“Part-time prehistoric man”
James knaps replica stone age tools from flint, shaping each one by striking flakes off the stone with a hammerstone and antler. He makes tools from across the stone age, including Oldowan choppers, Acheulean hand axes, Neanderthal cleavers, Mesolithic adzes, and Neolithic arrowheads and knives, as well as arrowhead making kits.
James is the replica stone tool supplier to Creswell Crags, the site of the oldest cave art in Britain. His pieces are sold in the shop there, and he made a short film of his knapping for their display. He also makes a lot of pieces for schools.
Most of James’s tools are made to order. Each one comes boxed with an information sheet, and the pieces he sells on The Haud are signed, so they can’t be mistaken for genuine prehistoric finds.
I started knapping after seeing a video of leading knapper Will Lord, and began a now two year journey of self taught prehistoric skills. I was lucky to have some time after graduating before starting an MA in Archeology, and dedicated a year of my life to learning the craft.
Most of my flint comes from the cliffs at Dover. Flint forms in Cretaceous chalk layers and is revealed by oceanic erosion. Flint is wonderful as it acts as a kind of sponge in the bedrock, sucking in surrounding minerals so every piece is unique. Different colours, hardness, qualities, you have to meet each piece as an individual. Sometimes I work other knappable stones like obsidian. I make a big effort to only use prehistoric tools in my work: Bone, antler, prehistoric glue mixes and bindings. I'm also all self taught, never met another knapper we are severely endangered! Right now I estimate there are less than 5 professionally practising flint knappers in the UK, but what I love is that people are always interested anytime I'm doing it out and about. It really is Human nature.
