Knapping Obsidian

[@jimtrainor6749]

This comment is from my 11 year old son. so my 11 year old says that he is very into knapping and bows,arrows and atlatls. also he LOVES your flintknapping and hunting and even your skinning with stone tools videos. THANK YOU!!!!

[@jimtrainor6749]

Also we have made a few atlatls and my 11 year old son really wants to flintknap stone points and stone knives and he does want go hunting with atlatls and bows.

[@Samuel-ik5wp]

@@jimtrainor6749let me guess, you have no kids and you are just a fan.

[@leonardcavaretta905]

The thing that makes Obsidian so sharp is that when it flakes, it does so on the molecular level. So the edge is actually 1 micron thick. It is the sharpest edge you can get, so much so that surgeons still use Obsidian scalpels for the finest surgery.

[@richardwiley5933]

Yes, and those scapels are quite expensive compared to steel.

[@VikingMantis1413]

Sapphire scalpels are a thing as well, I think but I'm not sure, they may be slightly sharper that obsidian too.

[@Wavy_Gravy]

​@VikingMantis1413 I was going to say, industrial gem scalpels may be .5 micron thick. Or half of obsidian.

[@Wavy_Gravy]

No, apparently, obsidian is the sharpest. 10ųm for sapphire, 30 angstroms for obsidian. 10ųm=100,000 angstroms

[@lyndaniel3369]

Dang! Every time I make a comment and Then check the comments, someone has preceded me and it looks like I copied them! Gotta start checking the comments Before I make one! Also, didn't know surgeons were still using them.

[@randmayfield5695]

To do this without eye protection seems crazy. Just one micro flake into the eye and it could mean your sight. My favorite shop teacher would always day: "Unless you have a spare set of eyeballs in your pocket...PUT YOUR SAFETY GLASSES ON!" Saftey glasses have saved my eyes twice in my life. Each to his own.

[@lyndaniel3369]

Right. Everyone thinking of trying this should wear safety glasses (and some kind of gas mask if possible). Thick leather is about the best protection for the skin.

[@progradepainting3755]

@@lyndaniel3369a gas mask? lol

[@lukehatfield8919]

never been jealous of how many rocks somebody has before.

[@cryptotheonly6216]

Then you ain’t in the hood. 😂 Just kidding I’m jealous too !

[@claybowman1242]

You’re one of the most organic knappers I’ve seen, the thinking seems effortless and it’s very apparent you’ve made thousands of blades and points. Very nice to watch

[@bkf8166]

You mean that it's not easy? Well, that's discouraging.

[@FoxtrotFleet]

@@bkf8166 The first step to being really good at anything is being awful at it. It's a skill like any other, experience makes the master.

[@scottmckenna9164]

The ability to do delicate work and talk at the same is commendable.

[@joeyyknapp]

As a Knapp, I can vouch for the fact that this is quality content. Bravo.

[@mingshey]

Wonderful lesson! And your mention of caution against the danger of silicosis is what everyone who would try stone knapping has to keep in mind, over all other skills.

[@bigoldgrizzly]

As a life long coal miner with black lung I absolutely agree with you. Perhaps surprising, but when I cut and dress walling stone, I don't wear a mask but do establish a strong cross draft using one, or sometimes two, fairly strong fans [one pushing one pulling] This is very effective at clearing dust from the work area. A am heavily bearded and masks just don't get a good seal.

[@lawrencenoctor2703]

Thank you Ryan,really enjoyed your tutorial your a natural teacher. Im here in SW England and have some English flint. Now armed with a litte knowledge Im ready to go. Best wishes to you.L.👍

[@scotsmanofnewengland7713]

My friend is a flint napper and I am so impressed with the arrowheads he has made. I would have never known the beauty of such work till I saw some of his work. Thanks for the video.

[@campsiteministries]

Definitely finish it out. I’d really like to see how it looks with a handle.

