How to make a Maquahuitl, Part 2

[@paleomanjim]

Yes, Mexico has many good sources of high quality obsidian, including a green variety that was often used in the past

[@CanadianBushcraftChannel]

You have just broken my curse of not being able to comprehend how the creation of a prismatic lens blade was formed. I even spent a night at dinner asking an archeologists who was in Mexico for 19 years how it was formed, and I still could not understand the principles behind it. You sir, are a true master.

[@ahuizotl8]

I like the way you knap the obsidian block just the way some NorthAmerican cousins do. In the past, very special men would do this craft. The way they did it is similar but they used a two stone slabs and a bone piece like yours and the knapping was done under water. Their method ensured good quality blades.

[@albertravelo8558]

You are a freaking genius I say. I learned so much just watching these two videos, thanks and incredible work. I think you might of been a native in your past life if there is one. Amazing technique and just patience to your skill, awesome.

[@paleomanjim]

Thanks for the great comment

[@stamelin]

Magnificent. Congratulations for your research and skill.

[@paleomanjim]

Viktor K Thanks, it was a lot of fun!

[@myytname]

Thanks for your videos and for being so detailed and helpful to those of us who have an interest in keeping this knowledge and skill alive. People like you are a treasure.

[@FlintSpall]

coming along nicely.You make things look so easy.I,ve never seen as must strive for excellence in ones workmanship,as what you display.If you had lived in their day,I suspect you would never have to battle.Such usefulness and ability for weapon making,would for sure be reverenced among tribesmen.The asset of having such warrants protection and preservation.Thanks,Your a pleasure to watch.FS

[@rafaelsax560]

Nice to see someone interested in Mesoamerican culture and weapons manufacture! you are very talented and I will sure to post my own results when Im done with mine! from a mexican archeology student :D. Slight correction though, these were used more by the central nahuatl people and extended pretty far, but was never too popular with the Mayans.

[@RTRFriendorpho]

That is a very impressive block of obsidian.

[@augustus7691]

Thank You Mr. Jim! This Video was Just The Thing to help get me going on cordage making and building up to a Blade Core. Regards, -gus

[@Frazzler666]

that wood looks fantastic! it is a pleasure to see you working! greetings from germany!

[@Barbarossa4U]

Enjoyed every minute of it and learned a lot thanks.

[@hermeusxerxes6487]

Obsidian is such a beautiful material. Nice work!

[@paleomanjim]

Thanks, I love the desert and have spent a lot of time out there, so I enjoy having a bit of it in my yard....jim

[@ShinBone5000]

Jim, great video series! It's nice to see you putting together a very interesting primitive weapon using natural materials. To me it's really satisfying to make flint points. But converting those points into primitive weapons using totally natural materials (bone, rawhide, pitch glue, yucca fiber, etc.) is even more satisfying. Looking forward to part three.

[@Xtreme808machine]

high level work w the obsidian knapping

[@paleomanjim]

Thanks

[@paleomanjim]

The wood is Bocote. It comes from Mexico and central america and is a favorite for woodturners. I chose it because I also like the color and grain and of course because it is native to Mexico. ....jim

[@triplefighterhd4250]

What a badass man and very entertainingly educational

[@paleomanjim]

Thanks!

[@scumbold]

brilliant. Gave me exactly the practical information I needed to start my project. Thanks.

[@BRAG450]

Really neat how you made the obsidian blades... I have pounds of obsidian and I might try and build a Maquahuitl also

[@paulmax3185]

Jim, very nice work thanks for sharing. I find that using a little flame to burn off the frizzy fuzzy bits on cordage works best. It also helps prevent the fibers from tangling on itself when wrapping something.

[@WAGONJON]

This is an awesome video. I want to go out, get the materials and do the same thing!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[@MrYungsan]

i really feel like you and Ron Swanson would get along well.

[@paleomanjim]

The ear plugs were sometimes made from exhausted prismatic obsidian cores. Fine blade making eventually exhausts the core to the point that no further blades can be removed. The spent obsidian core is very symmetrical and almost jewel like! Great for ear plugs and probably many uses....

[@platypusbuk]

exellent, well made, wonderful explainations and blue prints.

[@paleomanjim]

Obsidian comes from the western part of the US. I collected mine in Oregon and Northern California. Many people sell obsidian including rock shops.....

[@Zamolxes77]

This is really amazing.

[@paleomanjim]

I did a short knapping sequence for the film but what was cool was they let me choose the location. I chose a shaded place on the lower steps of one of the temples, to me that was a special connection with the past and the people who had lived there.....jim

[@jeffthecheff]

very amazing jim, your knowledge is incredible, thank you for sharing!

[@Focapolina]

obsidian is easy to find in the woods all over North America, most of the times it is "mixed" with other rocks. Here in México is very common specially near mountains.

