Project Failures: Stone Axe

From REWILD.info Field Guide, the free Field Guide To Rewilding

"Project Failure" represents an attempt at doing something you have no idea how to do and failing miserably whilst documenting that failure so that others may learn from your mistakes. Success results as an occasional by product. See more "Project Failure" articles.

[edit] ROCK #1

I chose this rock for its shape. It looks like an axe (at least to me). I can guess I need this shape for the best axe anyway.

To make an axe out of a rock seems simple: Peck a groove for a handle, abraid the end into a sharp point. I began pecking on the rock with another rock. The rock I used to peck the axe fell apart, as you can see in this photo:

The grain on the axe felt harder than the pecker… Did I just say that? Anyway, I pecked for hours to no avail. The axe would not get groovy. So I went in my tipi and search through a pile of rocks and found this one:

It worked like a charm. With a harder rock I found I could chip the groove in a matter of time. It still felt time-consuming, but I could at least see the progress:

I ground the edge of the axe against a stone near my tipi and found that it sharpened rather quickly.

Then today as I worked on it in Willems yard, tragedy struck:

All those hours! Willem thinks that maybe it broke because I hit it directly and that a curved strike may work better. We shall see…

[edit] ROCK #2

Stay tuned...

[edit] Sources

Wiki Authors

• Urban Scout

References

• none