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In this class, you will learn the process of hafting a stone knife blade into a wood handle. There are very few examples of hafted knives preserved in the Southwest. The style of hafting we will do in this class is based on Basketmaker and Pueblo knives found in rock shelters across the Southwest. Ancient technologies expert Allen Denoyer will teach participants how to work with pitch, sinew, and cordage to haft a knife.
Allen will provide all the necessary materials, such as a finished obsidian knife blade and a piece of Saguaro root that participants will make into a handle. He’ll also demonstrate how to make a good working pitch-resin mixture to set the blade into the handle. Participants will shape the wood handle with only stone tools and use their knife blades to saw the notch to insert the blade into the handle.
Participants should wear long pants and bring gloves, as there will be some challenging carving. This class is open to ages 12 and up. The class will take about three hours, about 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Masks are optional. We will be outside if the weather is nice and not too cold.
Examples of knives like the one you will be making.