[@paleomanjim]

Yes, I have done several chert blade cores. I have several nice flint blades cores from Grenada Spain that were given to me by a viewer and I hope to try to replicate them soon. The blade scars are extremely regular and fine, possibly done by pressure. It will be a challenge!

[@MananagKiVato]

Best tool rack ever, the cactus,

[@paleomanjim]

I read somewhere that one Maquahuitl did survive and made it to a museum, but was later destroyed, cant remember where I read it, it was one of the large decorated ones....

[@gregabate]

Neolithic copper was used in the Americas. The Michigan area has ancient copper mines that have even been linked to Europe and the Middle East. Copper bells were found at Chaco Canyon and throughout Mexico.

[@cmarqz1]

Thanks for the post, it is highly educational. How was this weapon used by the aztecs ina ctual combat. Thanks again

[@paleomanjim]

+Carlos Márquez The CODEX shows many depictions of the weapon being held by warriors often in combination with large shields. And of course one Spaniard reported in his journal that a Maquahuital severed the head from a horse with a single blow! I believe the weapon was used with more of a pulling action than a steel sword because the obsidian blades would then produce a sawing action and increase bleeding and tissue damage.

[@cmarqz1]

Indeed, I've read that the Spaniards considered the Maquahuital sharper than their own sword. What I don't get that since Montezuma had early warnings of the Spaniards activities via road couriers why he didn't task his engineers to device a method to combat the Europeans. Or used Night tactics or terror attacks or burn their ships, instead they chose to combat the Spaniards in broad daylight. At night the ballesteros and rifleman would've had a hard time separating friend from foe or even acquiring targets let alone hitting them. But it happen as it did. Magnificent the Aztec engineering feats, I just wonder why that intelligence did not spilled into other areas of their lives. Thank you.

[@Quetzalcoatl_Feathered_Serpent]

The Aztecs prided themselves in capturing than actually killing. On that note the weapon would have likely been used much like a bat, with a edge. The obsidian lacerates and weakens the target and then you simply knock them out with the flattend side of the weapon. If doing it to kill, the sword acts much like a saw. Depending on its design you simply bash the opponent then drag the weapon along the body causing large lacerations, ss your putting much of your weight and the swords into the hit you could technically decapitate just on the amount of force, or cause horrific lacerations if angled correctly. Potentially this is a great self defense weapon in modern times especially short sword ones the weight of the wood and the blades depending on size and length could be great in attacking s as y a intruder or disabling them

[@shirleeeyyy]

​@@cmarqz1 Unfortunately that intelligence was dumbed down by something that exists to this day.with the same effect on mankind.....And that is a deep rooted believe system. Akin to a religion. Once a belief system manifests and pushes aside the ability, and eventually the want to use common sense, and that same belief system is passed on to the next generations. The results can be devastating. Not to mention make you look dumb. They believed that Cortéz was the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl the creator of humans and he was returning to earth. Kinda hard to think straight and rational when you believe that. It is important to mention that disease, superior weapons, and the hooking up with rival tribes where the main reasons for defeat.....I was just addressing your intelligence question.

[@moqueloc]

old tvs the ones with glass tubes there great for knapping the oldr the tv the thickr the glass i made a few arrow heads and a knife from them

[@paleomanjim]

Making a Tepoztopilli would be cool, maybe someday....

[@raptorjesus2572]

Your a great teacher

[@paleomanjim]

I appreciate that!

[@paleomanjim]

Cool. Nothing wrong with knapped blades, some of those displayed in the Codex appear to be knapped blades, triangular and such. It is still authentic.

[@HillbillysNdaBush]

Nice work. Reverse wrapping yucca is a very time consuming process...lol also your fingers cramp up after a while. Waiting on part 3.

[@guloguloguy]

I've heard that Persimmon wood (Diospyros virginiana), is closely related to African Ebony wood, and perhaps it has sufficient hardness, and density to be a good choice where it is available, (if Ebony is not). Lignum vitae might be a good choice in the Caribbean Islands. Mesquite wood is also supposed to be very hard, and dense, and might be readily available in much of the Southwestern States. Thanks Jim! Excellent tutorial!!!(as usual!!!) :D

[@paleomanjim]

Obsidian is found along the ring of fire. In the US that is mostly along the West. There seems to be a lot of it in Baja California too....

[@Guyverman01]

The Macuahuitl is essentially a bladed cricket bat.

[@paleomanjim]

Yep!

[@paleomanjim]

Kind of depends, but if it is round you need to split in two. You may be able to place it on a flat anvil rock and strike it straight down with a hammerstone of equal or greater size

[@MoRockHound]

that sounds awesome. maybe if you are interested you might try an indirect percussion method. i watched a guy named Mikkel. he was doing blades with this indirect percussion. maybe you will talk about the different styles and the different results from each.

