What’s it about?
It’s thought that flint knapping was first used in Africa around 2.5 million years ago, long before Homo sapiens sapiens arose. Until metal was discovered, stone was the primary resource for making tools.
In southern Britain flint was the stone of choice. It came from a variety of sources, including river gravels and cliff faces eroded by the sea. It was also mined from deep underground using picks made from antlers and shovels made from the shoulder-blades of large herbivores such as cattle and horses.
What will I do on this flint knapping course?
During this introductory one day flint knapping course you’ll learn the basics of flint knapping and the techniques you’ll need to create functional items.
You’ll start the day by looking at a range of tools where flint has been used for both the finished item and also in the production of other craft items.
We’ll discuss and demonstrate some methods of removing flakes from bigger pieces of stone in order to be used for smaller items. You’ll gain knowledge in some knapping basics such as sourcing stone, gauging quality material, blade removal, creating platforms, flaking and what’s useful for a good knapping kit including various flakers and hammer stones.
The flint knapping course will focus on you:
- Producing arrowheads,
- Creating blades for all manner of uses, and
- Making drill tips.
Aside from flint knapping, you’ll have the opportunity to use some of the flint points you create to make a flint drill under the expert guidance of the course leader, Billy Souter.
Flint drills are a wonderful example of simple but incredibly effective Stone Age technology. A tool that is in theory easy to make, but has so many practical applications. These drills are regularly used on our Bone Tools and Primitive Fishing Kits courses for various purposes.
Primitive glue making will be a key component of the day and you’ll learn how to make your own resin glue and see the variety of materials that can be incorporated into the glue, depending on the desired tool.
By the end of this flint knapping course you’ll have gained a solid understanding of basic flint knapping techniques, and made a variety of simple flint tools/components and primitive resin glue.
A fantastic course for anyone looking to learn more about ancestral skills, whether you have no previous experience or want to build on your existing knowledge.
You can view our full course schedule here.
Other information
Location: Westwell, Kent
Duration: 1 day
Start: 10am
End: 4pm
Course size: Maximum of 8
Catering: We’ll provide tea & coffee, you’ll need to bring a packed lunch
Note: There’s a short walk from the meeting point to the camp.
What happens next?
Once you’ve made your booking you’ll receive an automated booking confirmation from Ecwid, our e-commerce platform provider.
We’ll send you a comprehensive joining pack 6 to 8 weeks prior to the start of your flint knapping course. This includes the location of the meeting point and what to bring. Please read the joining pack when you receive it as it contains essential information about attending our flint knapping course!!
FAQs
If you’re wondering what facilities are available at our bushcraft camp, take a look here.
If you have any questions, take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions page. If you still have a question, feel free to email us at info@jackravenbushcraft.co.uk
Please note that as we work predominantly in the woods, it’s not easy for us to be in contact 24/7. We can be contacted by phone at any time, although during teaching sessions it’s kept on silent. Email is checked as soon as we get back from the woods.
Our blog
There are loads of posts on our blog related to our flint knapping course so feel free to take a look.
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What our customers say about our flint knapping course
We also have reviews on our Facebook page and our Google Business page so you can check out those as well.
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I attended recently for a day learning to flint knap and a few years back for a weekend bushcraft course. Both events were well run, interesting and really informative. The instructors are knowledgeable and very helpful. The woodlands are a great place for the courses with shelters and open areas and a communal fire to socialise with the other participants. I had a great time and can't wait to go on another course!
Highly recommend the flintknapping course! We made saws, arrowheads, spears... Billy was an excellent teacher and the setting is gorgeous
Flint knapping workshop was excellent! Now have a handy arrow and saw!
Really great course.
We loved the course and Billy was a brilliant teacher who was very patient with me as a total beginner. The woodland setting is beautiful
