Knapping flint... what a challenge !


Lots of people have, one day, child or adult as they were, grabbed two pebbles and tried, often in vain, to play prehistoric man, to make tools with just what was lying there on the ground...

These pages will try to present the basic knowledge of flinltknapping and follow, more or less the themes further developped in the knap-in classes set by Bernard Ginelli.

We do not pretend covering such a vast subject, but we will try to sum things up and give you a few hints.

Each flint knapper has its own techniques and know-how. Some of them are easily explainable, some others are not and what may suit one may not be convenient or efficient for another. Anyway ! Flintknapping fundamental rules apply to everyone.

These fundamental rules, plus a few advices (even secrets, who knows ?) we will try to share with you, hoping that they will help you knap your very first flakes or help you improve if you already knap.

Our purpose is to try to show you the way so you can develop techniques, forge an experience and start a journey... all yours.