Making a Slate Arrowhead + Stone Knives and Tools in Action

Some areas of the world are blessed with beautiful stones that break with sharp edges that can be knapped into shape and sharpened with pressure flaking; but in areas that lack these rocks grinding stones can be a very useful alternative. I haven’t found any easily knappable stones in my little corner of the Pacific Northwest yet, but there is plenty of slate. I first started playing with this stuff a couple of years ago before I even knew what it was because sometimes it breaks with a jagged but usable edge. Eventually I found out that it was a form of slate, which has been used by indigenous people around the world for projectile points and tools. It isn’t as durable as flint or chert, but it is a functional and workable option if you don’t have those available, or if you don’t yet have the skills to work with those materials. In this video I try to show the process I’ve learned through trial and error of turning a raw piece of slate into a hunting point. Native people have used sl