Antler Flaker Update
Posted on : 25-02-2010 | By : John | In : Stone Tools
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Okay, I said that I was going to make a projectile point of some kind with my new antler-tipped pressure flaker and then post the results. I made this little arrowhead last week but haven’t gotten around to posting about it until today. This is a small little ‘bird point’ that I made from a waste flake, so it is not huge. I intentionally decided to experiment with something small and if the flake tool worked out well, then I’d try it again on some larger material. And it is a good thing I started this way because it quickly became apparent that the mass of the small piece of antler I used for this tool was inadequate for larger flake removal applications. In addition, I had to cut my piece of antler shorter than I wanted because of a bend that I couldn’t get out. Ideally, I would have liked a longer piece for a more secure haft and added leverage that I couldn’t conveniently achieve with the shorter handle.
When using my new flaker, I was afraid to apply too much pressure on some of the larger platforms for fear of breaking the antler. In the beginning, I had a difficult time getting the antler to grip the platform; the smooth surface of the antler caused it to slip off before removing a flake. But after a little tinkering, I was actually able to make it bite pretty well. In fact, because of the antler is softer than the copper, it did an excellent job of gripping the platform’s edge if applied at just the right angle. This surely contributes to accelerated wear and subsequent resharpening, but when working with antler that is to be expected anyway. I can’t really give a fair or complete assessment of antler since my flaking tool is too small for thorough testing. But I do have some larger pieces of antler lying around and I want to make a new one similar in size and form to an Ishi Stick. The new one I plan to make will be larger and should be capable of removing larger flakes. When it is done, I’ll be sure to update. Until then I’ll go back to using copper and may reshape the antler flaker for use as a notching tool.
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