The Road to Finegoldknap-in at Merkle's Ranch is about 11 miles from the Verlo Gas station on Highway 41, in the foot hills just above Fresno, California(to the East.) Just fallow the signs shown above. The road is paved for a while than a good dirt, country road through majestic ridges and and rolling hills dotted with beef cattle, wild turky and so on. Oak trees and and old brown barns and fences along the root. One small creek bed before the main river crossing and your there.
I got to the main knapping camp friday afternoon and visited everyone and setup my camp next the the river. I had my archery equipment, my dobro guitar, mountain bike and flintknapping kit. I set up my bed in the back of my Ford Explorer. Then I walked over to the fire and did some more visiting. The noext morning (Saturday), Patrick Aims and his large family had gallons of coffee bewing and the delectable aroma filled the camp. The they cooked up some amazing breakfast vidals.
Flintknapping, the art of chipping knives and arrowheads out of flint and obsidan started about 8:30 AM on Friday(Saterday for me) and went on from there to Sunday afternoon.
JOKING AROUND: Giant potato gun firing, John Piri befriending a Llama, Gary with Ray point in head, and friends head in hole.
Top Patrick Aims with Fox skin quiver he made. 2, Gary archery. 3, Matt Archery. 4, Ray Harwood archery.
Finegold knap-in all night jam session. Started about 4:30 PM and went allmost all night long.
Carol Peri and her buffalo chilli and Patric Aims and family made tri-tip and fixins, Gary brought his famous pies. I ate so much I passed out at the bon fire and my hat caught on fire. FOOD WAS GREAT!!!!
Gary Pickett is the driving force behind California flintknapping; teaching, inspiring and hosting and setting up knap-ins all over the state. Gary is agreat flintknapper and outstanding individual. His Web Site is www.lettherockroll.com. He puts a monthly knap-in at Hart memorial Park in Bakerfield, CA, 1st Sunday of every month for over 10 years! He has been adopted by several Indian tribes and also partakes in sweat lodges and pow woes. He doe flintknapping demos as well. 661-444-6163 is his phone number. "LET THE ROCK ROLL"
Monthly Flintknapping Flintknappers still “Knap-in” after 10 years By Dennis Mahan Flintknappers from near and far gathered in Bakersfield’s Hart Park on Sunday to mark the ten-year anniversary of the longest-running monthly “Knap-in” in the world. The Bakersfield Knappers, started by Gary Pickett, Ray Harwood, Danny Raines and Sherry Pauley, meet the first Sunday of every month to practice the ancient art of making stone tools such as arrowheads, knives and other projectile points. “I like the camaraderie,” said Harwood, 49, of Bakersfield, who is an archaeologist with a degree from California State University, Northridge. “We advance our knowledge by keeping in practice and sharing ideas.” Harwood and other group members give Pickett a lot of the credit for the group’s progress and success. “Gary is an excellent teacher. He has the gift of teaching and has a lot of patience with us,” said Jim Boatman, 61, of Tehachapi. Pickett’s interest in flintknapping came more than 20 years ago when he began finding old arrowheads in the creeks of southern Missouri where he grew up. He was fascinated by the arrowheads and thought he could make them himself. “I just started beating two rocks together,” said Pickett, 44, who moved to Bakersfield in 1997. It was five years of trial and error before he made much progress, but moving to Bakersfield and meeting Harwood through a flintknapping Web site helped both of them progress faster. They decided to meet every month and work on rocks, but didn’t expect for the small group to grow like it did. “I’m pleased with the progress and the people it’s brought,” said Pickett. Every meeting brings folks from all over the state — Inglewood, Ridgecrest and Sacramento — and even from out of state. One man visiting California from Louisiana heard about the group and came out for a visit. Flintknapper Fred Swanson comes from Weldon for the experience he gets from talking with Pickett. He feels that flintknapping can be good therapy. “You get hooked on it. It’s an enjoyable, relaxing endeavor. You get started and you kind of forget about everything else,” said Swanson. For anyone interested, the group will provide the tools, rocks and lessons to get started during the “Knap-in.” For those who would like to get started on their own, tools include deer antler, hammer stones and the more modern “copper bopper,” along with a chunk of obsidian rock. The next demonstration will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, near the east entrance of Hart Park. For more information go to www.lettherockroll.com.
Gary Pickett is the driving force behind California flintknapping; teaching, inspiring and hosting and setting up knap-ins all over the state. Gary is agreat flintknapper and outstanding individual. His Web Site is www.lettherockroll.com. He puts a monthly knap-in at Hart memorial Park in Bakerfield, CA, 1st Sunday of every month for over 10 years! He has been adopted by several Indian tribes and also partakes in sweat lodges and pow woes. He doe flintknapping demos as well. 661-444-6163 is his phone number. "LET THE ROCK ROLL"
I knapped this shark here that is eating Gary's face.
Here is Ray Harwood (AKA me) with my buffalo knives, last years bison butchering.
There were hundreds of booths and thousandS of visitors over the course of the week end. Many antique dealers, gem and mineral dealers, fossil tarders and more. Lots of food booths. Eight bucks to get in...ouch. But it was fun. Kettle corn was good! Live music all day was amazingly good. Really good jazz band.
FLINTKNAPPING PHOTOS FROM THE THE FAIR
I ate my lunch at the Los Hermonos Mexican food booth. a large burrito. Here it is.
WESTERN LITHICS NAROWEST NOTCH ENTRY CONTEST 2010!
NEARLY 50 ENTREES LAST YEAR (20O9)...CAN YOU WIN THIS YEAR (2010) LASTER YEAR (2009) WAS WON BY ED MOSHER
KING NOTCHER CONTEST, 2009
KING NOTCHER CONTEST
KING NOTCHER HAND CARVED TROPHY FOR 2009 (MAILED TO ED MOSHER).
Ed Mosher, obsidian. Monticllo, Indiana.
Joe Dabill, made from a pickle jar., San Luis Obisbo, California.
Ray Harwood's entry, made from a pickle jar. Bakersfield, California.
WESTERN LITHICS NAROWEST NOTCH ENTRY CONTEST! Lead [-]
WESTERN LITHICS NAROWEST NOTCH ENTRY CONTEST 2010!
OK Ishi maniacs, here is the chance to show your prowess and win a world champion title as KING NOTCHER. I, Ray Harwood of Bakersfield, California, will be the judge and jury (and a contestant as well). Results will be confirmed by an Ishi point panel headed by Ishi lithics expert, Jim Williams. The prize is a big world champion notcher trophy. The cost of entry (pardon the pun) is one well notched Ishi point( the one that I will judge). These points will become part of the Western Lithics study collection and will be donated to a museum for research. Points should be crafted out of glass, obsidian, porcelain, or flint-like materials. Sharpen up your Ishi stick -on your marks…get set….notch!!! The winner is the one with the narrowest entry into a nice tear drop notch. Western Lithics and or Ray Harwood is not responsible for any idiots that cut themselves or get chips in their eyeball. Knapping is a known dangerous sport.
ALL ENTRIES DO BY APRIL 30TH 2010 Mail entry point to:
