4.75" Keokuk & 4.25" Horse Creek Blades

[Ron Kelley]

This was a very colorful Keokuk spall: The heat treat really did the job. The Horse Creek is all red except the small green tip: This stone came from the center of the rock I knapped yesterday.

[Havenhunter]

Keep still my beating heart! Sweet!

[Scorpion68]

Ron - those are truly awesome. Very professional work my friend. Really enjoy seeing your skill on different pieces. I wasn't aware that heat treating could change the color that much. I was under the impression that heat treating was more for making the chert easier to work??

[Ron Kelley]

Hey Chuck, Yes the practical purpose of heat treat is to improve the knappability of the lithic material. Some lithics have a much greater color change with heat treatment.

[JoshinMO]

Nice Points!

[2ndoldman]

That is a crazy colour change Ron.
Have you ever heat treated a finished blade to see what would happen?

[Ron Kelley]

Hey Bruce, I wouldn't heat treat a finished blade. The heat treatment leaves the stone darkened on the outside. When I knap the stone that removes the smoked surface.