Ronnie J Hazlett II - Has done this step by step process of knapping out a fine cumberland point for us.His website - www.kentuckyknappers.com

The beginnings of a Cumberland point, or any point, but in our case a Cumberland. The chosen material for the project is Sonora flint from Kentucky. Like working any sawed flint you need to begin by creating a working edge from the flat or square edge that the saw has created. Another key to working sliced material is support. It is imperative that you distribute your support to include the piece at all areas focusing more closely to the center, tip and base. If we only had about 5 more fingers on each hand!!!

Begin with a sharp downward stroke on one corner. Barely catching the edge…in order to wrap the flake around this square edge you must be quick and sharp in your swing, but be very careful you do not strike too high. It is better to miss 20 times than to over hit on the first swing. This first entrance to the piece is critical in allowing you to use an alternate edge flaking method

Alternate edge flake the piece until you are able to achieve a working edge. Depending on which face you intend to work first you can now strike the low platforms that have been created naturally by the alternate edge flaking. In this picture you would begin by striking the low area on the far right of the point.

Alternate edge flake the piece by striking even, or to be safe just a micro below the centerline

The flake shown near the tip is a result of a free handed strike with a copper billet to the low area described in the previous picture

As a result of the percussion flaking you will now have a continuous edge platform to use in order to cover the other face with flake scares. Evenly space your fingers as shown in the picture and if possible try and rest the base slightly on your wrist. Work the tip, base and then finish the middle to reduce the chance of a center radial fracture.

Flaking one edge and then another and then the other, working on the same face will provide you with a nice perform.

This picture shows the edge left after the face on the top had been percussion flaked. You must flip the piece, which has been done in the picture, and define the edge with pressure flaking and moderate abrasion.

This picture show the edge after we have prepared it. Thus allowing us a nice continuous platform to free hand percussion flake the other face.

This image shows the other face after it has been percussion flaked using the prepared continuous platform. Notice that the termination of the flakes was in the center of the point creating a nice median ridge for successful fluting.

After the percussion you must clean the piece up and build convexity through a few stages of pressure flaking. This image shows the first stage.

The second stage of pressure has been completed and this face is ready for the fluting process. You may want to go ahead and do the pressure flaking on the opposite face in order to keep the piece nice and orderly, but your efforts may be in vain if the piece fails on the first flute and fractures in half. Taking this into consideration I always prepare both faces before the first flute. It is in my own opinion that having nice convexity built on both sides gives the piece even distribution of the shock when it is fluted, but this could all be knapper superstition

Though the picture is a little hard to see, this is a prepared fluting nipple for our first side we wish to flute. Remember to make this platform well ground and very flat.

This is the point placed in a Solberger fluting jig, with a better look at the prepared nipple

Copper bit of the jig placed on the prepared fluting nipple.

The first side flute termination well over half way down the point. At this point you will want to make sure you have prepped the opposite face just as shown on the first fluted face and proceed to create the second fluting nipple.

Image of the second faces prepared fluting nipple.

The finished point.

Tool Kit