Holding the piece of obsidian proved to be the only slightly challenging part of the process. We tested the the newly flintknapped piece of obsidian. A lower number indicates that it took less force to cut the test media. ![]() This device works by measuring the maximum force it takes to cut a piece of test media. Not only do we sell this machine, but we use it to test products and evaluate sharpening techniques. Testingįor testing to be objective, I used the Edge On Up PT50A Industrial Sharpness Tester from our shop. If there is any advice I'd pass along for the first time flintknapping enthusiast, I would say wear safety glasses and work in an area that you don't mind being contaminated with glass like shards. My example wasn't pretty, but I was able to achieve what I thought was a sharp edge. I am definitely not a flintknapping expert so the purpose of this experiment wasn't to test my skills at crafting a fine blade, but rather to see if I could make an edge that would be as sharp or sharper than a steel edge. In practice, flintkanpping involves striking a piece of rock to break it into sharp flakes. Obsidian is very hard, so I tested obsidian. Flintknappingįlintknapping is the technique used to make an edged tool out of stone such as obsidian, flint and chert. I have heard stories that an obsidian edge can be sharper than a steel blade but I can easily sharpen a steel knife to where my thumb will say it is really sharp. My thumb test came up with really sharp, but I wanted to know more. My thumb only has 4 levels of sharpness really dull, dull, sharp and really sharp. While an obsidian edge definitely feels sharp, I needed more granular detail than my calibrated thumb could provide. This made it possible to be objective about the edge. Fortunately, I have access to the Edge On Up PT50A Industrial Sharpness Tester. If you're not familiar with obsidian, it is a glass like stone that was used historically for making arrowheads and knives. If you're anything like me, the thought of quantifying the sharpness of an obsidian knife is pretty exciting.
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