Flintknapper: Lost Art of the Arrow Maker

Some people collect Indian arrowheads. And that is how Chuck Stern began when he was a kid. He still collects, but the Nashville, Illinois man also makes them. He is a flintknapper, making arrowheads ("points"), as well as the arrows and bows that go with them.

Not that there's a lot of call for that sort of thing. But it's an appealing skill with roots deep in the past taught to him about 10 years ago by a Cherokee named Michael Walking Stick who, in return, asked only that he pass it on.

He's done that, demonstrating his flintknapping skills for Boy Scouts and even teaching his brother Steve while inviting others to learn.

"It's the creativity," said Stern, whose grandfather was a Cherokee. "No two points come out exactly the same."

Stern added, "So many art forms have been lost...and this is the oldest.." Once at a public event where Stern was giving a demonstration. an Apache man was watching him as he chipped away at a piece of flint, lamenting that his own people had completely forgotten the skill.

Making arrowheads is a labor-intensive skill modern archers with machine-made, wind-tunnel-tested arrows tipped by metal points can not appreciate. Each arrow produced by a pre-Columbian Indian was a prized addition to the hunter's quiver, representing hours of work.

"My average time in one arrow, it usually takes anywhere from 12 to 14 hours. That's from the time I start knapping the point until I put the last fletching on it," said Stern. "People don't realize that. They see one and they go "oh, that's pretty nice, I'll go get a dowel rod from Walmart and make my own."

Arrowheads

To get started, Stern needed to learn the basics. He had to get an understanding of the proper stone to use, how to hold it on your knee, and how to strike one stone with another stone to produce a sharpened edge. After that, he said, it's a matter of patience. Stern was later able to pick up additional instruction on striking and flaking technique from John Mondino of Mulkeytown, Illinois.