Simple arrowhead fake

[Kentucky point]

Don't let the title scare you, I only "faked" it as an example to show. This is super easy and anyone can do it, which is what makes it so dangerous.




Take this little white Dalton for instance. Freshly knapped, white as snow - hold a lighter to it...



And now it is a new color, with the flake scars clearly visible.




Wipe it down with with an alcohol wipe, and now you have a patinaed arrowhead. Not shown in the pictures is the sleek shine it takes on because of the soot.


I'll take a pic of it in sunlight tomorrow.

[pkfrey]

The longer you let that just sit and cool down, the more carbon adheres to the surface. Here's another trick you can try. Take any point, lay it on the table, and lay a piece of aluminum foil next to it. Spread some super glue on the foil, and cover it all with a glass that will fit. Leave it over night. As the acetone solvent evaporates from the super glue, the adhesive compound will leave a white resinous film that appears on the surface of the point. And on the inside of the glass. This won't wash off or scrub off with acetone. It gives it the look of caliche deposits. Obsidian is especially susceptible to this kind of synthetic patination, but any chert will work.

[Kentucky point]

I'll try it, but not with my moms good glassware.

[Dannygroves74]

I've heard the super glue trick before. A much more seasoned knapper than I once said to just l ave them in a bird bath for a summer and some funky patina will show up.

[pkfrey]

I use a small shallow glass lid. Here's one I started about 45 min. ago. You can see how the whitish film has already started to adhere to the glass. It was crystal clear. I'll see what it looks like it the morning. Oh, I can't post a photo under comments, I'll post it below under a new message.

[pkfrey]

DSC09400.JPG Synthetic patination using the evaporation of super glue in an air tight enclosure. Whitish hazy film just starting to show after 45 min.

[clovisoid]

A decent study with a stereoscope can detect both tricks, but imagine what creative fakers who do this regularly can do with more than 15 minutes?

That said they are both great examples why I just don't buy relics unless I know the collector really well or it's pictured and documented in older books/journals. If you don't have time to really study relics (fakes, authentic relics, materials, and knapping styles) buying expensive relics is a bit like playing the lottery (but without the huge potential payoff for a buck or two.)

[Kentucky point]

I'm doing experiments. (for science and identification, not sale...obviously). Lemon juice and dirt, vinegar, and now this super glue.

[tomclark]

Though it is valuable knowledge for collectors, I will not participate in discussions about faking patina. Not going there.

[Kentucky point]

It's useful to know what to look for.

[Dannygroves74]

I'm with you Tom. It can help possibly identify fakes. I have personally seen friends get taken by a fake. A good friend of mine paid $6000 for a Clovis with "papers" that was completely BS. The material was totally wrong for the area it supposedly came from and you could see copper marks on the point where the flaker slipped. Just purely information about what to look for.

[SurfaceHunter]

If I buy I don’t keep them long. Thanks KP for showing the example. Something new for me to watch for