finding flint?

That chalk stuff sure looks like Castle Acre flint, not seen the brown stuff there. When you get round to knapping it, let us know how it fairs quality wise.

Mike said the comercial cost of the flint is more than the chalk which is the main product of the quarry, the flint is a by-product but fetches far more by ton.
The brown flint was from the layer just above the chalk I was told, it's picked up a sandy or gravelly patination on the outside and it looks like the left-overs from glacial displacement.
The "brown" flint looks like mottled grey inside, I was also told that the brown flint was sent to the Castle Acre quarry and Bernie complained about it. Something about it being harder and heavier. They later sent another load later, and then he said nothing. Must have sold the first lot quickly!
As for quality, we'll see.. looks fairly ok now but I've yet to have a proper chew on it.

Grendel wrote:Can't comment on Pinner but the rest of the London bit seems accurate. It mentions Woolwich. The centre of this pic is chalk hills, where Woolwich Dockyard station is now. To the right is a massive crop of chalk hills where Charlton Athletic's football ground is now (aptly named the Valley) on top of one of the remaining hills is an Iron Age Hill Fort. The whole area is now under housing though, so the flint not of much use. 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Nicholas_Pocock_-_Woolwich_Dockyard.jpg

Here's those same hills on the right in Victorian times

http://www.charltonparks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Charlton-Sandpit.jpg

Dam, I used to live in Charlton and I fell off of Cox's Mount (I think that's the one you mean about the hill fort) once or twice during my adventurous teen years shame I didn't get my lust for flint until after I moved to Cornwall

Had I known about the Iron Age fort I would have spent more time stopping the housing development and less time trashing my bike off the ramps

Welcome to the forum Mr.66. Cornwall is a bit sparse for flint to say the least, but it does have a good outcrop of Serpentine at Lizard, which is the stone that I used to make this Jadite axe replica. " />

Dam, I used to live in Charlton and I fell off of Cox's Mount (I think that's the one you mean about the hill fort) once or twice during my adventurous teen years shame I didn't get my lust for flint until after I moved to Cornwall

Had I known about the Iron Age fort I would have spent more time stopping the housing development and less time trashing my bike off the ramps

Spot on, Cox's Mount indeed. Only a fraction of the original hill remains, the rest quarried over a century ago. They found some round houses on the bit that remains. I used climb it as a kid too, that and the Heights. In fact all the wood on the stuff I make today comes from Marion Wilson.

mr.hertzian cone wrote:Mike said the comercial cost of the flint is more than the chalk which is the main product of the quarry, the flint is a by-product but fetches far more by ton.
The brown flint was from the layer just above the chalk I was told, it's picked up a sandy or gravelly patination on the outside and it looks like the left-overs from glacial displacement.
The "brown" flint looks like mottled grey inside, I was also told that the brown flint was sent to the Castle Acre quarry and Bernie complained about it. Something about it being harder and heavier. They later sent another load later, and then he said nothing. Must have sold the first lot quickly!
As for quality, we'll see.. looks fairly ok now but I've yet to have a proper chew on it.

Be sure to let us know about the brown stuff and how it compares the the chalk flint.

wow love the jadite axe - what process did you use to make it?

I ment to get round to having a good bash at the quarry flint this weekend, however I just made a handaxe ironically out of a beach flint again!
The jadite/serpentine axe was ground on this sandstone block with some hammer stone crushed waste flakes initially and then finished with friction with out the added grit and then sandpaper(!) then beeswax." />

How many hundred hours did it take. Have to admit I do my ground axes with a hand sander.

Not that long. I made this in a morning, though it took some grinding in that time. Serpentine is really quite soft so really good for making a "Jadite" type axe that will never be used as an axe. This one was a handling commission for the museum.
I've have to say I picked up the pounded flint fakes as added sharp grit for grinding from one of Bernard Ginnelli's youtube clips and he was using it for grinding a preform flint for a flake over grind knife. It really powers through a soft(ish) rock like Serpentine.
A hand sander? One that you plug in, or just rub? I've considered the afore mentioned belt sander a few times...

It's a power one, though a belt sander may be a better alternative, worth experimenting with.

I've considered a wet grinding wheel to keep the dust down, It's on the knapping wish list, one day I'll be able to do flake over grind.
BTW the brown flint from Caistor is good stuff, I had a bash today. Lots of different and interesting colours, sort of swirls of brown and greys and as usual the better quality flint is near the cortex.