How not to knap

Discovered this site, full of lots of illustrations from a 1965 book on how to make stone tools. It's interesting to see the methodology, how they used to think knapping was done in those dark days compared to how we do it now.

I even made the sacrifice and tried the first method of making a burin (against my better judgement) doing exactly as the book shows step by step....... I hope to be out of pain by tomorrow.

http://donsmaps.com/makingflinttools.html

i have so much to learn - i could do with spending a few hours with someone to show me how to knap - i tried today and once again just ended up with smaller bits of flint than when i had started - i think i could write the book on how not to knap - lol-.

wow, how not to knap indeed! I have seen these before (Timelife Early Man books!) and they where my starting point when I started to knap, on paper they make sense but in reality they are all a little ill-informed to say the least, but kinda close to the intended idea. I would like to say that these illustrations where commitioned by someone who read something by someone who knew what he was doing, but sadly was drawn by someone who didn't!
Hooray for chinese whispers....

By the way Mr. G, it sounds like you have an entry for the knapping injuries topic!

It didn't break the skin so no visible injury. However that second burin making method seem fascinating,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, your turn!