One arrowhead, two knives, one axe, one net weight

[spearson]

Hi all,
Name is Scott. My son's fiance is selling some items from her collection to help raise money for her wedding. She asked me to put them on ebay. After looking around I came to two realizations. I need to know more about what these are, and that ebay may not be the best place to start.
I do not know where she found these, or if they were given to her by friends or what. I am guessing somewhere around North -and- South Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, possibly Canada.
Except for the net weight, they all appear to be Knife River flint, if I understand the description of it correctly.
Images have ruler in them to help with size.
Here is the arrowhead. Images of the rest to follow.

[spearson]

Here is the first knife.

[spearson]

Here is the second knife.

[spearson]

Here is the axe.

[spearson]

Here is the netweight.

[CliffJ]

Not sure that the lithic is Knife River; it may be Edwards Plateau chert from Texas as well. It is about impossible to tell from pics. The net weight thing looks more like a geofact- a natural occurrence. JMO.

[Trapper Jim]

The netweight looks like it could be a maul or grooved hammerstone. Many of these have been found in ancient mining pits.

[spearson]

Reason I guessed at Knife River flint is because I live in North Dakota and that was the closest I could find for materials that resembled them for this area (making an assumption based on zero evidence, I admit). I realize that it is difficult if not impossible to know with any certainty from photos.  The edges of the arrowhead, knives, and axe are translucent, if that is any help. 
As for the net weight, I found images that resembled it, so I used that as a label for it.  I have no clue what it actually is.
Scott

[spearson]

Would a maul or grooved hammerstone only be 1 1/2 inches long?  If so, how would it be used?
Scott

[wmwallace]

If you are intending to sell them Scott, I at least know from my perspective I would want as much history on them as I could get. Many collectors and dealers alike I am pretty certain would shy away from artifacts that don't have a location history when it comes to purchasing.
  Ebay is not always bad to sell artifacts but if you are not an established seller of artifacts you will probably have little success. Mostly due to the artifakers who still dwell there. The artifacts are nice though to say the least but I would try to get more history on them prior to selling. Hope this helps, Bill

[spearson]

wmwallace wrote:

If you are intending to sell them Scott, I at least know from my perspective I would want as much history on them as I could get. Many collectors and dealers alike I am pretty certain would shy away from artifacts that don't have a location history when it comes to purchasing.
  Ebay is not always bad to sell artifacts but if you are not an established seller of artifacts you will probably have little success. Mostly due to the artifakers who still dwell there. The artifacts are nice though to say the least but I would try to get more history on them prior to selling. Hope this helps, Bill

  I'll see what I can find out from my son's fiance.  I believe she got them from another party as a gift years back, I don't know how much she knows or remembers.
Thanks,
Scott

[spearson]

wmwallace wrote:

If you are intending to sell them Scott, I at least know from my perspective I would want as much history on them as I could get. Many collectors and dealers alike I am pretty certain would shy away from artifacts that don't have a location history when it comes to purchasing.
  Ebay is not always bad to sell artifacts but if you are not an established seller of artifacts you will probably have little success. Mostly due to the artifakers who still dwell there. The artifacts are nice though to say the least but I would try to get more history on them prior to selling. Hope this helps, Bill

  No luck on that point.  I talked with my son's fiance, she has no idea where they were found originally.  She received them as a gift something like 8 - 9 or more years ago, and apparently the person that gave them to here isn't around anymore.

[spearson]

Is there anything that anyone can tell me about these artifacts other than the obvious?  Or point me to a source -- web or print? 
Another thing I was wondering about, the two knives and the axehead don't seem to show any obvious wear to my untrained eyes.  Is it possible that they are funerary objects?
Scott

[CliffJ]

Scott,
   It would be very difficult for you to see use wear in most cases. I would not put too much into that. Chances are that you have good old North Dakota Knife River flint knives/preforms, not particularly valuable. You will not find a book or website on the preforms, or on the double-ball stone that I call a geofact as those I've seen are natural stones eroded into weird shapes. The notched blade is just strange, and could be a hoe. That is about all that can be said about those I think.
Cliff

[spearson]

CliffJ wrote:

Scott,
   It would be very difficult for you to see use wear in most cases. I would not put too much into that. Chances are that you have good old North Dakota Knife River flint knives/preforms, not particularly valuable. You will not find a book or website on the preforms, or on the double-ball stone that I call a geofact as those I've seen are natural stones eroded into weird shapes. The notched blade is just strange, and could be a hoe. That is about all that can be said about those I think.
Cliff

  Thanks.  I appreciate your input and everyone else's input.  Keeps me from making more of an idiot of myself than I already am.
I'll probably put them out on ebay, get whatever I can for my son and his fiance for their wedding.
Thanks again.
Scott