ABOUT OSIDIAN POINTS

About Obsidian. Obsidian, or volcanic glass, comes in at 1 on Callahan’s old “Lithic Grade Scale” with grainy, barely knappable rocks like rhyolite and felsite at 5. Somewhere in between are the flints and cherts that most of us Midwestern knappers embrace. Obsidian has been pooh-poohed by many, a material for beginners and old men. When I was a kid beginner I loved the stuff, mainly because that was what I could get cheaply and in quantity from the local rock hounds. I now work obsidian with skills only dreamed of by the kid I once was! In the scan on the left is a necklace point I made for my grandmother around 1968 when I was about three years into knapping. Clunky, and crudely flaked, that was the best I could do. Compare that with the corner notch point on the left which is half as thick and finished with well ordered oblique pressure flakes, now, that’s what this old man can do! Not working very much of it at any one time, over the years I’ve accumulated 300+ pound of obsidian from several sources, some given to me, some I collected myself on Glass Butte, and what little I bought, or traded for. Before I get too much older and start losing my touch I guess it’s time to start doing something with it. So, this section will be devoted entirely to pieces I make from that material. Here, the quality of workmanship is guaranteed equal too, if not surpassing that found on the old originals!  Just for kicks, below is ditty I wrote a couple of years ago. Don’t worry; I still work more flint than obsidian. Enjoy and have a laugh.

Back To Black [Obsidian]

When I was a child 

For obsidian I went wild,

Then I got into flint. 

I learned to squint like Clint

 And beat like Bordes 

who said “flint’s a lady, obsidian’s a whore!” 

With everything aching

I’m done with flint breaking. 

Old knappers never die they say, 

They just chip away. 

At three score and ten plus one 

With flint I’m done. 

I’ll take the whore,

Then I’ll beat some more! 

Easier on the arm and back.

Now, I’m goin’ back to black!