[@bukeyeboi2875]

I really want this also Id like a handle on it

[@seankeikbusch9404]

First vid of yours I've seen and I'm pretty excited. After 30 years of interest but never really making something decent. I've finally started knapping some points. I'm a hands on learner and I just couldn't pick it up from books or fooling around with it. Took a class a few weeks ago and I have some decent points now that would actually take a deer. Been bowhunting for 25 years with modern equipment and my ultimate goal is to take a deer with a bow and arrows that I made myself. Think I found the right chanel for me! Than you for making this kind of content!!!!

[@erinobrien8408]

Thanks for doing this video!! I live between the he volcanoes, Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier where obsidian is plentiful. Lots of mahogany obsidian especially. This was very helpful!

[@noonenowhere6920]

I inherited a literal ton of obsidian from my grandfather. Been wanting to learn to do knapping. Glad I discovered this channel.

[@LifeLongBruhGamer]

thats awesome haha

[@icetweiz]

Make a portal to the nether

[@bkf8166]

As a youngster living near the Cimarron river basin in southwest Kansas, we would go out in the dunes after a windstorm and always find points. One time we found a fire ring with blackened rocks and charcoal. Watching one being made is pretty amazing. (Some chert, a lot of butterscotch pudding points, and some flint. The most impressive were the tiny bird points with the narrow waist.) This was an amazing video. Thanks so much for your trouble.

[@fernandocarrera659]

Hey i live in the same area. Haha small world

[@bkf8166]

@@fernandocarrera659 Very cool! We lived in Hugoton until I was 10. I loved going out to the dunes and searching for points.

[@nopenada3449]

Mesmerizing to watch. Cathartic, even. Impressive work. Inspiring, to be honest.

[@joshyingling]

Brother you ain’t lying about cleaning your pad after every strike!! My friend and I didn’t know and our knuckles were absolutely destroyed after attempting arrowheads

[@allanmoore4794]

Yep, I suffered the same tennis elbow pain for 5 months. I learned to use my left hand for most of life's chores so I can save my right hand and arm for more Fun things.

[@christopherconnelly6912]

Thanks Ryan. I have a bit of pumpkin obsidian I hope to eventually make points and blades out of. I got it from Glass Butte here in Oregon. I need to get much better first though.

[@SterlingCampbellCustomSaddles]

That was a real joy to watch. I have never knapped before but I shoot traditional so I sure like watching traditional art being made. Keep up the good work.

[@slanderman3296]

I've found an ancient arrowhead obsidian, about the size of a dime or smaller. Then I found a decent sized obsidian one. It was awesome. Like a gift from the ancients

[@infernaldaedra]

I used to collect artifacts like that all the time, keep an eye out sometimes and you can pick them up anywhere in the dirt.

[@dailthegoat799]

@@infernaldaedra I have 19 arrowheads 2 daggers 1 of what I think a spear head or something (it’s like a big arrow head 9 inches tall 3 inches wide it’s cool. And I have 1 obsidian knife I found it’s not sharp at all and I don’t want to fix it. I don’t have any other obsidian at all except for that but I would like to keep it how I found it.

[@infernaldaedra]

@@dailthegoat799 yeah I usually clean them off and that's it, especially arrowheads as if you manage to even find a full one they are already incredibly delicate. I think the coolest bit I once found a ~1.5ft diameter of obsidian once as a small child I straight up thought it was a buried trash bag until I saw it was glass.

[@dailthegoat799]

@@infernaldaedra yeah I wash them to no soap just water. I have 11 full ones and one with the tip off. The others are not full.

[@tsubakitengai]

Great video. Thank you. Pretty sure most knapper deaths don't aren't the result of fine dust. Typically knapper deaths are related to squashed skulls while tracking large game with one ear to the ground.

[@september1683]

It's remarkable how skillful you are. It's fun to watch you create something worthwhile.

[@Lee1179]

It's amazing how far removed we are from the days where you would have to do this for yourself in order to survive, but there's something special about it imo, beautiful piece of work

[@kkonvicka25]

Why do I find myself breathing thru my nose while watching your excellent videos? That is some superb knapping. Much better than my Dad showed me many years ago.

