Abo Flintknapping Reduction Strategies
by
Rick Hamilton
Spirit in the Wind Enterprises
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| I used a whitetail antler billet and the platform shown to remove the flake and then put back in it's original position. This is the proximal (base) side. | A top view showing the same flake and it's removal scar. Notice it removed the majority of the cortex and traveled nearly the full length of the nodule. |
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| Side view of resultant flake, notice it's flatness which is what you want on primary thinning flakes initiated from either the proximal or distal (point) end. | Opposing face (1) showing a flake removed from the proximal (base) end. It also removed nearly all the cortex from this face very similar to side 1. The flake did break into three pieces but held together enough to travel the full length. Removing your initial primary flakes from the ends thins while also maintaining your width. |
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| Top view showing the flake removed in the previous photo. Notice the chalky portion in the center. There is a seam in there that would cause me problems later on. |
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| A full length or in this case a full width flake (coast to coast) without dipping into the ocean (overshooting). These major secondary flakes are initiated from the sides using some of the platforms created by the earlier stitching of the square edges. Notice the stitching remnants on the edge in the bottom of the photo. | The same flake from a different angle. The platform is on the right hand side of the flake. |
