Knapping day

I am thinking of booking a day this summer with Will lord for a days knapping as a few on hee have said it is well worth the days to hone your skills - as i have no skills i can only see it as a good thing.

I have just mailed will lord about knapping as I hope to join him soon - if I go I will take the camera.

Sounds good, first time I had a knapping lesson I took home loads of nodules, got them home and turned them to rubble trying to spall them. Too late I realised it would have been better to spall them while at the lesson with help, I could have spent the last hour of the class spalling, took piles of spalls home and had ready made knapping material for a year to come.

This is good advice, book the day and absooorb everything, it will last you a lifetime, and make sure you get some good chunks of flint to take home to practice on the same material as you have observed, I think Will has access to the good gun flint black stuff from Brandon(much better than the flint I have). He makes a living from what we take as a hobby, so he will give you the best advice going.
He may also make you skin a deer with flint too!

That Cromer flint you got, how does it compare to Bernie's?

Ahh, bernie's is much better, It hasn't been chucked against other rocks repeatedly by the waves! and his flint is still "wet" from the chalk.
To be honest the beach flint is frustrating, I often find little splits in the middle where the stone has started to frost fracture although it rings nicely with a tap with another pebble.
I wasn't overly impessed with the flint I first got from Bernie but that was really down to selection on my part (being in a rush and only getting two lumps), I have been back and the flint I got the second time was brilliant, and better colours too...

I wouldn't mind a trip to see Bernie myself, perhaps on day we could have a knap at bernies day.

I was planning on going there sometime next week to resupply, but I don't know if he would let us knap there. Is there a public location nearby, picnic area or something?

Grendel wrote:I was planning on going there sometime next week to resupply, but I don't know if he would let us knap there. Is there a public location nearby, picnic area or something?

I am sure there would be a close spot to knap - not sure if I can make a trip next week as i am working away, how often do you go?

Only once or twice a year, unfortunately, however if you're ever in London I have a garden full of flint.

I do have to go to London to work once in a while so might have to pop in for a coffee.