# From A Rock To A Spear Point



## Nicodemus

Here is a spall of white chert, antler billets, and a combination small hammerstone and abradin` stone.


----------



## Nicodemus

Here is the spall after it has been worked into a preform .


----------



## Nicodemus

Here it has been worked into a Clovis preform. All work has been done with hammerstone and antler billets thus far.


----------



## Nicodemus

Preparin` the base with a pressure flaker to make a strikin` platform to hit with an antler billet to remove a thinnin` flake called a flute.


----------



## Nicodemus

Here is the specially prepared platform.


----------



## Nicodemus

The piece is wrapped in soft deerskin to help support it, keep it from cuttin` my hand, and also to keep from drivin` the point into my leg when it is struck.


----------



## Nicodemus

I`m fixin` to strike the platform with my big billet to drive the flute off. This is kinda critical because it is always a bad idea to strike the base of a thin preform. This is the quickest way to break one, but when makin` this type of point, you have no choice.


----------



## Nicodemus

The strike was succesful and the flute came off clean and the preform did not break.


----------



## Nicodemus

The other side of the base is prepared the same way with pressure flakin` and wrapped and struck as well. This is where it is really critical because the point is now thinner than with the first flute removal. More Clovis points are broken at this step than any other time in the process. It`s tuff on the nerves!


----------



## Nicodemus

With luck the other flute came off clean as well. Now is when you can breath again!


----------



## Nicodemus

Here is the finished Clovis point and the tools used to make it. The only time pressure flakin` was used was makin` the platforms on the base for flutin`. All other work was done with antler billets and hammerstone. About 45 minutes was the time involved in makin` this point.


----------



## Nicodemus

The waste flake pile after makin` the Clovis.


----------



## Nicodemus

A flake picked up out of the chip pile.


----------



## Nicodemus

Point startin` to take shape with pressure flakin`.


----------



## Nicodemus

Pressure flakin` with a deer antler tool on the flake.


----------



## Nicodemus

A finished Big Sandy point made out of the waste flake. Time on this point was around 20 minutes. I will go thu the pile of flakes and get maybe 10 to 12 flakes like this suitable for makin` points this size and get 20 to 30 flakes good enough to make small arrowheads out of. I`ll post more later today as I make them.


----------



## Nicodemus

Another flake out of the pile.


----------



## Nicodemus

A point made from that flake. Augie, didn`t I read where you mentioned a Hernando somewhere? Two little places on this one that I don`t like, so it might get thrown aside.


----------



## Son

*points*

You can bet many Indians tossed more than a few aside when they were making points. Imagine a fellow knapping for a day or two at a quarry site or outside of camp. When he finished he would certainly pick the best and discard those he didn't like. Unless he was a conservative, then he would find a use for 'em all.


----------



## Woody's Janitor

Thank you for posting the info and the pictures!!

Nic,....Have you ever been cut bad doing this?


----------



## bam_bam

great looking points nick. very informative on the fluting. i am looking for some good hammer stones and abraiders i am kinda makin due wit what i got but would like to have something a lil better.


----------



## bam_bam

hey nick do you ever get together with other knappers


----------



## WOODIE13

Nice looking points.  I would lose a finger or have a trip to the hospital doing that


----------



## boneboy96

I'm bleeding just thinking about trying this...  nice job Nick...keep em coming...I wanna learn!


----------



## Nicodemus

Woodys Janitor, I got cut purty badly just once. I had found a flint boulder about as big as the bed on a long wheelbase truck, it probably weighed around 3 or 4 tons. I was usin` a 6 pound sledge hammer to knock off spalls. A hammerstone would have been useless in this situation. On the follow thru of a swing a spall broke off and fell slower than my swing and the 10 pound razor blade clipped my thumb on the way to the ground. Butterfly bandages and superglue fixed me up proper though. Anybody interested in gettin` this rock can find it in Hilton Ga. on the side of a dirt road. I`m sure it ain`t goin` nowhere. What I did get wasn`t even much good!


----------



## Nicodemus

Bam Bam, you can find some good sandstone layin` around in fields in places down here. Quartz makes a good hammerstone, but it is a little on the hard side. Diabase is found from the Ga. Piedmont north and makes a really good one, as well as an abrader too. The dark gray speckled hammerstone in the pics is diabase. I don`t go to many knap-ins, but they have a good one in Ocala Fla. in Feb. and one at lake Allatoona in April every year.


----------



## 69camaro

That was neet looking at them take shape.


