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Antler Billet: a Soft Hammer for Flint Knapping
A billet (or baton) is a soft hammer for knapping: struck with antler instead of stone, flint breaks off in longer, thinner flakes. This one is made the way Allen Denoyer of Archaeology Southwest made his: the base of a shed deer antler, cut off with stone flakes and ground smooth at the striking end.
The picture: soft hammers for experimental knapping, three of wood and, on the right, one of antler.
Beginner
An afternoon
Instructions
1
1
Notch round the antler
Notch round the antler
Decide how long the billet should be (a personal choice) and saw a deep notch all the way round the antler with a sharp flint flake.
Materials for this step:
Deer Antler Section1 pieceTools needed:
Flint Flake2
2
Snap it
Snap it
Tap the notched antler on a rock until it snaps at the notch.
Tools needed:
Hammerstone3
3
Clean up the base
Clean up the base
Take the small knobs off the base (the burr) with a flake. The base is the striking end.
Tools needed:
Flint Flake4
4
Grind it smooth
Grind it smooth
Grind the striking end on wet sandstone until it is smooth and regular. Regrind it whenever use leaves it pitted.
Tools needed:
Sandstone (Abrasive)
Water5
5
Keep the tines
Keep the tines
Saw the tines off the rest of the antler the same way; they make pressure flakers.
Tools needed:
Flint FlakeMaterials
1- 1 piecePlaceholder
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