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RICHARD WARRENS
FLAKE-OVER-GRINDING
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COPYRIGHT SEPTEMBER 30, 2003 PETER A. BOSTROM
Flake-over-grinding point, possibly made by Richard Warren.
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A POSSIBLE RICHARD WARREN POINT
 PRIVATE COLLECTION

   This uniformly pressure flaked point was thought to have been an anciently made point. However, close examination of the surface flaking indicates that it was probably made by flake-over-grinding. Some of the pressure flakes also show "tearing" which may have been caused by a mechanical flaking device. The surface patina also easily washes off which indicates that it's probably artificial. It was clamed to have been found in 1971 in North Dakota which is a time frame well within Richard Warren's production period. This point measures 5 1/2 inches (14 cm) long and 1 3/8 inches (3.4 cm) wide and the material seems to be white Burlington chert.

    Richard Warren probably made more "gray ghost" points than anything else. Larry Nelson reports that "Rich explained that although he found them ("gray ghosts") boring to make, they were his bread and butter because rock dealers bought them in volume." He called them "big ugly spears." Most of his "gray ghosts" were made out of Texas chert.

Magnified view of surface grinding on possible Warren point.
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A POSSIBLE RICHARD WARREN POINT
MAGNIFIED AREAS OF SURFACE GRINDING & FLAKE TEARING
PRIVATE COLLECTION

   This magnified view of the point pictured above illustrates that it probably was made by "flake-over-grinding" with the use of some type of lever flaking "machine". One indication of this is the small areas where the pressure flakes did not remove all of the original surface. Those surfaces show parallel grinding marks that were made from preforms that were ground smooth before they were pressure flaked. The other indication that this point was made recently is the jagged edges on some of the pressure flakes. This tearing effect can be caused by excessive pressure applied by some type of pressure flaking lever machine.

    Richard Warren used many different types of stone to make his points. Larry Nelson reports that Richard was especially fond of Missouri Burlington chert but Texas chert is also well represented in the points that he made. When he was in Montana he was using Porcellanite to make his "gray ghosts". He also used Petrified Wood from Colorado, Jasper from Wyoming, Rhyolite porphyry from Missouri and Agate from Oregon.

Richard Warren flake-over-grinding point.
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RICHARD WARREN FLAKE-OVER-GRINDING POINT
 PETE BOSTROM COLLECTION

   This point is typical of Richard Warren's flake-over-grinding work. The base is well thinned with several long narrow pressure flakes. The stone is multi-colored with yellow, red, orange and shades of brown. It measures 4 11/16 inches (11.9 cm) long.

    Mr. Warren also made some examples of free form art pieces. Some of these pieces are described as hollow-center blades and a mosaic bluebird chipped from colored glass. But these kind of items didn't sell very well and not many of them were made.

Richard Warren flake-over-grinding point.
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RICHARD WARREN FLAKE-OVER-GRINDING POINT
 PETE BOSTROM COLLECTION

   This is another good example of Richard Warren's flaking technique. This point is interesting for the modern patina that has been applied to it, evidently someone's effort to fool the unsuspecting. It even has a catalog number KR-2-36 written on one side. This point is probably made of Texas chert and it measures 4 3/4 inches (12.2 cm) long.

    Richard Warren also experimented with ceramic points. He made casts of smoothly ground preforms that he fired in the kiln. He then flaked them into points. Larry Nelson estimates that Mr. Warren made a couple of hundred of them.

CONTINUE ON TO PAGE THREE

"REFERENCES"

2002, Nelson, Larry, "The Richard Warren I Knew", Chips, Vol. 14, #4, pp. 16-18.

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