Monache Chapter 7.Ray 's Flintknapping "The Lost Art of Monache. "

Ray Harwood Flintknapper Since 1970s.

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Ray Harwood Flintknapper Since 1970s.
Ray Harwood started flintknapping in the late 1960s. As a youngster his dad took the family on hunting trips to Monache Meadows. There in Monache he saw many obsidian arrow points. Ray’s pop knew how to knap a bit as well as Ray’s older brother. Ray usually makes glass points of Ishi type or really long points up to 36 inches, and uses almost exclusively pressure flaking with a copper tool. Classifies himself as a hobby or folk knapper, but did use knapping to get through college at CSUN with a BA in Anthro in 1983. Although in poor health, he often attends knap-ins and powwows where he chips.

Ray started Flintknapping Digest Newsletter in 1983, and is credited now with starting the new flintknapping revolution. Flintknapping Digest became CHIPS when it was kindly rescued by the Waldorf’s (Mound Builder Books) in the late 1980s or early 1990s. Ray also published several greatest hits of Flintknapping Digest in the 1990s, just after he left the Army. It was 1987 when he published FLINTKNAPPING THE EMIC PERSPECTIVE, with Sollberger Callahan and Waldorf. Ray published 100s of articles in many magazines, newsletters, web sites and so on from 1980 through 2006. Ray was on the TARP web site for several years and then was kicked off for “ knapping needing ethics” opinions. Ray Started the failed World Flintknapping Society in 2001? Ray also wrote the books: Arrowheads of California, Point types of California, Arrowheads and Blades of Ancient California, History of Modern Flintknapping, Knapping Bottle Glass Arrowheads, Flintknapping In the Ishi Method and Ted Orcutt - KING OF THE FLINTKNAPPERS.

Ray Harwood started the Wrightwood knap-in, AKA California Flintknapping Rendezvous in 1983. The next year he teamed up with Alton Safford and the two co-produced and co-hosted the event for many decades. In the end Alton Safford got all the credit. The Wrightwood knap-in was held first at C.S.U.N. After CSUN the knap-in moved to Jackson Lake for many years and then to Camp Guffy and then to Indian Hills Camp until it died a year or two ago (2006). In 2000 Ray helped plan the monthly Bakersfield Knap-in hosted and produced Gary Pickett.


ERRETT CALLAHAN AND RAY HARWOOD 2000







JOE DABIL AND RAY HARWOOD 1986

JEANNIE BINNING AND RAY HARWOOD IN 1984


RAY HARWOOD AND ALTON SAFFORD IN 1983






FLINTKNAPPING CODE OF ETHICS



Code of ethics:
1. No flintknapper shall misrepresent their work;
A) as ancient.
B) as another knapper's work.
2. No member shall knowingly disturb archaeological site contexts;
A) by knapping at them, causing contamination.
B) by collecting lithic material at them.