Shoestring Guide to Buying Tools

Pressure Flaking

For pressure flaking you will need a pressure flaker. Generally it needs to be kept pointed by filing. The pressure flaker can be a commercially bought plastic one or as simple as a copper nail in a piece of wood. Alternatively you can use a deer antler or a deer antler inserted into a piece of wood as in the picture above.




Most knappers use a pad to hold the piece they are making when flaking. Leather pads are popular but I have seen knappers use anything that comes to hand, such as folded linen. An alternative to a pad is a channelled rubber pad, these can be bought or made at home.




Abraders are essential, there are three methods to get one. You can buy an abrader from a commercial site, find a piece of rough rock laying around or try this method.
https://www.youtube.com/user/BOHUNTER?blend=2&ob=1#p/u/63/eXc0cI3SShU


Prices
Pressure Flaker £8
Antler £2
Antler in wood 50p
Copper Nail in wood 50p

Leather Pad £3
Rubber Channelled Pad £3
Folded Linen Free

Fine Abrader £2
Find Rock Free

File £1 Shop



Equipment needed
Flaker, Pad, Abrader, file
Price range £1.50 - £14

Spalling

Spalling is when you hit the large flint nodule to create small flakes to work with.

Basically what you use needs to be big and heavy. I used a modern club hammer, but knapping shops sell copper plated steel hammers or all copper hammers. Huge all copper billets can be bought or a large rock found free of charge.

If you are placing the stone on your leg while spalling you will definately need some protection.

Prices
Club Hammer £8
Copper Hammer £60
Copper Billet £30
Rock Free

So there it is a complete napping kit from £12.50

Here's a revised version of everything you need.

This lot cost £37, if you use an old linen sheet instead of leather leg protection and make your own pressure flaker, the price drops to £18. If you use a rock abrader and your own pad another £6 comes off.

Authentic Knappers have it even easier


Sandstone abrader and hard hammer pebble
top right, free. Leather pad and antler bottom
Total cost £4.

Okay, novice question number one - why do you fit a copper nail instead if a steel/iron one please?

Ta

kawasemi

Please don't take this as gospel, but I'll have a pop.

One of the the reasons is authenticity, a lot of knapping was done in the Copper and Bronze ages and during that era people used copper to knap with. Another is efficientcy, copper is quite soft and grips the flint extremely well as you apply pressure, whereas iron or steel can be extremely slippery.

However in the UK while there is no evidence of iron being used during the iron age for presure flaking, it was used right up to the 19th century for percussion flaking in the gun flint industry. On the other hand in the US the American Indians adpted the use of iron nails once they discovered them from the settlers (as well as a preference for man made glass).

Also recently people seem to be experimenting more and more with iron in knapping and you hear more about people using it, most knapping stores now seem to sell iron horse nails as well as copper ones, these I believe are a pretty soft kind of iron. Also there are a lot of people who are into fine notching, which is a very arty form of pressure flaking, and there are some modern 'fine notchers' (a kind of pressure flaker) out there for sale, that use iron or steel nails as copper is far too weak when that thin.

Thanks for the info Grendel. My next mission is to hunt out some copper nails.

ATB

kawasemi

i've been doing this on a shoe-string too, the only stuff i paid for were my goggles (a quid from wilko's), and some copper plumbing end-caps from wickes (about 3.50 for 2) for some light boppers.. the rest of my kit is scavenged leather for pads (from old furniture left in skips, and foraged from work), many hammer stones foraged on many a walk, copper bits for flakers (foraged from skips/trash again), and bone for flakers (foraged again). the key for me has just been to keep my eyes peeled and to think like a womble

i'll post pics of my kit and a bit more info when it isnt so late!

You may have just coined the new phrase for knapping on the cheap, 'Womble Knapping'. I love it, w have to have a post entitled this.

changing my avatar asap!

Here's a couple of vids best described as the Rolls Royce and the Bicycle. Somehow I prefer the bicycle.

You know, I took one look at all those solid copper billets and my first thought was "I wonder what the scrap price of copper is just now"

My billets are made from bits of an old broom handle, shaped copper end caps, and lead I found while out metal detecting.

The Ishi sticks consist of offcuts from salvaged wooden chimney sweep rods, copper nails, and some copper pipe offcuts.

All together now "Underground, overground......."

If you're into womble knapping, you'll love this: for my leg pad I use two or three square carpet tiles as padding and a rubber backed doormat used rubber side up! This works beutifully and it beats anything else i've used, I think the carpet tiles where 25p each and I now need a new doormat!

The Lithic Studies Society hold a "knap in" at Butser Iron age village every year and they seggest that that you bring an old towel as a leg pad, not good unless you like bruised legs, and the towel will hold the dust and sharp flakes too...

Bet you will look at your doormat in a new light after reading this!

Great advice, I've used heavily folded Jeans in the past, 2 inches of Jeans makes a hell of a good custhon.

the carpet tiles and doormat tip is a doozie, and as a skinny chap one could do with extra padding... should be a simple thing to scav too

the flakes slide off the rubber and into a tub to my left hand side, so I don't even have to sweep up much! It's not very archaeologically authentic but it works.

Antler soft hammer. I know it a bit hit and his and you buy in weight but some pet shops do antler dog chews which are suplied by a local game dealer. sometimes you can get some real usefull ones. just have to ask and look before you buy. i got 2 about 30cm for £18.