How to Make Flint Arrowheads

A flint arrowhead

Flint, a sedimentary rock often found in limestone, was a common material to make tools dating back to the Stone Age. It was also used by Native Americans to form arrowheads. Flint is an excellent rock to shape into a hunting tool because it flakes when it's struck. As a result, both the pieces that flake off, known as blades, can be used as a tool in itself, as can the piece that is shaped. Read on to discover how you can make your own flint arrowhead.

Things You'll Need

• Rock or hammer
• Piece of flint

Instructions

1. Find a piece of flint that is the same thickness as the arrowhead you'd like to form. Flint is native to many parts of the world, including the United States, but it can also be ordered online if you're short on time or don't know where to look.

2. Examine different shapes and forms of arrowheads to determine what type you'd like to make. There are approximately 10 variations of arrowheads that have been discovered and recorded: You can copy one that you like or be creative and make your own design. Consult an arrowhead website or book on arrowheads for ideas.

3. Hold one edge of the stone against a rock or piece of stable wood such as a workbench. Using your hammer or a hard rock, hit the piece of flint, motioning away from yourself.

4. Note how the flint flakes, and shape the flint into your general desired arrowhead shape. Try to strike it the same way when you hammer the other side of the flint.

5. Use a second piece of flint to gently hone the shape of the arrowhead. This will create a more detailed, lightly hammered look, similar to the sophisticated Native American technique.

Resources

• Where To Purchase Flint