----------



## Nicodemus

A Major OOPS!!  It`s only fair to post this one too. This dacite preform was the first piece I started on this mornin`. It, (not me!) decided it wanted to be two smaller points instead of one big point. Oh well, it`s just a rock! Figured I better say that before Delton did!!    Flintknappers learn to laugh at their own mistakes!


----------



## Researcher31726

I wish there a smilie for "whistle." Those are beauts, Nick! And thanks for taking the time to show us the step by steps..Keep 'em coming!
Sue


----------



## Auchumpkee Creek Assassin

wow...great pic's and points!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Nugefan

wow Nick that is some kinda cool for sure .....

Thanks for taking the time to post these for us .....


----------



## bam_bam

hey nick was that stuff you used heattreated?


----------



## Mac

Thanks for sharing.


----------



## Buck111

Mighty nice work !


----------



## fulldraw74

nice work.....you make it look easy...


----------



## discounthunter

simply amazing.


----------



## Augie

Wow Nick! That was a great pictorial.    

Thanks for sharing it.

I like the looks of the Hernando even though they're woodlands.
I have one surface area on our property where I found two broken hernandos and some woodland pottery shards.
I've disked it up a lot and sometimes find a chip or two, but still looking for my whole one.

My digsite has all been mid archaic. (Morrow Mountian and Newnan)


----------



## Nicodemus

Thanks ya`ll. Bam Bam, that piece was heat treated. Although the Paleo people didn`t heat treat their stone, I couldn`t resist makin` a Clovis out of it. I also made it with a particular person in mind, and he doesn`t even realize it`s gonna go home with him! This one is a gift.


----------



## discounthunter

nic,what do you do with all your chips.i bet you have some gorgous flower/rock gardens.


----------



## Nicodemus

Let`s just say if a peepin` tom is brave enough to crawl in the flower beds or sneak in them barefooted, I`ll find him at the end of the blood trail!!


----------



## Handgunner

Some awesome lookin' points and tools, Nick!  

Thanks for taking the time to do a step-by-step on it!


----------



## discounthunter

nic ,you ever thought of doing a "how to" show.rfd tv is advertising that they are looking for new programs.this is right up their alley.id darn sure watch it.


----------



## bam_bam

where do you get your material from. i like the looks of that chert. i know about craig ratzat is there anywhere else you use?


----------



## Dudley Do-Wrong

Nick,

That is truely remarkable, you make it look easy.  I'll be seeing you this weekend I hope.


----------



## Nicodemus

Count on David! We`ll be there. Bam Bam, I pick up stone from all over south Georgia. I get a lot of exotic stone from Craig, and do a lot of tradin` with folks from everywhere for stone. You can`t ever have too much!


----------



## Buckerama

this is awesome


----------



## Killdee

Thats real interesting Nick,Thanks for taking time to show us.


----------



## Handgunner

discounthunter said:
			
		

> nic ,you ever thought of doing a "how to" show.rfd tv is advertising that they are looking for new programs.this is right up their alley.id darn sure watch it.


Me too.  It would sure beat all the horse and cow auctions!


----------



## BOHUNTER

I have a new respect for ABO knappers! Ive been beatin rocks for around 11 months now and just tried an antler at Paynes Praire 2 weeks ago! WOW its a tough style. I like my copper!

Woody Blackwell told me after I asked about fluting...."People start thinking of FLUTING, when its nothing more than just a thinning flake!" Make sure you build some convexity on the point and it will run down the ridge. and yep ya gonna break em and buy into BAND-AID if your scared of blood, cause it is a BLOOD SPORT!

Who did I see lived in Georgia?? Have you tried the Georgia Jasper...Colorful and nice! I want some if anyone knows what Im talkin about.

Great show! I like production!

Steve Holloway


----------



## Nicodemus

I`ve played with a little Ga. Jasper. It is nice stuff, but it is easier to find gold than jasper. I have a little point I made out of some around here somewhere. I`ll try to find it and post a pic.


----------



## bam_bam

where do you find ga jasper? is it up north ga. i am shure it is hard to find. i got some bloodstone jasper but it is that sawed stuff and i dont know how to go about working it and i dont want to mess it up its some nice looking stuff. i would like to get some mookite it purdy to me.


----------



## BOHUNTER

Yeah the Jasper I seen was an Isolated loggin road find ...Guy hada 5 gallon bucket full of rock...ROCK! THATS SWEET STUFF!!!

