# Quartz arrowheads



## MISSING RIDGE (Aug 13, 2015)

After having flint knapped for several years I wonder how the white opaque quartz arrowheads were knapped by the natives. I have tried tallahata quartz and it is some more tough stuff to knap for me. Most of the quartz arrowheads I have seen do not have the typical flake scars you normally see in flint material. Any ideas out there.


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## dtala (Aug 13, 2015)

their knappers had way more experience than we do and still those old white quartz points look pretty crude and FAT...LOL  It takes a dang good knapper to make a thin, pretty head out of white quartz for sure.

But, ya know, pretty don't kill. Sharp does, and it dosen't take much of a head from the pretty standpoint to kill a deer.


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## NCHillbilly (Aug 13, 2015)

MISSING RIDGE said:


> After having flint knapped for several years I wonder how the white opaque quartz arrowheads were knapped by the natives. I have tried tallahata quartz and it is some more tough stuff to knap for me. Most of the quartz arrowheads I have seen do not have the typical flake scars you normally see in flint material. Any ideas out there.


Tallahatta quartzite is actually very knappable with wood or antler, one of my favorite materials. Regular quartzite is about 100x tougher. White/clear waxy quartz isn't too bad, either, but a lot tougher than good flint or chert. Are you a copper knapper? Quartzite doesn't respond well to copper. You have to use a big, soft percusser on it, like a wooden billet (dogwood or persimmon) the size of the end of a baseball bat or bigger, and you have to swing it like you're trying to kill a snake. Since it's a hard material, you have to initiate a slow fracture/flake release. Antler works fairly well for secondary thinning, but it will wear out quickly. Pressure flaking with really long antler or wood flakers is the way to go, but is really tough. And no, you don't get flake scars on quartzite, quartzite does not allow it.  

Since metaquartzite and quartz are the only knappable materials in my local area, and are what most of the points I find here are made from, I like to knap the local stuff. Hitting man-rock can get addictive, though. 

A couple of my Tallahatta quartzite points that I have pics of:











Some local quartz that I got a decent Hardaway out of:



And some rough points I made from really, really, nasty tough metaquartzite that was just about unworkable:


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## rydert (Aug 13, 2015)

dang.....those are awesome NCH..


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## dawg2 (Aug 13, 2015)

NCHillbilly said:


> Tallahatta quartzite is actually very knappable with wood or antler, one of my favorite materials. Regular quartzite is about 100x tougher. White/clear waxy quartz isn't too bad, either, but a lot tougher than good flint or chert. Are you a copper knapper? Quartzite doesn't respond well to copper. You have to use a big, soft percusser on it, like a wooden billet (dogwood or persimmon) the size of the end of a baseball bat or bigger, and you have to swing it like you're trying to kill a snake. Since it's a hard material, you have to initiate a slow fracture/flake release. Antler works fairly well for secondary thinning, but it will wear out quickly. Pressure flaking with really long antler or wood flakers is the way to go, but is really tough. And no, you don't get flake scars on quartzite, quartzite does not allow it.
> 
> Since metaquartzite and quartz are the only knappable materials in my local area, and are what most of the points I find here are made from, I like to knap the local stuff. Hitting man-rock can get addictive, though.
> 
> ...





Whic Dremel bit did you use?


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## NCHillbilly (Aug 13, 2015)

dawg2 said:


> Whic Dremel bit did you use?


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## Hornet22 (Aug 13, 2015)

So, on the real hard quartz rock, ya'll be whackin it that hard while it's on your leg, like flint knapping?


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## NCHillbilly (Aug 13, 2015)

Hornet22 said:


> So, on the real hard quartz rock, ya'll be whackin it that hard while it's on your leg, like flint knapping?



Yep. A good leg pad is a good thing to have. I have had a few big nasty yaller and purple bruises on my thigh from missing. You can also freehand it.


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## KentuckyHeadhunter (Aug 13, 2015)

NCH that Hardaway is killer!  Not easy to get those auricles I'm sure!  You take good "knaps"!


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## dtala (Aug 13, 2015)

Tallahatta actually knaps pretty good, if ya don't mind the occasional surprise break!!!!!





white quartz...not so much.


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## Bone pile (Aug 14, 2015)

nice points ! I've only worked a little of that but liked it. Sure does make nice sugar coated points
Roger


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## MISSING RIDGE (Aug 14, 2015)

Yes I am primarily a copper knapper. I also use some steel flakers. I do have a couple wooden  boppers and some antler boppers (moose,white tail,and red tail deer antlers). I have'nt done as much knapping with the wooden and antler tools as I would like there has been enough challenge with the metal tools and wide range of rock that I have tried. I will try to post some pictures of the flakes I have there are approximately 10 medium USPS boxes and a 5 gallon pal or 2 full.


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## NCHillbilly (Aug 15, 2015)

MISSING RIDGE said:


> Yes I am primarily a copper knapper. I also use some steel flakers. I do have a couple wooden  boppers and some antler boppers (moose,white tail,and red tail deer antlers). I have'nt done as much knapping with the wooden and antler tools as I would like there has been enough challenge with the metal tools and wide range of rock that I have tried. I will try to post some pictures of the flakes I have there are approximately 10 medium USPS boxes and a 5 gallon pal or 2 full.



Yes, post some knapping pictures by all means! And in general, the harder the rock, the softer the percussor you need to hit it with. As my buddy James Parker would say, "if you could get a nanner to hold together, it would be the ideal percussor for quartzite."


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## Hammer Spank (Aug 16, 2015)

Hillbilly, Ive been finding tons of quarts points and blades on my cherokee county (nw ga) lease.  They are made from standard white quartz. Ive realy been wondering how anyone deals with this stuff. Its as hard as a diamond!!


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## ghadarits (Aug 17, 2015)

I've noticed that the quartz points I find that the clearer the material the finer the knapping seems to be. That's just a casual observation but it comes from finding a lot of quartz points.

I found one quartz point that was clear and it had fine serration on the edges.


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## MISSING RIDGE (Aug 17, 2015)

*Some of the things knapped last few years & Tools*

just a few knapped articles and my tools and tool cubby whole ( old store mailbox)


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