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Hi guys I thought I'd give you a report from England.
I've been flint knapping a bit over here and I can proudly report that I now have the ability to take a beautiful and large piece of flint and with many careful blows I can reduce it nothing more than a pile of useless shards This knapping thing is harder than it looks. I've managed to make a few decent arrowheads though so it's coming slowly but surely. I intend to come home with a nice big box of heads ready to kill some meat with.
Now if I'd just managed to cut a couple of decent saskatoon staves like I had hoped to do before leaving they would have been nicely seasoned when I return.
cheers to all
Posts: 812 | From: canada | Registered: May 2007
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Tracey, I unfortunatly have not progressed to your level and took the easy way out and bought some quality Obsidian heads and mounted them on the trade mark "QuarterMoon" arrows. Hope you like them, they are going to be my Whitetail ammo for this year, Posts: 739 | From: Alberta, Canada | Registered: Jan 2006
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Tracy, Nice to have some news. Did you go to any of their shoots yet? Send picture when you do next....Keep working on those flakes of shale... Bert, Awsome very nice! They look solidly attached. I guess the major dowside is that you can't really practice with the same one you will be hunting with...But you don't need any practice LOL. If you bring them to the NALS, you can show them off. See you then! Yves
Posts: 107 | From: St Albert, Alberta Canada | Registered: Jun 2008
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Bert they look purty good! I hope you can use one to "make meat." Tell me more about the self nocks on the arrows are they footed?
Posts: 812 | From: canada | Registered: May 2007
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Yes, I have been doing this for some years now, I have a drill bit tapered to the same taper as the nock end, then all I do is drill a "hole" so to speak, in a little block of Osage or Purple Heart and glue it onto the arrow then I just (carefully) sand it to the diameter of the shaft. Yves, the guy that made the heads makes a practise head out of glass the same style as the "real" ones, I have been shooting it for two 3D shoots now and it's still ticking. Have fun all, am of chasing Bears up north for a week or so. TTFN Bert. Posts: 739 | From: Alberta, Canada | Registered: Jan 2006
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A new report..... The knapping is coming along getter and better. I can look at the flint and decide the spot that will yield a flake or not. I can strike off some pretty nice "blades" and from these I can make an arrowhead. The real thing is to be able to make a "biface" that's where you work the stone from both sides of the blade and form it into the shape you want instead of making a thin blade then shaping it by "crumbling" the edges. The biface is much more difficult to make but also much stronger.
I was at Dover last weekend and picked up a piece of flint while out walking and it's the best piece I've had yet. It flakes incredibly well and is smooth and gorgeous...going to be some special heads soon.
take care everyone
Posts: 812 | From: canada | Registered: May 2007
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Tracey, here is a blatent(sp) plug for a guy from San Antonio, Texas. Look up "woodyblackwell.com" and see some amazing rocks!! Looking forward to catching up with you so you can teach me stuff!! Take care. Bert.
Posts: 739 | From: Alberta, Canada | Registered: Jan 2006
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Is it legal to hunt in alberta with stone points? I only ask because I have told from many people that it isn't. thanks guys
Posts: 223 | From: canada | Registered: Jun 2010
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Oh one more thing. Bert can you bring those beauties to the Longbow Safari? I would love to see them
Posts: 223 | From: canada | Registered: Jun 2010
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Here's a thought, if any ATBA members in good standing (paid up membership) would like some nice flint to practice on I can ship some out. I'd not recomend shipping a whole flint nodule as it's heavy but I could send some nice spalls all ready for pressure flaking. I think the cheapest shipping is on a kilo or less but a kilo of preforms is a LOT of potential arrowheads. It would work nicely for me and give me an excust to practise more. You just pay the shipping costs.
Pete did you ever get that flintlock you were looking for? Let me know the size of flints you need and I might try my hand at whacking out some gun flints.
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Hi tracy, Yes I got the flinter, and after a world of problems had to replace the lock for one that will spark. The original was made by the Prince of darkness. The new one is great. The flints it takes are 3/4" wide , and it sure would be great to get some. I will gladly pay for some spalls too. I want to make some flint heads and learn another craft. This year I will be hunting more with the self bows than I did last year., and it would be cool to get a critter with a self bow and a flint head. Heck just hunting with the self bows was cool, and to do it with a flint head would be awesome.
I must be regressing on the evolutionary trail. It's 2011 and I am shooting a Flint lock and round ball, and now wanting to hunt with a bow made from a stick, with a rock on the arrow for a point. I think, hope I will get back in control before I start eating bugs and slide to far down the chain..
Pete
-------------------- Share your knowledge and ideas. Posts: 2948 | From: Alberta | Registered: Jun 2003
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I bought an underhammer 1/60" roundball shooter to accompany my traditional gear. They are a hoot to shoot!! Haven't killed with it yet and need to get much better with it first but when I'm too old to pull the string instead of a crossbow it'll be a charcoal burner for me.
Posts: 812 | From: canada | Registered: May 2007
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