How to Make Indian Arrow Heads

Native Americans used arrowheads for everything from hunting and fishing to warfare. Though the arrowheads could be made from variety of materials such as bone and metal, stone was the most popular material. Flint the most popular and easiest stone to work with. Making an arrowhead requires patience and precision, but with practice many people can learn to make a native arrowhead.

Things You'll Need

• Piece of flint stone
• Hammer

Instructions

1. Select a piece of flint for your arrowhead. It should be larger and wider than the intended size of your final product, but should not be any thicker than you desire the finished arrowhead to be. You might want to choose a few stones to work with so that you can practice and perfect your technique.

2. Place one edge of the stone on a wooden block or the edge of a table so that the other end hangs over empty air. You could use a vice or a clamp to hold the stone in place if you are wary about protecting your fingers from hammer strikes. The process of shaping the arrowhead is known as percussion flaking.

3. Strike pieces of the flint off of the free end of the stone with the hammer. Continue to chip away sections of the stone until it has assumed the shape of an arrowhead.

4. Strike small niches in the surface of the stone using the blunt side of a hatchet or hunting knife if you want notches in the side of your arrowhead. Dull the edges with a soft stone to ensure safety in wearing or carrying the arrowhead.

Tips & Warnings

• If you choose to use a material other than flint, be aware that the strength of materials will vary. For a softer stone, a smaller hammer or a rock might be a better tool for carving the arrowhead shape.

• Be careful when striking with hammers and when working with stone; the stone will become sharper as the process goes on.

References

• Using percussion flaking
• Making a flint arrowhead

Resources

• Purchase arrowheads