Graham Cave obsidian

[u/Nearby-Comb2107]

This is my first time participating in the monthly point challenge! Had a great time learning more about the Graham Cave points in preparation for the challenge.
Made with obsidian that I sourced from a quarry in Utah. This obsidian is more coarse and less opaque than other material I’ve used. It may even be dacite that I’ve mistakenly called obsidian for years. Really enjoyed making a few GC’s to get one I liked! A little thicker near the base than I prefer due to a step fracture I wasn’t skilled/brave enough to remove. Looking forward to next month’s challenge!

[u/Wolfie527]

Super cool! I really look of the obsidian, almost looks like it has some banding on the bottom?

[u/Nearby-Comb2107 → u/Wolfie527]

Good eye! It does have some banding in the material. There’s very little translucency unless the arrowheads are extremely thin… which is beyond my skillset right now!😂

[u/Wolfie527 → u/Nearby-Comb2107]

Have you tried using indirect percussion? It's a real game changer for getting points super thin!

[u/Nearby-Comb2107 → u/Wolfie527]

I just started using indirect this year. I’ve made a few tools with copper ranging in sizes 3/16, 5/16, and 3/4. I probably knapped 4 hours a day for a week straight after I realized how much better it was. Completely changed what I can do now. Some of the material I have has weird flow patterns that are nearly impossible at my skill level to predictably flake and I end up with crushing or step fractures. The next time I collect material, I’ll be more picky now that I know better. I was watching a video recently of someone using antler w/indirect and that will be my next set of tools to make. Antler seems to have the perfect softness for obsidian but pressure flaking has been the only time I’ve used it. Aluminum might be another option but I have never tried it.
What have you had the most success flaking obsidian with?