[@themonsterunderyourbed9408]

Are you a mouth breather or something?

[@stevo48602]

Came home from a work trip in Denmark recently. I'm a fossil guy but I brought home some good flint pieces... which is everywhere...literally.. I'm hoping to learn from these videos and make some neat things! Thanks for teaching!

[@thegreatowl4912]

Yep. First time watcher here. Subscribed immediately. I look forward to watching more of your content. Thank you for sharing and keep up the great work

[@RickCarter1776]

Nice work there Ryan, I am astounded that you can spall a piece, break it in two then get another spall and within 40 minutes or so have a beautiful formatted blade ready to set up for hafting and sharpening. You have clearly put in the time/effort for a knapping master. At least in my book anyway.

[@beyondtheveil3870]

This is mesmerizing! Amazing work!

[@joannem3568]

I love your channel, I have learned so much from you, thanks Ryan. 😊 I have some Obsidian that I'm about ready to work. Wish me luck 😊

[@tonykaczmarek278]

I love obsidian, the flake scares show up so nice. So easy to see how your progressing as you make a point.

[@jimv.661]

I for one would like to see this finished out. Beautiful Obsidian,

[@triggeredtotalitarian5695]

Damn good napping... Will NEVER forget the buffalo hunt to the heart video you did. Truly skilful.

[@burgeryoufoundbehindthegrill]

Where I live, there are no stones available in the wild unless they were brought there from somewhere else. The natives here used more bone, shell, and antler. I would love to see more coverage on those materials in the future. Keep up the great work regardless! 👍

[@DanB1987]

Same here.. Where u live? If u don't mind me asking..

[@mrlee9213]

Where i live we use the force

[@a.b.k1983]

Like that Georgetown wall behind you!

[@LandElevated]

Great content! We'll start sending your channel to our clients who recently bought land from us near the rural areas. This will surely give them motivation to try new activities like hunting and doing bushcraft. Thanks for sharing! 😊

[@seanstenson95]

Love the videos. I cant wait to start up this hobby.

[@opossum2255]

Finally !! Glad to see these types of videos again . Not going to lie, I was bummed there for a while when you didn’t put out much content .

[@rickyrockety1620]

mannnnnnn, that was so fun to watch. it’s crazy how much control you have over that glass. very cool. I hope to learn this skill.

[@chrissscottt]

Very impressive skill and beautiful work.

[@T_bone]

The video that you tested the blades on was very informative. The durability of the blade type you made today was very good for atlatl or spear points. That was a question I had been pondering for decades.

[@SteveggStevegg]

Just amazing. Beautiful.

[@tomdownes6961]

Holy Moly! I am drooling at the wall behind you!

[@claywebo850]

I have no intention of every using this information but I just sat through 35 minutes of this and I gotta say, it’s satisfying

[@Amanda-yf7vj]

I have seen a spear made of very lovely hard oolite! Soo beautiful!!

[@patriciacollier9864]

I have a golden sheen obsidian blade that's about 6 inches long by about 4 inches wide at the widest part, it's also a bit of a hefty piece. I've had it for quite a few years. It is a gorgeous piece. I call it my Huntress blade because it looks like there is an ancient Huntress in the blade.

[@Ralphieisthegreatest]

I just got a box black obsidian today. I'm anxious to learn. I just wanted to know how to make something sharp enough to butcher an animal if I ever needed to. This is an excellent video! Thank you so much!

[@lelandshanks4759]

I've been wanting to knap my own knives from obsidian, thanks for the video.

[@joshyingling]

Typically the natives would only use “knives” for ceremonial purposes. With obsidian you can skin a deer with one or two flakes. Much easier to use and obtain than trying to make a proper knife. That’s what I’ve gathered in research anyway. They are really neat looking knives though

[@johnharrison6153]

Love the video,I'm going to start knapping starting out making arrow heads,you do great work.

