Richard Warren's Flake Over Grinding Points Page 3

PAGE 3 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
RICHARD WARRENS
FLAKE-OVER-GRINDING
PAGE 3 OF 4 PAGES
COPYRIGHT SEPTEMBER 30, 2003 PETER A. BOSTROM

RICHARD WARREN "FLAKE-OVER-GRINDING" POINT
DONNIE McKINNIS COLLECTION

The color of this point makes it all the more impressive to look at. Add to that, the uniform parallel pressure flaking and it's a better-than-average example of Richard Warren's art pieces. This point has just enough grinding on the edges near the base to give it a slight shoulder. This is the style of the Cody Complex Eden points that are found on the western high plains. This point was previously in the Charley Shewey collection.

By the late 1960's Richard Warren began making his flake-over- grinding points in fairly large numbers. He also fluted some of these beautiful parallel flaked art pieces. Another style of point he began making at this time were delicately flaked long fluted Cumberland points.

GROUND PREFORM BY GENE STAPLETON
GENE STAPLETON COLLECTION

This picture shows how a ground preform might look. This one was made by Gene Stapleton. It's finished with the grinding process and is now ready for a series of parallel pressure flakes that, if done correctly, will remove all of the original ground surface.

Richard Warren originally used a sixteen-penny nail for a pressure flaker. Larry Nelson reports that's how he showed him to do it in the late 1950's. Mr. Warren was able to use a billet or baton for percussion flaking but he claimed it was to slow and caused to much breakage. So in place of the traditional tools, he built a lever machine that was able to accomplish both pressure flaking and fluting.

PRESSURE FLAKING ON GROUND PREFORM
BY GENE STAPLETON
GENE STAPLETON COLLECTION

This odd looking point has been finished on one side only by pressure flaking over a smoothly ground surface. This example also has a very long channel flake running down from the base. The opposite side is ground smooth and has not yet been flaked. The platform "nipple" on the base has not yet been levered or struck off to make the opposite side flute. After the opposite side is finished with its uniform parallel pressure flaking, like the side showing, the edges will then be touched up with smaller pressure flakes.

Larry Nelson also reports that when Richard Warren was "doing his fine, hand-held pressure flaking or notching and retouching edges on the big "gray ghost" spears, he preferred to stand upright at his workbench". The point he was working on was held on a pad of conveyer belt material. He also used both florescent and incandescent light to work under.

FINISHED FLAKE OVER GRINDING POINT
BY GENE STAPLETON
GENE STAPLETON COLLECTION

This point was made by Gene Stapleton. He is another knapper who has been doing flake-over-grinding for a number of years now. This point has fairly uniform parallel flaking, a single long flute and a concave base. It was made from a sawed slab that was smoothly ground into a preform.

A long time collector and flintknapper from Kansas City, Charley Shewey, probably had the largest collection of Richard Warren's flake-over-grinding points. Charley purchased them over a period of several years and tried to buy his very best examples. It's believed that Charley had not only the largest collection of Warren's points but also the best quality examples that he ever made.

RICHARD WARREN FLAKE-OVER-GRINDING POINT
DONNIE McKINNIS COLLECTION

This is another good example of Richard Warren's flake-over-grinding points. It was originally in Charley Shewey's collection which contained, at one time, the largest collection of Mr. Warren's flake-over-grinding points. This one has very uniform parallel flaking on both sides. It's made of Texas chert.

Richard Warren is recognized as the first U.S. knapper who produced flake-over-grinding points in large numbers. Charley Shewey's collection alone contained approximately 700 examples of his work.

CONTINUE ON TO PAGE FOUR

"REFERENCES"

2002, Nelson, Larry, "The Richard Warren I Knew", Chips, Vol. 14, #4, pp. 16-18.

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