Best Tips for the Beginning Flintknapper: Beginner's Guide
What is flintknapping?
Flint knapping has been a skill known to man for a very long time. Flint knapping is the act of removing material from a silica based stone like "flint," in order to shape the stone into a tool or piece of art. During the stone age, survival hinged directly to one's ability to shape stone into tools and weapons. Modern knappers are rediscovering and passing on flintknapping skill and artistry. Some modern knappers use primitive flintknapping tools like bone and antler tips. Other modern knappers choose to use tools made from modern materials that mimic the primitive flintknapping processes. Some historians even argue that the use of copper for flintknapping dates much earlier than commonly assumed.
The Three Most Basic Flintknapping Methods
1. Pressure Flaking: A platform is prepared on the stone with a rough abrader. If the platform is prepared correctly the knapper can remove material by applying pressure to the stone with a pressure flaker. A striking motion is never used in this process. Pressure flakers come in different sizes and lengths according to the knapper's preferences. Modern pressure flakers commonly have a copper tip that can be re-shaped or even replaced when worn.
Some knappers prefer a longer pressure flaker, called an Ishi Stick, for the added leverage and support it can offer.
2. Percussion Flaking: A platform is prepared on the stone with a rough abrader. If the platform is prepared correctly the knapper can remove material by striking the stone with a very carefully aimed force. With practice a knapper can become very proficient at removing material with this method. Finishing and detail work is still often done with a pressure flaker by many knappers.
3. Indirect Percussion Flaking: A platform is prepared on the stone with a rough abrader. Material is removed by a method that blends pressure flaking and percussion flaking. The tip of a pressure flaker is placed against the stone. The knapper then strikes the pressure flaker with some kind of stone or mallet. The blow to the pressure flaker causes it to remove some material from the stone. Special pressure flakers and jigs are sometimes made for this kind of flintknapping.
Top Tools for the Beginning Flintknapper:
I believe there are four basic tools that a beginning knapper should purchase to get started. A beginner can become an experienced knapper with these four tools. Other, more specific tools can be added as a knapper develops their personal preferences.
1. A Pressure Flaker: Find a good pressure flaker with a copper tip that can be reshaped and replaced. Delrin is the preferred handle material by modern knappers because of its flexibility. A piece of bone or antler tip can also work well, but may be less ideal for the beginning knapper.
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| Delrin Pressure Flaker (Recommended) |
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| Antler Pressure Flaker |
2. A Bopper/ Billet: Secondly, you should get a medium sized bopper/ billet. The diameter of the head of the bopper should be near 1 inch, give or take a little. The most economical bopper for you will be a lead filled bopper. This bopper will have a lead filled copper head. Its weight forward construction will be very forgiving and aid in accuracy. A less economical but more durable bopper, is a solid head bopper. It is like the lead filled bopper though the head will be solid copper (no lead). The solid head bopper can be re-surfaced many times and will last for an extremely long time. A more primitive tool that can also work well is an antler billet as pictured below.
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| Lead Filled Bopper (Recommended) |
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| Solid Head Bopper |
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| Antler Billet |
3. An Abrader: In order to use your pressure flaker and bopper to their fullest potential you will need an abrader. I recommend a fairly rough abrader for the beginning knapper. Get an abrader that is big enough to easily grasp in your hand. Most of these will only cost you a few dollars and will need to be replaced when worn out.
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| Rough Abrader (Recommended) |
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| Natural Stone Abrader |
4. A Rubber or Leather Hand Pad: In order to use your pressure flaker or bopper you will certainly need a hand pad. The hand pad will be used to secure the piece of flint in your hand as you knap. It will help protect your hand from the sharp edges, but you should still wear a glove. I recommend a "grooved" hand pad to aid in flake removal. A soft leather hand pad can be advantageous for some knappers since it allows you to "feel" the stone in your hand.
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| Leather Hand Pad |
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| Grooved Hand Pad |
Some starter kits that contain these four essential tools are available online. See kits below:
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| Economy Kit |
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| Archer's Kit |
Best ways to Practice Flintknapping:
1. Glass/ Ceramic: It can get pricey for the beginner flint knapper to purchase stone only to have much of their first work break over and over again. The best way to get your feet on the ground as a beginning flint knapper is to practice on glass or ceramic. Glass bottles can be broken to create practice pieces. Some accomplished knappers are producing some amazing flint knapping art with glass.2. Preforms: Glass or ceramic preforms are also available for practice. These preforms are often already in the general shape of an arrowhead giving the beginning flint knapper the opportunity to practice removing small flakes without the need to remove the much more difficult material from the middle of the preform.
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| preform |
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| preform |
3. Join the flintknapping community: Find or create a flintknapping community around yourself. Aside from the fact that flintknappers are just great people, they are excellent teachers. Find "knap-ins" near you and be inspired by those that have been practicing the art for many years. You will also find encouragement in learning along side others that are just "picking up the flint" like you. Youtube and many flint knapping forums also hold valuable information for the beginner flintknapper.
Be safe. Make sure you wear safetly glasses and gloves when knapping, and be sure to work in a well ventilated area. Happy knapping!