Hafted Shaft Scrapers/Spokeshaves

[Steve Valentine]

According to Ohio Flint Types written by Robert Converse these all are one or the rarest Flint Tools found in Ohio. They are attributed to the Early Arcahic Culture because of the materials used in their manufacture which coincides with materials used on other Early Archaic types.

These very unusual Tools are almost always made on a Uniface Blade, but some are also made from damaged or exhausted Points. The scraping surface is always concave and beveled away from the flat side. The stem is usually ground and are almost always one of two types, either a Side Notch variety or a Stemmed type which is usually slightly concave. There is rarely any secondary chipping other than around the stem and the scraping edge. The scraping edge is almost always on the right side when the flat side is down and very few examples are found with a left hand edge.

Sizes usually range at 2 to 3 inches in lentgh.

References: Ohio Flint Types by Robert Converse. Published by The Ohio Archaeological Society, 1994, Pages 60 and 61.

Some examples from my collection.

[John G. Scoggins]

Albany Spokeshaves are found on sites that produce San Patrice points.They're usually made of local cobble chert or jasper.Many examples have all the cortex left on except for the base and the steeply worked cutting/scraping edge.I dug this pair up in Miller Co.,AR.

[John G. Scoggins]

Here's a pair of spokeshaves made out of early points.Looks like the black one is made out of a Holland point and the other is a Dalton.The flaking on the spokeshave edge is similar to Red River knives.Black point is from Miller Co.,AR.Lighter point is from Hempstead Co.,AR.

[ghost recon]

Here's a few spokeshaves from various areas.

[jackcrafty]

Wow...very interesting tools! Seems like they might have been used on material that didn't dull the edge quickly, otherwise it wouldn't be worth hafting them. Maybe for harvesting medicinal plant material like soft inner bark?

[paleoman]

Here is a Dalton from Davidson Co. NC that looks to have a later period scraper notched into it? You be the judge, might be plow damage?

This field is amazing, you either find NOTHING after several trips or BANG an old one! I have a few Daltons (all broken) and have seen a couple of Hardaway's from there. A buddy I hunt with literally picked up a 3+" clovis right in front of me after I stopped to look a something he had just picked up a few rows over! He had a couple of years earlier a White Quarts Hardaway there. %*&@*$(@*&!! lol

PS Never been a big fan of White Quarts or Quartzite points, can't see the flake scares very well.... anyone else feel this way?

[paleoman]

Here's a few spokeshaves from various areas.

Hey Ghost that first group look exactly like the spoke shaves here in NC. Especially the larger ones to the left. Do you find many with tiny graver spurs on them, usually on either end of leading edge? Cool hafting notches on some of them.

[eddies]

man you guys all have some real nice tools there.congrats

[ghost recon]

Hey Ghost that first group look exactly like the spoke shaves here in NC. Especially the larger ones to the left. Do you find many with tiny graver spurs on them, usually on either end of leading edge? Cool hafting notches on some of them.

I've found more than a few with spurs. They're usually made on a thick flake. Those larger pieces are Dalton or older multipurpose tools, endscraper/spokeshave/knife. I really like the combo tools, post yours up if you have some pics.

[paleoman]

Ghost I'll have to find them there in storage at my late mother's house, and finding them in there might be as hard as finding them to begin with...
Tools are great, not many people appreciate them Do you save old cores as well? I have several river polished cores that are so cool, I'll try and get some pictures of them soon.