His had tons of Canary Yellow, colorful as all get out! Nice stuff. Small pieces 3" max...But nice and thats enuff to make anything.

 That image is Oblique flaking, good grinding, convexity and even flaking makes it! Killer ANYWAY you look at it!

This is My one Year Knapper Month!!! Weeeee Yahooooo

Steve


----------



## Al33

*Nicodemus,*

Today is my first view of this most wonderful and educational thread. What an outstanding job you did with the show and tell process of making points.   

Thank you sir for taking the time to share. Your points are fantastic!


----------



## justus3131

Thanks for sharing your hobby.  It answered a lot of questions I had as to how that was done.


----------



## EON

Neat stuff, I've thought about try to make points but no idea where to start.  Looks realy nice though.


----------



## Woody

One of the best threads we've ever had on here.

Thanks for taking the time Nic. --beautiful work.


----------



## Nicodemus

Thanks again ya`ll!


----------



## LJay

Ya'll will be happy to know that the big spear point Nick made now belongs to "you know who"!!!!


----------



## Woody

How did that come about?


----------



## LJay

Woody said:
			
		

> How did that come about?


Nick and I are best of friends Woody, I have an original Clovis, so he gave it to me to mount with mine.


----------



## short stop

I must agree --This is a  most educatin post --wonderful work     there  Nic    -Short Stop


----------



## BIGABOW

This Is My First View Of Crafts Area, What A Great Post !!! Nic Do You Ever Put Any Of Your "points" On A Shaft? Just Curious!?


----------



## sportfishingart

*Wow*

That's wicked....  an aquired skill not many have.


----------



## capt stan

Just found this thread. That is AWSOME work. You have got talent there no doubt!!! very interesting, thanks for sharing!!


----------



## rip18

Impressive!  I wish I had the patience to do something like that.  If I was a native american or early settler who needed to use a bow or atlatl, I would have to be killing things & picking berries & bringing them to you to trade out for some of your stone work....


----------



## bigswamp

This is the first time I have seen this...wow...that is some neat stuff nic...I think if I tried that I would have some missing finger tips.


----------



## gobblinglawyer

Great post.

I will have to show this thread to my father in law, John Tuttle (legendary flint knapper)!


----------



## Nicodemus

Thanks again ya`ll. 
Dalton, tell ol` John I said howdy while you`re at it and to swing by next time they come to visit ya`ll. All the credit for my flintknappin` skills are due to the teachins` of John Tuttle and Ben Kirkland. Without their generosity and patience, I would still be tryin` to figure this stuff out. In my opinion, these two men are among the top 5 knappers in the world today. The work they turn out has to be seen to be believed.


----------



## Thunderbeard

Man thats so good stuff.


----------



## sailorjohn

Please, oh please, tell me where I can find some of that Jasper!!! Im so tired of Quartz...


----------



## blood on the ground

Don't think I could do this without needing stitches


----------



## Buck killers Wife

thats awesome nick.wish i could do that.


----------



## Redbow

Nic, you are a master Knapper, mighty pretty work...


----------



## Nicodemus

Redbow said:


> Nic, you are a master Knapper, mighty pretty work...




Thanks, but far from it. I do know a couple of knappers that  are though.

I can`t even knap anymore because of arthritis.


----------



## mrs. hornet22

Awesome Thread. Glad it got bumped up. I missed it the first go round.


----------



## florida boy

Nicodemus said:


> Woodys Janitor, I got cut purty badly just once. I had found a flint boulder about as big as the bed on a long wheelbase truck, it probably weighed around 3 or 4 tons. I was usin` a 6 pound sledge hammer to knock off spalls. A hammerstone would have been useless in this situation. On the follow thru of a swing a spall broke off and fell slower than my swing and the 10 pound razor blade clipped my thumb on the way to the ground. Butterfly bandages and superglue fixed me up proper though. Anybody interested in gettin` this rock can find it in Hilton Ga. on the side of a dirt road. I`m sure it ain`t goin` nowhere. What I did get wasn`t even much good!


This in ironic to read......Last year in Hilton after turkey hunting one morning I was gonna get a "test piece " off of a big boulder in a field for my dad . I stupidily grabbed a piece about the same size as a football and began to try to bust off a ledge.......3rd swing and I caught my knuckle on a sharp piece....didnt turn out too pretty and after all that the few spalls I took back to dad he said thanks for trying but this is just trash !


----------



## mr10ss

That's some mighty fine work. Maybe one day I'll get the hang of it.


----------

