Puget Sound Knappers

Knapping Artwork by Joe Higgins

Dr. Joe Higgins is the Founder of the Puget Sound Knappers and is still its greatest proponent. Joe got together with five other beginning knappers in 1991 and started to learn how to flintknap. For the next two years Joe and the other met regularly, read as much as they could about flintknapping and slowly progressed. Around 1993 Joe got hold of an issue of flintknappers exchange that had contact information for a number of knappers in the Pacific Northwest and particularly the Puget Sound area. Joe spent several months calling and writing (before email was the rage) everyone on the list. He soon recruited and additional fifity knappers and, at the end of 1993, officially formed the Puget Ssond Knappers and started to publish a newsletter - SPALLS. For the next several years Joe, with help from several PSK knappers continue to publish and mail (snailmail) the newsletter. The PSK continued to grow, both in membership and Knap-in, averaging 7-8 knap-ins each year.

Joe currently hosts the Ft. Knapadonia Knap-in at his place on Whidbey Island, WA each August as he has for the last dozen or so years. He also hosts a weekly knap-in at Ft. Knapadonia that is attended by 12 - 16 knappers each week.

While Ft. Knapadonia is dedicated to the Art of Flintknapping, that is by no means all there is all there is. With help and instruction from Joe, you can learn bow-building, arrowmaking (his self-bows and stone-tipped arrows have taken big game), hide tanning, steel knife/tomahawk making/bladesmithing, tomahawk throwing, beadwork and other Paleo Arts and Skills. Joe is also an outstanding fisherman and chef and will gladly share both talents with anyone !

A Master Flintknapper by any account, Joe's greatest gift is teaching. He has taught and mentored dozens of knappers, demonstrated to countless Scout groups, Senior citizens, and others. If there is ever a Flintknapping Hall of Fame - Joe deserves a place of honor in the Main Hall!