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Modern Knapping Tools

These are typical tools used in what we'll call "Modern Knapping." The business ends are made of copper, which turns out to be an excellent simulation of the antler and soft hammer stones used by the ancients. Modern knappers tend to favor these because they are inexpensive and easily obtainable, and reduce pressure on deer and moose populations. There are examples in the archeological record of prehistoric use of copper tools made from naturally occuring pure copper.

The tool on the far left is a "copper bopper" for percussion knapping made from a modern copper plumbing cap, filled with lead and wooden shaft. The middle tool is a "copper bopper" made from solid copper rod, used for making large spalls from large rocks. This tool rapidly reduces a rock to smaller, thinner sections or absolute junk, depending on the knapper's skill level. The tool on the right is a pressure flaker, used for taking small, precise flakes from rock. The business end is made from small diameter copper rod or wire, hammered into a blunt point, and set in a handle of varying materials. This one is made from deer antler, with an adjusable brass collar.

Typical knappers today might have several sizes of each of these for both small and large scale work.
Ancient Knapping Tools

Here are two examples of tools prehistoric people would have used, and which are used today by some knappers (typically called "abo" knapping). The top tool is a pressure flaker, and is the tip of a deer antler (in this case a naturally shed antler). The bottom tool is a percussion billet made from the section of deer antler where it attaches to the skull (also from a naturally shed antler).
Here's the actual theory put into action. Doc Higgins is holding a piece of "Silver Sheen" obsidian (named because of the gray layers in it) that he's going to turn into a seven inch blade. This is a large, angular and knobby piece of obsidian, a naturally occuring volcanic glass. Native Americans favored this material for stone tools, using it whenever they could obtain it.

Note the heavy leather glove on his left hand, and the thick leather pad on his leg. The flakes he'll be removing are said to be the sharpest edge known to man. Because of the conchoidal breakage characteristics of obsidian, the edge produced is feathered out to an edge one molecule thick, far sharper than the best surgical steel.
Here Doc's about to take the first in a long series of flakes from the obsidian. He's using a solid copper bopper here, and will be hitting about one third of the way up from the bottom of the edge nearest the bopper. The flake will detach from the uderside of the stone. By controlling where he hits the stone, the angle he holds it, the angle he strikes it at, and the force of the blow he will gradually remove unwanted portions, resulting in a beautifully flaked blade with matching flake scars. He's been doing this since about 1990, and is self taught. I've (Tom) been doing this for about two years, and can produce blades only half the size Doc can, and not nearly as pretty. I also break quite a few. For me, a tragic case of theory wildly outstripping performance. While anyone can learn to knap successfully, truly beautiful work requires lots of practice and extreme dedication.

All contents copyrighted © 2002 | Tom Sterling

Tom Sterling PO Box 1621 Coupeville WA 98239

Last Updated:Monday March 24, 2008