[@kylefessenden3111]

I'd certainly like to see one done with the aboriginal tools from a spall. I tend to struggle from time to time by making my platforms too stout and blast giant overshot flakes when I don't want to

[@Deathray-sm3yn]

I’m jealous of the huge piles of material u have stacked beautifully around u. But I also know u travel to get loads of it at a time! Just placed my order Monday. Been watching the mailbox since. Even though it’s a 25lb box and shouldn’t fit in the mailbox!

[@brandonwheeler1749]

I was thinking that myself

[@EthanMcKee.]

Have you received yours yet

[@Deathray-sm3yn]

@@EthanMcKee. sorry I’m replying 2 months later but yes I did get my order! I’m in north Alabama and he’s in Florida so usually 3 days is all it takes for me to get orders from him

[@southernbushcraft1750]

Keep the videos coming! Great explanation as you go through a rock!

[@marchill861]

My first time watching you. This was so interesting to watch. The blade was beautiful! Thanks I subscribed so keep going . Your so talented!

[@adventurebound2923]

Thanks ryan! Great video, watching really helps with how to turn raw spawls into flakes, especially the more oddly shaped spawls.

[@glennclark4582]

Here in the Eastern Sierra of California, Obsidian was the major material for the old people. There are several places to find it. It is what I use more than other material. We can find the green tinted down south of us.

[@Sparkeycarp]

I have collected some of that. I would love to make something out of it.

[@daviddilley538]

Green obsidian was the source of Aztec and Mayan wealth….

[@markh5889]

I would love to see it turned into a spear point. Thanks for another great video.

[@VirginiaFlintknapper]

I agree with your logic when it comes to copper vs antler. I started out the same way and made the switch to copper around 2010. You have to tune out the trolls who try to shame you about your choice of tools. Good material is very expensive now and I don't have near the amount of waste and broken pieces as I did with the antler. The benefits for one's own health, as you mentioned, are enough motivation to continue with the tools you now use. I still do an ABO piece once in a while, when someone requests it, but for everyday knapping copper is the best option for me. Thanks for sharing a great video!

[@bdamian-ic7sh]

I would be interested in seeing you knap with more primitive tools. I would also like to see how you attach your points and blades to their respective fixtures. If you already have videos in that area, I apologize and I will look through your list to find them.

[@woahhbro2906]

I'm intently staring at my screen, eating chips, knowing I'll never do this in my life...but I can't stop watching.

[@orlandoreyescallejas7106]

Nice video Sir, greetings from Mexico

[@zackstrigin]

love all of your videos brother!!!

[@deadNdivine12]

That was dope. Looks very great.

[@Drunkenbotanists]

Never seen the holding tools under your leg move. Definitely adopting that

[@gooberdooberwunderb]

Awesome ! It looks like obsidian might be the only stone for flint and steel that I will be able to find in Oregon… I guess there is a huge deposit of them east of Bend

[@ToddWittenmyerBackwoodsLiving]

Nice work as always! When cold weather rolls around again, I'll be knapping.

[@pelewads]

I really appreciate this. I live in Western Oregon. Flint, not so much. But obsidian, is everywhere. I would love to see you put a handle on it.

[@williamtobias8948]

I enjoy the hammer stone and antler.. Keep it up really like the way you demonstrate wow just broke in half but that is part of it.

[@tonyward2086]

I was nervous all the way thru that video. That stuff is SO sharp.

[@dmaschy599]

Nice work,you do a good job.

[@samharper4289]

Beautiful piece! Very Informative video!!

[@lnk3503]

Beautiful work.

[@blacksnapper7684]

Not gonna lie I’m extremely jealous of Ryan’s stone stash😂😂😂😂

[@PokeJoxx]

Oh gosh I needed this like a year ago. But your other videos were great for starters

[@danielmaela4496]

Man rocks are so cool. I have some dead head antlers I’ve been wanting to use maybe I’ll try to make a knife. I’d love to see you try that out in another video

[@j.shorter4716]

That obsidian looks very clean unlike the crusty “sheen” obsidian I have. The rainbow obsidian seems to always be really high quality.

