Knapping Artwork by James K. Bowden

Flintknapper James K. Bowden has been passionately creating images of the past for more than twenty nine years. Flintknapping is the art of flaking rock to create stone tools. This process has been used by people throughout the world from the earliest of times and into the modern day.

Jim’s flintknapping began in 1984 when he became intrigued with the art as an archaeology student at Palomar College. At the start, Jim was largely self-taught, but later on he studied with other knappers, most notably Richard Cerrutti, Leslie Quintero, Phil Wilke, Steve Carter, and Jim Winn.

Jim enjoys working with any material that can be flaked including modern man-made materials and a variety of stones. He both replicates authentic pieces and creates his own unique designs. Arrowheads, atlatl dart points, knives, blades, drills, eccentrics, hide scrapers, fishing net weights, hammer stones, and hand axes are a few of the tools he has knapped.

Because of a lack of sizable stone in the early days, Jim’s pieces tended to be small in size. Today, Jim’s forte is intricately flaked eccentrics and small, delicate arrowheads with serrations, fine pressure flakes, deep notching, or long drawn out "ears." This work fills a special niche in the modern world of flintknapping.

The tools and methods used closely follow those from the past traditions. The tool kit includes hard (basalt) and soft (sandstone) hammer stones, moose, elk or deer antler billets, sandstone abraders, leather pads, copper tipped "Ishi stick" pressure flakers, and nail side notchers. Even though a few of the tools represent modern conveniences, the process remains "primitive."

James does sell his knapped art and you can contact James @    or (909) 557-5515

Meteorite Tektite Side Notched Point 

Mexican Spider Web Obsidian Eccentric

Obsidian Eccentric

Rainbow Obsidian Eccentric

Obsidian Eccentric

Mahogany Obsidian Bison Skull Eccentric