational?
That's a lot of work, nice piece though.
It Native American became we walk over here not Row the boat ⛵️.
You waisted alot of potential points by smashing the stone the way you did..not a way of the ancients they waisted nothing
Its still really cool he put a lot of time into it so stop
Now boys, don't fight....everybody knows the Indians didn't like to prepare platforms, smashed material into thumb scrapers & were great plumbers with copper fittings.
Way back when the white man first met the North American Indian the white offered the Indian Cooper billets in a trade for antler. The Indian got so excited he traded all the antler he had. Well, the Indian heated the copper & banged out some beautiful jewelry ornimants from it. It was as good as it got cause he traded it for 3 beautiful Indian women cause copper was like gold to the Indian people. He made Love over & over again to them all night long until he died of a heart attack. From that day forward the Indians never traded copper for antler again & would never pretended to use it to make stone tools again. They felt their ancestors who came back out of love to feed them & provide them with Flint knapping tools had put a curse on them. They then felt antler would get you great stone tools & too much copper could get you women who could be bad for you. Sad story.