Quote:
Originally Posted by JJ_BPK
Bill
I watched all 6 videos,, impressed is not the word,, in awl,, is still weak. 
Does Jim "see" a blade in the stone or does his talents,, and a little luck "find" the blade as he shapes the stone??
Also, is there a use for a blade that big?? |
JJ_BPK,
Not meaning to hijack this from Bill, I would like to attempt an answer to your questions.
Jim (and other knappers) see the blade or point in their "mind's eye" before taking off the first flake or spall. It is his skill (talent) that takes off everything that doesn't look like the blade within the stone. Luck only comes into play if there are no flaws within the stone to cause a break (such as hairline fractures or quartz occlusions). There is no randomness in flake removal. Each flake or spall taken off is planned and deliberately removed in the thinning process. It is a planned and controlled process of lithic reduction. Generally, the first few flakes will tell you how well the stone is going the react.
The basic rule to remember...the line of fracture thru the rock for flake removal will be at an angle of about 120 degrees from the line of force of the billet striking the surface (flat area or platform, not a sharp edge).
Use for a blade that big? During Mississippian times... they were made for ceremonial purposes only. Today...sell it for about $10-$15 an inch. For survival... I would rather travel light than carry something that large and heavy with me. Each spall and flake is a tool and weapon in itself. As we in archaeology say, "It ain't gotta be pretty to be functional"!
Damn...didn't mean to write a dissertation!
Carl