[@paleomanjim]

I agree, it is no match against a steel sword. It was a close combat weapon, so when the enemy was out of arrows and spears these guys must have charged in slashing and bashing! Just holding this thing and swinging it around it is always on your mind to be careful. I still remember Terry Shapert slicing his leg accidentally when we were in Guatemala (Warriors) a few years ago, had to call in a doc to put in a few stitches.

[@luzrey3737]

Where do you get your obsidian, is there any place near LA that has obsidian?

[@BushMania4]

Can you do a video on how to make a core??? Do you just percussion it until you get that cone shape???

[@xam3580]

that black think ur using at the beginning of this video, is that obsidian, or is it that stuff you made with rabbit droppings, charcoal, and (I know this isn't the right name) the sap.

[@gorgonopsidae]

In my country, Mexico, you can find much obsidian reservoirs in the Central Altiplane, this is in Mexico state, Puebla and Tlaxcala

[@BrokenSofa]

How long did it take to make that string??!

[@paleomanjim]

Broken soffa About 30 minutes.

[@jacksuquett1191]

In sure you made the obsidian napping look easy, but I actually saw a video prior to this one where a guy was trying to make a weapon like this. He took his obsidian to some specialist and he said it took a very long time for him to make a blade like the one.gour showing. He told him to.juat nap it with a stone cause he wouldn't be able to do it the way you did it.

[@paleomanjim]

I would like to see photos of your finished work. Thanks for watching....

[@MoRockHound]

wonderful Jim! just awesome.i am always entertained by your videos, but i also learn quite a great deal. i have a question. have you ever done a flint blade core? if you have i dont think i have seen it. i know many cultures in europe made these prismatic blades from chert and i was wondering how much more difficult it would be to use a hard material such as Knife river, or some of that Texas chert you like to work with.

[@Abnerben1]

how do you make a core like the one in the video in order to make long blades?

[@paleomanjim]

Any high quality flint of chert will make nice blades, but obsidian is certainly sharper. Obsidian is much easier to remove pressure blades from the core, perhaps 30% or more easier as the blades require less force to detach.

[@TalksWithDirt]

Are these similar techniques that the Aztec's used in making their steam turbines for their power plants?

[@rafaelsax560]

Say, have you ever though of doing a cuatōpīlli (spear) or that beautiful Tepoztopilli (which may well be the same thing) haldberd?

[@paleomanjim]

I have some videos on making blade cores already posted. They are old and I have changed my technique a bit, but they should help get you started. I will try to demonstrate how to make a direct percussion blade core preform using a hammerstone in the next few weeks. In Meso America these preforms were made at the quarry and then packed out many miles to the workshops where the blade maker specialists made prismatic blades using a wood tipped tool.....

[@DynamoExplorer]

are there any subsittutes for obsidian?

[@Belthazor24]

Where do you get the obsidian from?

[@margilvale7648]

that name is nahuatl, the other fact, is that blade several feet long were found in califfornia.

[@timlopes67]

Hello, I'm making a macuahuitl and I'm at the part where I need some obsidian blades I was wondering if you were still offering those?

[@paleomanjim]

Sorry, I'm out and not making them lately, but thanks for asking

[@s.akinribido5894]

Seen the word “MACUAHUITL” online which i had never seen or heard B4. Obviously didn’t knw how 2 pronounce it either lol. Immediately checked Google 4 all my answers. Thankfully I found your videos, #1 & #2 🙌🏾. Very intriguing & well informed man you are 👍🏾. Thank you for your explanations & Tutorials on how to re-create one. Hope 2C BOTH U & Ur channel grow exponentially!!! A million blessings 2U my friend & #BigSalute from #Milwaukee414 -🙏🏾🫡

[@paleomanjim]

Thanks so much. It was a gret road to travel and I learned a lot about how our ancestors survived. Yeah, I knew I was not pronouncing it right, many folks have pointed that out. Thanks for watching

[@Bloodyhoundman]

Where can you get Obsidian? Sorry if I misspelled.

[@paleomanjim]

Thanks, I'm not familiear with a nail knot but will see if I can search it...

[@traxfish]

I have no clue where I can find obsidian in the St Louis area. Any leads on buying suitable cores online? I mostly find jewelry, small polished knick knacks, or small stones in my searches for obsidian.

[@paleomanjim]

+traxfish Missouri has great sources of chert, some very good quality, but no obsidian that I am aware of.

[@bryannaval7844]

La punta del palo con el que saca la obsidiana de que está hecha?

[@TheRobq7]

Sure is good to have you back in front of the camera

[@paleomanjim]

Others have made Maquahuitl's with razor blades. The obsidian blades can be even sharper!....

