Try it yourself...
I run a few one-day workshops in Sussex each year - this is what they are all about.
For hundreds of thousands of years, our ancestors used flint to make their lives easier. In this workshop, you will gain a unique insight into the world of your distant ancestors by learning how they made and used their flint tools.
During the day, you will be introduced to the techniques necessary to make all types of flint tools, and then use these techniques to make your own flint knife, something like this one.
First, you will learn how to make a flint scraper and a flint saw, and use these tools to prepare a wooden handle for your knife. We’ll then practice a technique you’ll need to make the flint blade for your knife by making a couple of arrowheads. You will then make the blade for your knife, and finally set it into the handle in the same way that prehistoric man would have, using glue and cord. The glue will be made from the materials that would have been used five thousand years ago – you will heat it up in a clay pot, and probably get very sticky! You will also make your own cord, from stinging nettles!
When the day is over, I promise you that you will have a good deal of respect for your ancestors, and many people who have done the workshop say that it has helped them appreciate their own world more deeply! I also promise you that you will have fun, and you will of course be able to take home all the tools you have made.
If you are interested, send me an email via the "Contact me" page and I'll let you know when the next workshop is.