Flintknapping is the ancient craft of shaping stone through impacts or by using other objects to manipulate it. This traditional technique has been honed over millennia, allowing us to create tools long before the advent of metalworking. In this guide, WikiHow will show you how to get started.
Part 1
Step 1: Choose the Right Stone for Knapping.
Select a suitable stone for your knapping project. Flint, chert, and similar rocks can be knapped, as well as basalt, obsidian, quartz (lab-created), and certain other minerals that have a smooth surface after formation. Obsidian is particularly soft and is great for beginners to learn how to apply force effectively. Additionally, broken glass from glass factories can sometimes become an excellent medium for creating beautiful art pieces. All of these can be easily purchased on eBay.
Step 2: Choose a Stone Free of Major Cracks or Flaws.
Pick a stone that does not have significant cracks, seams, bubbles, visible inclusions, or other defects that are likely to cause breakage or flaking contrary to the shape you want to achieve.
Step 3: Select a Stone of Manageable Size.
Choose a stone that is large enough to allow for corrections without wasting your efforts but small enough to easily create what you envision. You might also consider heating the stone (some quartz, flint, fossil woods, or corals can change their grain to a smooth surface when exposed to fire for several hours) or soaking it in water (some stones, especially opals, must remain underwater or they may crack when dried). Both methods are successfully used by experienced knappers. For thermal treatment, bury the stones in a few centimeters of earth, then cover them with a thick layer of coals for at least four hours while maintaining this preform at a consistently high temperature.
Step 4: Get Comfortable.
Sit comfortably. You can certainly strike the stone on a table or bench, but traditionally this is done sitting cross-legged with the stone in one hand on your lap. This method can be challenging for beginners, so experiment to find a sitting position that gives you the most control, especially during pressure flaking. I prefer to sit on a log. You can also use a board or a larger stone to support your preform if you start with a large, heavy stone.
Step 5: Understand Stone Grain Direction.
Some stones, such as flint, chert, and petrified organic matter, will have grain direction due to their volcanic origins or natural fossilization of organic material, like wood. Pay attention to these important features of the stone. While breaking the stone, note the direction of these natural attributes. Some flints and most glasses will lack this. Agates and malachites tend to exhibit this tendency. These stones, which are internally featureless, are best suited for beginners, as you won’t be restricted by the stone's grain direction and can freely shape it as desired, within reason.
Step 6: Start with Direct Striking.
Begin with direct strikes. A direct strike is made against a round, resilient material and is directly applied to the stone to remove material in the form of long, sharp flakes. A fist-sized round stone made from a hard antler (preferably elk, as elk horn is hollow and of lower quality) will work very well. This method is more difficult to control than pressure flaking and indirect striking. With irregularly shaped stones or those exceeding 50 grams, you need to start the process with direct strikes. To create small to medium arrowheads, simply take large flakes from the impact project, shape them (see step 7), and proceed directly to pressure flaking (see step 8 below). The goal of direct striking is to create a thin-edged stone.
Step 7: Maintain an Abrasive Edge.
The most crucial process in knapping is maintaining the abrasive edge of your flint, glass, etc. EVERY TIME you strike a series of flakes from the edge, it indicates that you are hitting the edge too hard and dulling it; thus, the stone may not withstand the next series of strikes, or the edge will crumble, or the entire piece will collapse. Again, this is the most critical aspect of hitting flint. Achieve this by grinding the edge of the flint with movements from another smooth stone of slightly lesser hardness. In this case, old grinding wheels or any smooth piece of limestone will work well. This will create grooves in the stone of the necessary size, resulting in a solid platform capable of handling the extreme stresses of stone construction. If not done properly, you will never achieve the desired results.
Step 8: Begin Pressure Flaking After Shaping.
Once the shape is reduced by about 7 to 8 times or is thick (for larger projects), begin pressure flaking. Pressure flaking is achieved by placing your work in the cradle of thick leather. Hold the stone in your hands, then place a pointed tool against the edge of the stone and apply inward pressure on the tool, paying special attention to the energy of your palm. Strike not from it, as during direct strikes, but at a heavier angle of 45 degrees. That’s right! You will be working in the opposite direction from the strikes that allow you to see the face. This pressure will remove small, thin flakes from the stone. The slower and longer you press, the more long flakes you will get. Long flakes are preferable as they continue to function very well.
Step 9: Use an Indirect Method if Concerned About Tendonitis.
If you are concerned about tendonitis from pressure flaking (see warnings), you can employ an indirect striking method. The results differ aesthetically but can be more effective in reducing the thickness of your tool. Wrap the preform in a casing, then place it between your legs on the ground or on your lap, but preferably between your legs on the ground for stability. Then, using a flint knapper, such as a nail, at the edge of the preform, strike the butt of the tool against the preform until you feel the work becomes sufficiently strenuous but that you can confidently manage the process. Be cautious with the force of the strikes, as you are in the final stages of the project. Now it’s good practice to reduce the flint knapper for strikes to about 15 cm. If possible, do so.
Step 10: Alternate Sides with Each Series of Flakes.
With each series of flakes coming off the sides of the stone, alternate the face with the side from which you removed material. If you have struck the stone and flaking has gone in one direction, work the edges down and turn the stone over to the same edge. Do the same with alternative edges! Try not to work across the same edge twice in a row, but go from one edge to the other to maintain consistency in material reduction. However, you can, and it is often considered necessary, when you get the hang of it, to work with the face from opposite sides to remove excess material caused by poor angles from previously applied force or natural inclusions in the material.
Step 11: Repeat Until You Achieve the Desired Shape.
Continue repeating until you shape your flint to the desired form. Make a final run of pressure flaking, but do not remove the flakes themselves. Leave the raw material and sharp edge for use as a tool.
Step 12: Finish with Notches or a Handle.
You can finish with notches at the base or by forming a handle at the base. This can be done by flaking a notch or handle into the base of the finished pressure tool, but be sure to blunt the base and notches so they do not cut into the area where you will attach a binding to the handle or shaft. However, do leave the edges sharp! Alternatively, you can leave the base relatively smooth without alteration through notches or handles. Use a whetstone to blunt the base and bind it to a wooden shaft or tool handle.