[@arthurstacey2730]

Here in the USA ,Ebony comes from the Persimmons tree, the drier it gets the darker it gets

[@jeremyjohnston5379]

While I was considering alternatives to obsidian, my mind fleetingly passed over the idea of using razor blades. Don't worry, it was a fleeting idea-- I'm aware that it would defeat the purpose of making one of these at all. But goodness, can you imagine?

[@David-if2hj]

Where did you get your obsidian blade core?

[@paleomanjim]

Made it

[@luisestrada9465]

I just made one I need the blades but no obsidian in my neck of the woods can you help me?

[@Jake23897]

Luis Estrada Maybe use flint? Flint's can be nasty to...

[@insomniahobbies]

I'm amazed how people figured this out. I mean.....who was it that learned pounding on a leaf with a hammer could turn it into string?

[@paleomanjim]

Yep, our ancestors were smart folks, thanks

[@vborg001]

Awesome!

[@ahuizotl8]

Some were crudely made and improvised by they lowly rank warriors. About the obsidian blades, these were also round and about 6 inches in length. These type of obsidian blades, the obsidian ear plugs and the obsidian monkey vase show skill beyond western world's comprehension. In this era, it would be easier to remake anything we see only by emulating its looks. I t is harder when replicating something with the original materials that has not been made in 500 years.

[@gar4206]

Where did you get the bade core

[@paleomanjim]

Made it

[@Deanzphx]

How do I come and purchase one of these? :) And I'd like to shake hands with you

[@paleomanjim]

Hello and thanks for the kind words. I made a total of around 7 Maquahuitl's but have not sold any of them. To be honest they just take far too many hours to make and my purpose in making them was to learn and share. I have given several to family members and the best are hanging on my wall. Appreciate the offer though, Jim

[@paleomanjim]

I collect mine from northern california and Oregon....

[@tulaminmarcellay9214]

You said we could email you for blades but there's no link

[@paleomanjim]

Sorry, I no longer have any blades available and have not made any for a few years

[@thebigs14]

Can you make blades out of flint?

[@paleomanjim]

Yes, many flint blades were made in pre-historic Europe and other parts of the world.

[@thebigs14]

@@paleomanjim I'm want a mac with obsidian blades on one side and flint on the other.

[@thebigs14]

May I buy some from you?

[@SuperMetalhead444]

is there any way u can send/sell me obsidian?

[@paleomanjim]

Obsidian

[@paleomanjim]

Yes, the blades were made by skilled craftsman. However, there is no evidence to my knowledge that they were knapped underwater. Spaniards actually witnessed blades being made by Aztecs and wrote accounts and sketches of what they saw. An Itzcolotli was used with a hardwood tip to remove blades by pressure from a sitting position on the ground. The core was supported by the feet and the ground and was NOT under water. I What is your description of their method of knapping based on?

[@angeld1103]

i think i know what kind or hard wood the aztecs or mexicas coud of used i dont know how it is called in english to flint, we call it ebano the core is chocolate brown and it is dense this wood dose not float on water.

[@richardsellerssellers1647]

a flemish twist?

[@Fontadlens8067]

ya somos varios

[@gerrychavez5667]

Still doing this?

[@paleomanjim]

Not lately. thanks

[@pixarlover123]

Obsidian Chainsaw

[@aztekitagonzalez8077]

si ya somos mas desendientes de los aztecas viendo este video

[@MrBCA701]

i just visited Chichen Itza yesterday so i found this video...Part 1 is doable but part 2 completely lost me and i believe its too technicsl for my level of expertise. Hopefully i can find somebody in MX that sells an authentic made copy of one.

[@orirune3079]

You could probably approximate the obsidian by using shards of glass, and it could still look good.

[@headshooter44]

well in some parts of the world these are made with shark tooth so that would be like the ultimate killer weapon. emagine that on the wall in the living room.

[@reyesmata4418]

Any one know we're to find obsidian close to El Paso

[@bertkrawl]

You can order it online actually. Check out www.neolithics.com/good-bad-ugly-2/ It's a good amount of stone for the price and great for practice/beginners if that's where your at

[@Abnerben1]

No es el único, yo también estoy interesado en esto, especialmente porque yo vengo de descendencia Azteca

[@rafaelsax560]

Somos Mas :D

[@Dagsschiller]

no eres el único

[@kenichewa]

Qué tristeza ser el único mexicano viendo esto...

[@joseheredia9726]

Enhorabuena por su trabajo en esta tecnica tan dificil de la talla litica. yo soy autodidacta en la talla del silex. Aqui en españa hay pocas personas que se dediquen a la extraccion de laminas. Un saludo .kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWWxpmylisSmg80

[@chuvinejo]

No soy mexicano pero al menos latino XD