Slate roof shingle

[Mattern]

I'm always looking for soft stone that I can carve. Hunting Artifacts along the rive I found a piece of roof slate. So I gave it a try. Nice to work and another color to add to my Cat Points. This Langtry is a Midwest type that dates to 2000 to 5000BP.

Slate Man Kim

[Ron Kelley]

Hey Kim, That's cool to have a different color to grind. Does the slake require a lot more grinding than the Catlinite?

[Mattern]

Not really Ron, It works well and not much different from the Cat.

[JEBMs]

I love the points that you make and this is no exception, but I have had a question that I have wanted to ask but to quote Mark Twain, “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” Well I guess I am removing all doubt. I know very little about pipestone but the impression that I have is that it is not the type of material that you would flake, carve, yes… flake, no. But I see you turn out these beauties that appear to be flaked. I have carved some slate shingles (making decorative ulus with slate and deer antler) and I can’t see them flaking well. Do you carve these?
As a side note, I had a fairly large box of broken slate shingles that came off of the historic Sumner Ms. courthouse where the Emette Till trial took place but when I moved, it didn’t.

[Mattern]

Actually I cut it with a diamond hack saw to get a 1/4" slab. Than shape it with a bench grinder and a steel file. Once I'm done I trace the point / tool I want to make on it. Back to the grinder to bevel the edges. With that finished I use a Dremel tool with several grind tips to make the flake scars. Also I study the flake patterns before I do the flaking so I get the patterns right. And that's how I make them. Kim

[JEBMs]

Thanks for clearing that up for me. Your depiction of flake scars is spot on. Incredible job.

[Levi Caldwell]

Excellent! Nice work Kim.

[Mattern]

I know I showed you this in a PM to you thanks for the reply Levi. K