using flint tools.

i have been experimenting with simple tools i have made from some rough flint, i used some flint to make items used in fire lighting to prepare the spindle and hearth, they were very effective and i found they chipped along the edge easily, i have similar markings on flints i have found.

I've shaped a bit flint, and will be making a little leather pouch to keep it in.

I'm interested to see whether it is 'useful' in a modern setting. That is, can the flint replace my little penknife for all those little jobs that come up.

I've made plenty of the antler knives, same as found everywhere on the internet, but never found them useful. They look pretty and are great for display but are an entirely modern creation. On the other hand the Acheulian hand axes I made work better than a regular knife for many things and are multi use. I beginning to believe, if I knap anything to use I should make the authentic stuff.

I heard John Lord talking about knapping usable flint. He thought obsidian knapped beautifully, but shattered too easily in use. Apparently, ordinary flint from Suffolk might not look as pretty, but at least you get more than one use out of it.

British barbed and tanged arrowheads were one shot, mostly they broke when hitting the animal. So I always wondered why take so much care for a single shot weapon. I could understand this much care for graves and decoration but why not use easier to knap and sturdier designs for hunting? This seems to show at least in some cases prehistoric people didn't care about durability.

The Aztecs used obsidian liberally, chert was available but they prefered obsidian over a flint like material. I made some maquahuitls a few years back put obsidian blades in and thought how fragile. I then made one with flint and thought how durable. Today I am still wondering why the Aztecs bladed them with obsidian not chert.

Obsidian is much easier to knap that flint or chert, so perhaps that is one motivation.

Maybe because obsidian is so easy to knap, and is naturally sharp, it was quicker to knock out a new obsidian flint rather than reface a chert one?

Any thoughts on this?