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Notching is done by pressure flaking with a notching tool, or by indirect percussion with a notching punch. Small pieces such as arrow points are usually pressure notched with a notching tool, while large spearpoints and knives are done with indirect percussion.
Place the preform on a rubber pad on the table for pressure flaking the notches. When I am notching using indirect percussion, I usually have the rubber pad on the ground so I can hold the preform with my bare foot. This frees both hands – one to use the large billet and the other holds the punch.
The sketch below shows the approximate angle to in which the notching
tool or punch should be held at. After some practice you will get a more
precise feel of the correct angles.
When you are notching, work a little on one notch and then work a
little on the other. This is so that you can make the notches the same
depth. Otherwise, the first notch may be easy and go very deep, but the
second may not be as easy to make that deep.
Start the notch by pressure flaking two flakes side by side (#1),
then turn turn the preform over and do the same on the other side of the
notch. It is important to make the notches at least two flakes wide, this
will give you more room if you run into trouble.Each notching flake scar
serves as a platform for the other side, and it sometimes helps to dull
it slightly with the notching tool.
To continue, repeat the process while trying to drive off flakes
as long as possible. The longer the flakes,the thinner the notch area and
the easier it will be. You may need to alternate from the notching tool
to the punch, and vice versa.
As the notches get deeper, it will be more difficult to make them
two flakes wide. This means the notches won’t go much deeper because you
are running out of room and it is getting too thick to notch any deeper.
Drive off the final flakes from the center of the notch (#5). Once you
have made the notches match while getting them as deep as you can or want,
you are finished.
When your notches begin to get deep, you have to watch how you place
your tool in the notch. Make sure that when the flake breaks off,
your
tool will clear the barb. If it touches the barb at all, the barb
will break off.
Example:
