Area Man Lucky to Have Work Whines About It

Cape Krusenstern reproductions

I’m really starting to feel a time crunch on the Cape Krusenstern order. Just about everything is started, and I’m moving a couple pieces into the finished pile everyday, but there still seems like a lot to do. I haven’t been able to keep up with the all the photography and recording that I like to do.

Nephrite adze bits

Microblades and core

I spent most of yesterday working on microblades and made some small progress.  I tend to have problems keeping the core going after the first few microblades are removed and I find it hard to keep the blades in one piece as they pop off.  I was using indirect percussion to detach the flakes and supported the core in a slotted caribou long bone.  I wish I could have recorded what I'm talking about with photos, but I didn't feel that I could take the time to properly document it all.  In lieu of photos, I’ll just mention that I found preparing the platforms with a pressure flaker, rather than simply grinding it with a hammerstone made a big difference in keeping core going. 

Microblade with two ridges (arrises)

I had trouble keeping the microblades in one piece at first, but found that detaching one or two small flakes behind the platform on top of the core let me pop of slightly thicker blades that tended to stay in one piece. It was especially helpful in making blades with two arrises, which is what I needed for this particular order. Sorry, without photos that probably doesn’t make much sense, but I basically set up and isolated each microblade platform sort of like setting up and isolating a channel flake on a fluted point. Those one or two little flake removals behind the platform on top of the core made a big difference in the success rates of the microblades.

Photo Credits: Tim Rast