Strange tool or waste rock?

[diggingthe1]

I found this this summer. It is very sharp inner n the inner circle like it was resharpened. There is a small brook trout stream nearby. It looks like it was freshly sharpened on that edge. All I can think is that it was used to cut open fish or maybe deer. Anyone else ever run across something like this? Maybe it's just debatoge. It's about the size of a half dollar. Let me know what you think!! I hope you all get out and find some killer points this year!!! Thanks for any information!!

 

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[Treasure_Hunter]

No doubt worked and a tool. I have found several.

 

[Tdog]

I agree it's a tool. Looks like a spokeshave.

 

[diggingthe1]

Thanks for the information TH and Tdog!!!

 

[Fat]

Spokeshave made from Heartville uplift or trout creek. I can’t keep them straight myself. Really nice example.

 

[diggingthe1]

Spokeshave made from Heartville uplift or trout creek. I can’t keep them straight myself. Really nice example.

Thanks Fat, definitely trout Creek!!

 

[Twitch]

+1 for spoke shave.

 

[Quartzite Keith]

Hook shaped flakes (and all kinds of other odd shapes) like that are sometimes produced incidentally when flint knapping. When I blow up the pictures, they get blurry. If the edge was purposely modified to make a spokeshave, you should see pressure flake scars used to bevel the edge inside the curve on the face shown in the first picture. If it was a naturally hooked flake used as a spokeshave, you should see tiny microflakes that came off the flat side (second picture) that got pushed off from contact with the wood being worked.

 

[Buckleberry]

Concave scraper...doubt the NAs had many spokes to shave,

 

[Tdog]

It is noteworthy here that the term spokeshave originated from white men in historic times--not Native Americans. The stone ones have been around 1000s of years before white men showed up here. Their use on soft material would not chip them very severely if at all.

 

[dirstscratcher]

The steep bevel on the inside is ideal for shaving (planing) wood. It seems to me they would have ample need to have spoke shaves for shaping spears and atlatl shafts and handles, and any number of other wood utensils they may have needed.

 

[old digger]

Nice spokeshave! I sometimes find the same type of material here.

 

[Buckleberry]

The steep bevel on the inside is ideal for shaving (planing) wood. It seems to me they would have ample need to have spoke shaves for shaping spears and atlatl shafts and handles, and any number of other wood utensils they may have needed.

I've found plenty of these concave scrapers and as a wooodworker myself, If limited by stone, I would much rather use a shaft straightener-sandstone material with grooves (more than likely used more for abrading wood and finishing, than actually trying to straighten it) and a normal flint knife to pare down a shaft. I've never found one of these that was decently rounded enough that I would use for a shaft.
Also the steep bevel is found on most convex scrapers as well and produced I believe to thwart chipping away from the edge due to heavy use, it acts as a kind of backing for the scraping edge.

There are quite a few misnomers with regards to NA artifacts, "arrowheads" being one of them, as most identified as such were used as knives and many others were Atlatl dart points.

 

[diggingthe1]

Thank you all for the wonderful information, what I notice about the piece is it looks like it was freshly sharpened on that edge. Old digger, I love this material and I imagine you can find it quite far from it's location. I think I see microflakes Kieth but it could be from sharpening. I wish I could go back in time Tdog and Buckleberry to see how this was used! I appreciate the posts!!Thanks!!

 

[Tdog]

I think that these types of tools would be handy for preparing sinew too.

 

[old digger]

Here is a very nice thumb scraper (the one in the lower left) that appears to be of the same material. It was given to a very nice person here on tnet.

 

[diggingthe1]

Wow, that looks like it was (and is still) a cherished piece. It is nice that it is still being passed on. Those all are very nice examples. I wonder if the red material is the same just heat treated? Thanks for posting those

 

[Fat]

I think that these types of tools would be handy for preparing sinew too.

I think this was used as a leather tool. Strip sinew to make thongs, string, for sewing. Lots of leather working uses

 

[goodtime]

I found this this summer. It is very sharp inner n the inner circle like it was resharpened. There is a small brook trout stream nearby. It looks like it was freshly sharpened on that edge. All I can think is that it was used to cut open fish or maybe deer. Anyone else ever run across something like this? Maybe it's just debatoge. It's about the size of a half dollar. Let me know what you think!! I hope you all get out and find some killer points this year!!! Thanks for any information!!

My wife found this uniface tool about 14 years ago and hers reminds me of yours. It is heavily ground along the top edge where I marked it in purple and I've always felt that it could have easily been used as a gutting tool of some kind. It measures about 2 1/4 inches in length.

 

[Fat]

Flattop, I love it. Nice to see you. If you see any windmill parts blowing around, they could be mine...