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[Talusman]

Hi all,

I'll be in Columbus on Minday and am planning on driving out to Nethers Farm in the afternoon to collect some chert. I've seen beautiful examples with chalcedony veins and nice colors. Has anyone been there o have any tips? Also, I won't be able to bring crack hammers and chisels on the plane so I won't be able to do any digging. Unless someone local wants to join me and bring tools? 

Thanks!

-Jeremy

[Orrum]

Just walk around and look a Nethers. The flint knappers don't want tge flint with lines n of quartz and druzy so they toss it out of their pit. Also they don't want the colors. They want the banded so walking around is good!

[Talusman]

 

[Barclay]

Went to Nethers's farm a couple of years ago.  There is no sign.  Mrs. Nethers is a really nice lady.  You take your bucket and pick pieces out of pits.  When i was there i got to talk to a flint knapper and a geology professor who happened to be there at the same time (by accident).  Be sure and the all 3 designs, cow, thin lines and black with quartz lightning bolts.  Also read up on cooking it to breing out cool colors.

[Slabbercabber]

I've read numerous times about cooking Ohio flint to bring out the colors.  Over the past several years I've tried cooking over 200 pounds in three different lots.  The last one I kept the fire going for three days and I know the rocks got really hot.  I have yet to see any change at all in the color.

[Talusman]

I'll be looking for the natural colors with veins of chalcedony and druzy pockets. I know there's an art to heat treating, with the main purpose being to make the rock easier to knap. I think the colors come from oxygen reacting with iron compounds to enhance the Reds/yellows. I occasionally find PA Jasper that was treated by native Americans that shows red colors.

[Kaljaia]

I see heat-treated color changes in rocks in wildfire areas- the vibrant orange and reds are often a skin on grey or white agate. But a wildfire can range from 'stomp on it' to ridiculously hot if there's juniper involved, so I don't know how hot it would need to be to deliberately change the color.