flint-knapping in England & Gathering

[acw_akkermans]

Hi Guys,

Someone from a flintknapping forum contacted me with an idea to organise a knap-in. This would be a gathering, to swap each others flintknapping material, and learn from each others failures and successes.
It would never be anything like the Wilderness gathering, just a day out in which flintknappers, and people who are interested in flintknapping can get together.
I would just like to know if there is any interest from this direction. The suggestion was to have such a gathering somewhere in central england.

Many regards,

Anthonio

 

[C_Claycomb]

I might be interested. I have read a little about knapping, but have never managed anything more than abo-type flake blades. About what you get for randomly banging rocks together :-?

Any ideas on where in central England? Is there anywhere that that people can pick up suitable rocks, or would we be bringing our own?

Chris

 

[Stuart]

I'm intrested :-D

 

[acw_akkermans]

Well,

The idea would be for some people to bring their own if they have suitable material. I will be bringing loads of stone. I will also bring more exotic materials like obsidian etc... I hope there will be some trading in some form. It really depends on the people that come.
Also, The instructors that would be present will bring their own stone too, for teaching/demonstration purposes!

Besides, one of the greatest media to practise on is beer bottle-bottom. I love making arrowheads out of this glass, and with the right colours, a lot of people ask what stone they are made of!! (Sometimes, they don't even believe me when I say It's guinness or Becks, or Gin glass..... Besides,... There is so much rubbish even in the wildest places, that glass is a valid material (Even "natural" in forests where there are a lot of Hunters..)

 

[acw_akkermans]

I forgot....

Hampshire was proposed as a central area to organise such a knap-in

 

[Tony]

The suggestion was to have such a gathering somewhere in central england.

Hampshire is not very central England :yikes: It's well south.

 

[RoJ]

Sorry about Hampshire, you guys, only suggested that because most of the would-be knappers I had heard of seemed to be located east or west of there, and, beside, its handy for me in Oxfordshire . Since a 'stand-alone' knap-in might be difficult, there are often country fairs around there, so it might be easy to latch-on to one of those and gather more possibles?
Let me or Anthonio know if interested or you know of a fair where this might work, please.
Cheers,
RoJ

 

[acw_akkermans]

Hi Tone,

I am a foreigner,.... You can hardly expect me to know where everything lies in England :-D ,... Hahaha... (Should have checked before posting though..... )

 

[Rob]

I would be up for it (and I expect you can count Mel in too).

Hampshire sounds good to me - especially as I am in Sussex. Anything north of Gatwick is "up North"

I haven't done much, although I did do a session with John Lord on a Prim Tech course, and I have been collecting stuff to smack together ever since. :-D

 

[starfury]

I'd be up for a Hampshire meet.Theres loads of flint around the edge of farmers fields around here.The best flint i've found comes from Beer in Devon,its worth a trip if you want some decent knapping material.

 

[Gary]

Anthonio count me in - I could do with learning to knapp.

 

[ally]

me too please!!!

hampshires a lot more central than NI though!!

 

[gurushaun]

I'd be interested but I'd need a bit of lead time (book time off work).

Cheers

Shaun

 

[Fallow Way]

Count me in, would be very interested, just about to start flintknapping myself.

Nomad

 

[gurushaun]

Staffordshire is nice and central :roll:

Cheers

Shaun

 

[acw_akkermans]

OK,

It seems there is plenty of interest in a "knap-in". Is there anybody who could help us find a site and organise this site too? The problem being that I am across the water and it's hard for me to go and look at a site etc... Perhaps a day in May would be good,... any suggestions?

Many regards,

Anthonio

 

[Fallow Way]

I`ll volunteer to organise it if there are no other takers

Nomad

 

[Rob]

I am happy to go and scope out any possible locations in the south for you - just give me an address and a contact name. I am pushing my luck a bit with the site that I use in West Sussex.

I may have a possible in "Central England" - but I am still waiting to talk to the guy in question.

 

[C_Claycomb]

Hampshire might not be really central, but I am happier driving in that direction than I was about driving to what I thought "central England" might have been

Driving south is almost like driving down hill ):

 

[Tony]

Till you're on your way home :rolmao: