Uni-faced and snapped bases

[mxdigger]

One of these days I hope I can find someone to explain that the purpose of a uni-faced point. And I know there are some people say that there is no such thing as a snapped base point and that they are just broken. I have a bunch of those and some I guess could be just broken but a few I have are to too perfect to be broken by accidental use. The uni-faced points have always been a mystery to me.

 

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[mxdigger]

As to snapped bases: I always wonder if one side of a notched base broke off. This would cause a potential balance issue in flight.
Rather than to discard and waste the tool, maybe the other notch was removed to rebalance it.
Just a thought, no proof whatsoever.

That sounds like something the engineers could do to find out if that is a possibility. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

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[mxdigger]

I know these pics are going to be hard to show what I'm seeing but here goes. The first one is showing a snapped off drill and to me it seems any break by accident would occur at the tip.

 

[mxdigger]

More.....

 

[CreekSide]

Now some will look snapped but will have cortex on the base end. Pickwick types are known to leave the cortex on the stem

 

[Rockdog]

The member Uniface has not posted in a very long time. I enjoyed his input on artifacts. Personally I do not think there are intentional "snapped based" artifacts. They were broken off during use. To knap a point then intentionally snap off a base makes no sense whatsoever.

I don't believe they were snapped off. I believe they were made without a base. Not sure the purpose but I've seen too many with perfectly flat and perfectly smooth bases that would not be formed by snapping them off. Just my opinion.

 

[newnan man]

If "snapped based" points were made that way how were they hafted? If they were to be used as a hand tool, why snap off the base? Simple logic. I think some people want to say snapped base tools were made that way because then they don't have to say they found a broken point. I personally will never be convinced they were made that way. That's the beauty, we can believe what we want.

 

[antmike915]

As of broken points, I would rather find a ancient snapped base than a snapped tip 🙂

 

[mxdigger]

I don't believe they were snapped off. I believe they were made without a base. Not sure the purpose but I've seen too many with perfectly flat and perfectly smooth bases that would not be formed by snapping them off. Just my opinion.

Thats kind of what I'm thinking too. I'm like you thinking what the purpose might be, but I still can't get around the thick base breaking off leaving the point untouched. I guess anything is possible, but I can't see it.

 

[newnan man]

Thats kind of what I'm thinking too. I'm like you thinking what the purpose might be, but I still can't get around the thick base breaking off leaving the point untouched. I guess anything is possible, but I can't see it.

Well I have many more broken tips than bases, maybe 4 to ratio are tips, so it happens.

 

[mxdigger]

As of broken points, I would rather find a ancient snapped base than a snapped tip 🙂

I'm with you on that. I only have one point that the base is snapped off clean with a little bit of the tip broken off the rest have intact tips with the base snapped/broken off

 

[mxdigger]

Well I have many more broken tips than bases, maybe 4 to ratio are tips, so it happens.

I agree with broken tips I have a bunch of them. What I was trying to say is in reference to snapped/broken bases you have a lot better chance of finding broken tips than you are snapped or broken bases. The bases should be the strongest part of an arrow point. All I was saying is I can see a tip getting damaged but why when you see snapped/broken bases most of the ones I've seen the tips are still in good shape. It just seems to me a tip would break much easier than a base.

 

[Older The Better]

I just figured it was a stress point especially for a knife, you put any kind of sideways pressure it’s going to snap at the haft where the support from the binding and the haft no longer strengthen it and between the notches is the thin spot… maybe I’m the odd ball but i have way more bases than tips

 

[ToddsPoint]

I just figured it was a stress point especially for a knife, you put any kind of sideways pressure it’s going to snap at the haft where the support from the binding and the haft no longer strengthen it and between the notches is the thin spot… maybe I’m the odd ball but i have way more bases than tips

This^👍🏻
The neck on a notched point is the weakest spot. The longer the base, the more leverage is placed on it and it’s more likely to break. A short stemmed base is the strongest. Take a popsicle stick and break it in half. Now take another stick and try to break off a piece 1/2” long. It’s all about leverage.

 

[mxdigger]

This^👍🏻
The neck on a notched point is the weakest spot. The longer the base, the more leverage is placed on it and it’s more likely to break. A short stemmed base is the strongest. Take a popsicle stick and break it in half. Now take another stick and try to break off a piece 1/2” long. It’s all about leverage.

I can see that point about leverage, makes sense. But I'll have to add how do you know if a point had a short stem or a long one? No seriously there have been a lot of good explanations in this thread so I'll leave it at that. Thanks for your replies.

 

[Fred250]

The member Uniface has not posted in a very long time. I enjoyed his input on artifacts. Personally I do not think there are intentional "snapped based" artifacts. They were broken off during use. To knap a point then intentionally snap off a base makes no sense whatsoever.

I know of people that ruffled feathers having their accounts “shadow banned” so that it would run so slow it was unusable. Not sure if that is what happened to him but a shame if it was.

Just went through my messages on here and found his email sent him a message letting him know he was missed. I think I have sent him other messages though and never heard back, hopefully all is well.

 

[mxdigger]

I know of people that ruffled feathers having their accounts “shadow banned” so that it would run so slow it was unusable. Not sure if that is what happened to him but a shame if it was.

Just went through my messages on here and found his email sent him a message letting him know he was missed. I think I have sent him other messages though and never heard back, hopefully all is well.

Yeah, that is a shame. I don't understand why some people have to stir up dodo all the time. I haven't noticed it too much here, well maybe a little but FB and some of the other forums are really bad. You can't ask a question or comment on something without getting flamed. If these type sites are put up to help people learn about this stuff why do the mods let people get away with that kind of stuff. It's been that way on sites all over the net ever since al gore invented the internet.

 

[CreekSide]

Yeah, that is a shame. I don't understand why some people have to stir up dodo all the time. I haven't noticed it too much here, well maybe a little but FB and some of the other forums are really bad. You can't ask a question or comment on something without getting flamed. If these type sites are put up to help people learn about this stuff why do the mods let people get away with that kind of stuff. It's been that way on sites all over the net ever since al gore invented the internet.

They don’t practice what they preach that’s for sure. I left FB a year ago. This site is pretty good just have to treat each other with respect and no cussing