Deer Antler Tine Pressure Flaker
Palm sized deer antler tine pressure flaker tool featuring a ready-to-go tapered tip and a rounded base to fit comfortably in the hand. Perfect for traditional notching, edge retouch, and other general pressure flaking of points and blades. Sold Individually.
These finished and ready-to-use traditional (aka Abo) flakers are made from the tines of mule deer antler sheds. Sizes range from approx 5.5 - 8" in length. Tine color, shape, and size will vary.
Antler is softer than modern knapping billet materials like copper, aluminum, and steel. This allows the antler tine point to 'seat' on a stone edge platform and disperse the pressure of flaking without crushing the edge, thus giving antler it's forgiving nature. Though not as easy to learn with as copper flakers, antler and bone flakers coupled with well placed platforms can produce some nice flaking and is actually very efficient when mastered.
Antler flaker points can dull and require re sharpening constantly if used on overly thick or ground platforms and edges. The point can be resurfaced many times by hand with a piece of sandstone, a rasp, or sander to extend the life of the flaker.
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Traditional tools are also known by flint knappers as 'abo' tools (derived from the word aboriginal). These terms refer to tools that are made of natural materials and are similar in function to the implements used by our stone tool making predecessors throughout the course of human technological development. Examples of other abo tools include hammerstones of various densities and shapes, antler tine flakers, rib bone flakers, lashed flakers, wood billets, sandstone edge modifiers, and billets created from the base or 'crown' section of antler.
Flint knapping with traditional tools is immensely rewarding, though challenging to use and not the easiest to learn with. There remains something to be said for recreating the process that is largely accepted as one of the most important technological advances in human history with nothing more than items found on the forest floor.