Featured here is the work of Jim Redfearn. Jim resides in southwest Missouri and is a typical Ozark Mountain resident, born in 1956. He has a great love for the outdoors and at the drop of a hat will fish with just about anybody, hunt deer and squirrels with Dane or call owls, to the delight of his children.

When he was only a few years old, roaming the hills of the Ozarks, he began to pick up arrowheads. While still quite young, he and all of his friends loved the lure of the Indian way of life and began to make crude bows and atl-atls. When he was eight, his father took him bow hunting for the first time; he was hooked. That same year his father killed a deer and gave Jim the horns; he began to try his hand at knapping stone with the horns.

With tiny amounts of information he had gleaned from a history class in high school, he began to re-point and rework broken arrowheads that he found. His real desire was to make his own. At this stage he had little luck, but he did figure out how to notch. In 1977 he first tried percussion work with limited results, he managed some bird points and a few percussion flaked ones.

In 1991 Jim met Ron Fuller and they attended a knap-in at Ft. Osage where he acquired a copy of The Art of Flint Knapping, the race was on. With Jim’s good nature and ease of conversation, he quickly made friends with and was tutored by some of the best. Such as Ron Fuller, DC Waldorf, Jim Spears, Jim Hopper, Steve Behrnes and Charlie Shewey. Small wonder he has ended up one of the premier knappers in the world.

Burlington chert is one of his favorite materials, he has heat treated so much of it that he is probably the leading authority on its characteristics and temperature requirements. Lots of knappers look to Jim for advice on this subject.

Jim is well known for his serrated Sloan Daltons, his outstanding Hardins, Scottsbluffs, as well as several other important types. He is second to none when it comes to making an Ishi type, the reason for this is Jim’s great reverence and study of old Ishi. He wrote a very informative article on Ishi type notching in CHIPS Vol. 9 #4, 1997, Replicating Ishi Points. More examples of his work including his 14" Clovis point, nicknamed "The Greasy Creek Goliath" were shown in CHIPS, Vol. 10 #4, 1998, The .45 Caliber Alarm Clock. The drawing on the front is of Jim holding this blade.

As a master flintknapper, Jim’s points are in great demand for their style and beauty. At any knap-in he will be found with a group of onlookers as he is easy to talk to and very free with his information. He is now teaching a wholew generation of knappers.

Jim recently starred in a new video, Making the Hardin Point. Here he uses copper billets to produce a classic example of the type. He explains every move in detail so you can understand it. An excellent VHS tape.

Note: We at CHIPS have to add that we expect great things out of Mr. Redfearn in the future. He is a wonderful asset to our craft and a valued friend.

 

Top: Jim dressed in camo, ready for hunting.

Center: Novaculite Dovetail. 

Bottom: Hardin made from Burlington.

I have a new shipment of Texas Chert for sale.

Look at some of my points
on the new Gallery.