Our current batch of hammer stones are naturally smoothed and rounded by
water currents and tumbling over hundreds of years. These are
primarily composed of basalt, and are a bit softer than quartzite
hammerstones. Ideal for early bifacing on high quality spalls of heated
cherts or volcanic material.
Hard hammerstones are particularly unforgiving for delicate
percussion use, and will destroy a fragile blade easily with one misplaced
strike. All of our hammerstones have been hand sorted for size,
shape, and consistency of material to avoid defects that would cause them
to break prematurely, however any violent strikes into hard material
or badly prepared platform will speed up any tool failure.
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Traditional tools are also
known by flint knappers as 'abo' tools (derived from the
word aboriginal). These terms refer to tools that are made of natural
materials and are similar in function to the implements used
by our stone tool making predecessors throughout the course of human
technological development. Examples of other abo tools include
hammerstones of various densities and shapes, antler tine flakers, rib bone
flakers, lashed flakers, wood billets, sandstone edge modifiers, and
billets created from the base or 'crown' section of antler.
Flint knapping with traditional tools is immensely rewarding,
though challenging to use and not the easiest to learn with. There remains
something to be said for recreating the process that is largely accepted as one
of the most important technological advances in human history with nothing more
than items found on the forest floor.
