I know this has been talked about but I can not seem to find the info I need.

I want to give flit knapping a go and am looking for a kit, material, DVD....

The first good snow hit this AM and this winter seems as good as any a time.

I know it would be best to sit with someone but at this time I don't know if that can happen.


Help!!!!!!

MW, snow? Already? Dang, son its still sept. I'd of moved far away from that stuff. At any rate, try here for your kits.
Fred

http://www.neolithics.com/

For material you can get a kit from 3rivers. Included are basic tools and some rock. I got this and then found a guy selling obsidian preforms so you can make stuff just by pressure flaking. I'll PM you that info if you like. I haven't bought a dvd yet but Woody's should be real good.

Jason the info would be great.

No reason for someone in Utah to buy material........there is plenty of it just lying around on BLM land waiting to be picked up.  Once you see what to look for you will not likely have any trouble finding good material instead of buying it.

just my $0.02

Matt

Heat treated Novicite(sp), or any heat treated material would be best to learn on, flakes like butter. The obsid preforms are easy to use. You can pick-up material in your area but exposed material is not as good for knapping/poor quality normaly.

Yeah what oneshot said...I gathered about seventy pounds of chert and it all has freeze fracture. Then I gathered more from a road construction site, it looks better, but I have no clue if it is any good.
Awesome new addiction though....

I don't wanna cause any trouble, but I will state that what you guys said about chert is true in your neck of the woods (and mine too), but not necessarily so in Utah.  I have picked up literally hundreds of pounds of very nice chert, jasper, agate, pet wood, and quartzite on BLM land in WY, UT, NM, CO, AZ.  You need to remember that their erosional regime is very different than ours and stuff on the surface may have only been exposed for a little while, not decades or longer like we expect in the east.  Anyway, point is when you are learning you are going to go through a whole lot of rock and the cost of buying it is ever increasing.  Some states do infact have really nice stuff just laying around!

Matt

No trouble caused IMO....actually its good to know for when/if I ever make it out that way.

Thank you for your input.

I am a beginner and know nothing about rocks ecept that flat ones skip better.  There may be great stuff around but I would not know.

Any book recomendations?

There are a number of books on the market and some of them are pretty good.  Knapping is intensely visual though:  trying to adequately describe it in written words is extremely difficult, and even harder for a beginner to understand.  I recommend you get a video or two (I'm not trying to peddle one, just trying to give good advice.  GGG).  The BEST way to learn is to find somebody with experience and sit with them for a few hours.

Utah is a big place and the outcrops of good rock are small and concentrated (from what I've experienced).  There's a glass shop (or four) in every town.  Go ask for left-over "cut offs" at least 3/8" thick.  Even 1/4" will be fine if all you is pressure flake.  Glass is excellent for learning, free, and makes great arrowpoints.  

Where in Utah are you?  One of the great knappers is outside Moab.  Greg Nunn -- very nice guy and makes some world-class pieces.

Hey Jason would ya mind sharing the preform info? Sounds like a way of wading in at the shallow end.

I haven't actually done it, nor are they currently offering it...but I've heard from a couple of folks that the occasional day class that the Utah Musuem of Nat History does on knapping is just outstanding.  Might wanna just keep your eye on their calendar or give 'em a call.

Check out these guys, looks like there is an event this weekend
http://www.utahknapping.com/events.html

Thank you jbb.

I think I'll try to make it.

Also check out "PaleoPlanet" they have a section devoted to flint knapping..

http://b16.ezboard.com/bpaleoplanet69529

how-to's
stone info
and a lot more......