Basic Flint Knapping Tools
Flint knapping, the process of making cutting tools from stone and volcanic glass, can be performed with age-old tools such as antler and bone or with more modern tools equipped with copper caps and wire. All tools incorporate the same basic principles for this ancient technique.
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Bone
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Ancient tribal peoples spanning the globe used bone fragments to help fracture and shape softer flint stones and volcanic glass (also known as obsidian) into spear tips and arrowheads. The bone could be used as a percussion chipper, pounded like a hammer onto the softer rock to create sharp edges on the knapping surface.
Antlers
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Large sections of deer or elk antler make effective percussion hammers for flint knapping. Smaller sections of antler tines can be used to hone the edges of knapped arrowheads and spear tips through a process called pressure chipping. In pressure chipping, rather than hammering down on the knapping surface, the tines are pressed down on the edges of the flint or obsidian until flakes fracture off, creating a sharper edge.
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Hammer Stone
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Hammer stones often are found in archaeological sites where civilizations used flint knapping. These hard, rounded rocks served as percussion chippers. There is no need to install handles. Just hold the rock hammer tightly in one hand and drive it down onto the knapping surface to break off flakes.
Copper Pressure Flaker
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Modern flint knappers commonly use copper in both percussion and pressure flaking. The metal grips the knapping stone, providing more precise fractures than bone or stone can create.
A copper pressure flaker can be made by embedding a section of copper wire into a hardwood dowel rod, then installing a screw in the side of the dowel to hold the embedded wire in place. The wire should then be honed into a sharp edge with a rasp or file.
Copper Percussion Bopper
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This copper tool, much like bone and hammer stones, is used for percussion chipping. These typically are constructed from a hard wood handle, a copper cap (the type used in plumbing fixtures) and lead that is melted into the cap for weight and stability. The lead-filled copper cap is glued onto the end of a four- to six-inch hardwood handle with strong epoxy.
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