[@Jonathanos12]

This calmed me soo much that i almost fell asleep

[@glennplatvoet7111]

Thanks my first video I'm looking now to see how you do the knife handle attached

[@blaineparker8733]

An amazing pile of chert in the background😊

[@larryeddings3185]

Beautifully done! 👍👍

[@AB-kg6rk]

Love your channel!

[@HarrellB_US]

Just found your channel and I’m happy I did because I’m wanting to get into Flint knapping. I live in Florida so I need to figure out where I can buy obsidian and start practicing.

[@royboggs3849]

U can practice on bottle bottoms and old toilet tanks.

[@RemiLeonora]

Thanks Ryan for sharing this video!

[@terrygreennway9655]

Amazing video. Thanks Terry

[@leonardcavaretta905]

Would love to see you finish it out with a handle and see what a beautiful knife it becomes.

[@robertgriffin545]

I would love to have all the Georgetown flint you have behind you in this video.

[@smoke2275]

Thank you for this! I live in southern Idaho and been learning to Knapp for a couple of years now (as time allows. I work ALOT) obsidian is pretty much the only knappable material you can find here. In any meaningful quantity anyway. I haven’t watched yet but I’m sure youre going to be talking about how difficult it is lol! Well, it knapps easy but breaks even easier lol

[@DaleSmith-gx2sy]

Really great video. You are a very good, thank you

[@raytheguyinthechair2791]

The shape you have at 18:10 looks exactly like a blade I found at a local lake when they drained it back in the 90s. Local archeologists said it was between 2-3,000 years old. Do you have any videos on knapping quartz?

[@mtbadger1346]

I am right there with you on that tendonitis pain. Just had my 4 th cortisone shot in my right elbow in 5 years. I haven't knapped all summer and I'm missing it. I do manual labor throwing cases at a warehouse for a living, so the arms/joints get abused.

[@orange3too]

never have i seen so much obsidian...wow. envious...one day !!!

[@lyndaniel3369]

The benefits of being a persistent perfectionist! Not every knapper can make such a beautiful arrowhead. Obsidian is beautiful. In Missouri we have multi-colored chert, SiO2 (quartz) which can be white and pink, white, pink and blue, and variants of brown, depending on the location. It's on the ground where I live, but weathering makes it brittle and useless, so one has to dig for good stuff. I have heard the Osage (and other) Indians used to heat the stone, making it more malleable but I haven't verified it. Surgeons have used obsidian blades as an experiment; magnified, steel looks like it is full of imperfections, but obsidian is smooth!

[@AngelicusEXperiment]

I have neither flint nor obsidian in my area, sadly, so I've made do practicing with shale, slate, phyllite, and the like. Some of them have quite a bit of clay, and can get really sharp, but sadly the edges don't last that long. Still, I've found that the techniques in your videos are still pretty helpful even with them, so thanks for these videos! This knowledge has given me a better chance in the event I'll ever need it :)

[@whatevertheheckjessieuploads]

Fantastic video! I’d definitely like to see a video like this one using all Abo tools

[@Flintknappingtips]

That g town dry stack wall is so neat!

[@brianmusial6051]

This is my first vid, I am definitely going to check out the beginner video.

[@straightbaked420]

Hello, first, thanks for the entertaining, educational content. I am very new to Flint knapping and have some of my own obsidian. But the nodules I have are WAY smaller than the ones you're working with. Could you show us how you would work with smaller nodules? Like fist size.

[@larryking606]

That is a great looking piece you have made ! I am not to your level , by no means , but I continue to knap and will continue ! I want to Make a couple real good arrowheads and take a big Buck ! And several more for practice ! Take Care and Be Safe

[@thefeatheredfrontiersman8135]

From start to finish, I'd really like to see your take on hafting into a wooden handle.

[@garyhammond.greatinfo.9225]

Looking great

[@veteranironoutdoors8320]

Ryan, could you show how to setup a blade core and knock blades off starting with a raw stone? I am having terrible difficulty trying to figure it out.