Knap in event in Fl.

[geodepat]

I had the oppertunity to go down to the coast today and attend a knap festival at the Ocklocknee State Park. The event was free to the public with the exception of the 4 dollar per car load entrance fee to the park. Donnie and I arrived around 9 a.m. to a brisk windy morning. There were rows of venders set up for selling and demonstrations.

There were tables with points and knives everwhere you looked.

I was surprised by all the different rocks that had been knapped and the colors were really outstanding.






There were meg teeth and dino bones.


Flint was being sold by the pound and it was from every where and every color.




Here's Donnie checking out a table of rocks.

Humm those rocks look formiliar, graves mt., diamond hill, humm do I know these people?

Why yes there are Magma members from south Fl. and like the idiot I am I have forgotten their names. So sorry for that my mind is on lots of other things.

The artistic side of the show was really great, here are painted fish scenes on agatized colral.

The painting on drift wood was way cool.

And the knives were getting cooler.



And stranger. This looks like it came from Star Trek.

Not to mention more colorful.



Checkout the serations on this one.

And these were really neat too.

Check out the carved handles.

Here's one that Rick would like.

And finnally the last picture...aren't ya glad...LOL I think they caught this knife on the fly.


Hope you enjoyed and yes I know one of the pictures is messed up I'll fix it tomorrow. I'm too tired,,,,but happy to have been out and kind of rocking. Pat

[earthnhands]

thanks pat. that is interesting. the colors and patterns in the uruguay agate is amazing. the 16th actual pic down (the box with the three colorful points)...is that the same agate or something different? that would be so cool to have a 24" x 24" sheet of that polished and framed. people are so amazing in what they can create!

[geodepat]

Yes Rebecca that was the same Uraguay agate. That was some of the prettiest agate I have ever seen. I bet that would make some awesome cabs.

[arappaho]

Wow, that's a Big Show!
Thanks for the report and all the pics, Pat.
And I haven't ever seen any of that Uraguay Agate before either.
Awesome stuff!
It's amazing what those guys can do!
Thanks, Joe

[geodepat]

Joe, the show was bigger than what I had posted. I only posted a few of the pictures I took. There was at least 70 of those show cases full of the work that people had done. I didn't take any pictures of the other stuff that was going on like the basket making and spear and arrow throwing compititions. They also had an auction going on too. Lots of venders that just had the cheap beaded stuff and agate jewelry from Brazil and Mexico. They had 2400 visitors last year to this event. This is the web site that I had found the info on. They have many more listed for the future. www.eskimo.com/~knapper/knapins.html

[jcinpc]

well Pat what a small world it is huh? I enjoyed talking to you and Donnie, he`s a cool cat loved his necklace. Thanks so much for showing me your stuff too. I have been selling coral and local cherts to the flintknappers for awhile now. This particular knap-in is in its 3rd year and getting bigger, it replaced the Paynes Prarie knap-in in Gainesville. I went to the Dade CIty knap-in the weekend after down closer to me, this is by far the best one in the state.
Yes we has some TERRIBLE weather the first 2 days, I only stayed in the tent 1 day and stayed at my dive buddy`s house the other nights, he`s the one with the sharks teeth set up next to me.
heres some more pics














the painted drusy coral heads and drift wood is by Dave Somenes from Orlando, super nice guy, the uraguay agate stuff is Doug Leeths, he`s the expert atlatl thrower featured on a history channel show last year



this is Eric Morris the traveling rock salesman, for real. Thats what he does for a living. THe night beofre this event he was unooading his truck and a slab of obsidian slid forward and hit the top of his hand and severed the tendon on a finger, because this is a state event and he was a vendor they coved all his medical bills






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[auriculatis65]

Thanks Pat and JC
What a wonderful event to go to and thanks for all the pictures!!

Derek

[arappaho]

Thanks for all the additional pics, JC.
Too bad about the weather, but that sure is one awesome shindig
down there!
There's one pic of a case of large blades,( just above a pic of painted
coral). I'm assuming those are all made from your local coral?
They are huge!
Sorry to hear about Erics' mishap. That's pretty surprising considering
all the rock he's moved. Just goes to show it can happen to anyone
and just that quick. Great pic of him, tho.
Would love to make it to that show sometime.
Joe

[jcinpc]

those big blades are Horse Creek chert from Tn, they are Eddie Harrisons, who sell the cases there.He and his son have access to that hard to find material

[Dicky the Rockhunter]

EVEN THOUGH I AM NOT INTO KNAPPING , I LOVE THE INFO AND IT HELPS TO KEEP ME ROUNDED. LOOKS LIKE IT WAS A GREAT TRIP

THANKS DICKY

[arappaho]

Alright, thanks JC, that's what I was wondering. I've only seen
a few pieces of that Horse Creek chert on the PA board. It's some
beautiful material! Wasn't sure if it was called a jasper or a chert.
Joe

[jcinpc]

its really a jasper but its called a chert, heres a few cabs I made out of some I have

[arappaho]

Thanks again for the pics, JC. That stuff takes a heck of a polish!
I know this may be pushing it, but I'd love to see a polish like that
on one of those big blades. You know, just to see it one time.
Joe