How to Make Your Own Arrowheads From a Kit

Arrowhead making is commonly referred to as flintknapping.

Arrowheads were used by Native Americans for hunting animals and fighting colonists or other tribes. Arrowheads were the point of an arrow, handmade with rocks and tools. Now a collector's item, arrowheads reside in museums or in the homes of arrowhead connoisseurs because they are considered artifacts of the past. However, arrowheads can be made with the use of a flintknapping kit. A flintknapping kit contains all the tools necessary to make arrowheads.

Things You'll Need

• Leather pad
• Antler billet
• Deer antler tine pressure flaker
• Abrading stone
• Knapping stones

Instructions

1. Review your instructions the kit came with and get to know the materials. Your kit should come with a variety of items to create your arrowheads. A leather pad is used to protect your leg and hand from the rocks and tools. An antler billet is a dull object used like a hammer, to flake away layers of the knapping stones. An antler tine pressure flaker is a sharper object for removing the small layers of rocks. An abrading stone (or sandpaper) will create the sharp point of the arrowhead.

2. Choose a comfortable area to flintknap. The traditional position is sitting cross-legged in a chair. However, do whatever you think is most comfortable since flintknapping can take several hours. Place the piece of leather over your knee.

3. Select a knapping stone and place it in your nondominant hand, over the leather pad on your knee. Strike the stone with your antler billet to remove large layers of the stone. You will want the arrowhead to take a triangular shape and be as flat as possible.

4. Chisel away more of the knapping stone using the antler tine pressure flaker. Wrap the leather pad around your hand that is holding the knapping stone. This will protect it from the pressure flaker tool. The pressure flaker is designed to remove the last, small layers of rock for finishing the shape of the arrowhead.

5. Utilize the abrading stone (or sandpaper) to finish the arrowhead. Form a sharp point at the top of the arrowhead.

References

• Arrowhead Maker: Knapping Kit
• Native Way: Basic Flintknapping Kit
• Flintknapping Tools: What Is Flintknapping?
• Onagocag Publishing; What Do You Really Need to Start Flintknapping?; Wyatt R. Knapp; 2003
• Indians: Arrowheads

Resources

• Native Way Online
• Alderleaf Wilderness College; Making Arrowheads; The Ancient Art of Flint Knapping; Jason Knight