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REINHARDT'S
GRAY GHOSTS


A MODERN LEGEND
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"GRAY GHOSTS"
MADE BY BRYAN REINHARDT
PETE BOSTROM COLLECTION

   All the points in this picture are classic "gray ghosts" and were made by Bryan Reinhardt. They are all made of various shades of Edwards Plateau chert. The two longest ones are 9 inches (22.8 cm) long.

   Bryan Reinhardt didn't sell his points to the public. They were sold wholesale only, to rock shops and other businesses where novelties like "flint spears" would have been sold. Many of them were purchased by the public along route 66 while on vacation. The minimum order was a gross (144) and its been said that some orders were for a thousand or more. If that's true, his manufacturing technique was a resounding success.


"GRAY GHOST" DOVETAIL STYLE
MADE BY BRYAN REINHARDT
PETE BOSTROM COLLECTION

   This large corner notched point looks like a Dovetail in outline. It's the widest of the points pictured in this report and measures 2 3/8 inches (6 cm) wide. This example is made of Edwards Plateau chert and measures 7 1/8 inches (18.1cm) long.

   The six "gray ghosts" in this article were purchased several years ago for about $3.00 each. They were picked out of a box of at least a hundred so they represent fairly good examples. In the 50's and 60's Mr. Reinhardt's price list stated that his points were .25 cents an inch. So a 9 inch point would cost $2.25 but of course the minimum purchase was a gross (144). Today, large "flint spears" are still being made in a similar way, by cutting preform slabs on rock saws. They can sometimes be bought at knap-ins for $2.00 to $3.00 per inch.


"GRAY GHOST" HARDIN BARBED STYLE
MADE BY BRYAN REINHARDT
PETE BOSTROM COLLECTION

   This "gray ghost" is designed to look something like a Hardin Barbed point with its corner notching and expanding stem base. This point is made of Edwards Plateau chert and measures 8 1/16 inches (20.5cm) long.

   The story behind the six modern "flint spears" featured in this article involves an inheritance. The owner had received them along with an ancient artifact collection from a close relative that had passed away. He quickly sold off the "rougher looking" artifacts and ended up with what he thought was the best artifacts from his dad's or uncle's collection. But when he discovered his mistake and was left with a hundred "gray ghosts", it was to late. So, disgusted with the whole thing he got rid of everything. There must be an awful lot of "gray ghost" stories out there from 50 years of buying, selling, trading and inheriting!


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"GRAY GHOST" HARDIN BARBED STYLE
MADE BY BRYAN REINHARDT
PETE BOSTROM COLLECTION

   This large corner notched point appears to have been made to look something like an Early Archaic Hardin Barbed point, at least in outline. This example is made of Edwards Plateau chert and measures 9 inches (22.8 cm) long.

   "Gray ghosts" were made to look old. The "aged look" was done by lightly polishing the surface with a buffing wheel or other device and applying a light coating of dirt. Many people have bought them for what they are, a good example of a modern-made "flint spear." The creepy thing about "gray ghosts" is that not everyone is knowledgeable enough to know a modern ghost from an old ghost. People are still paying as much as a thousand dollars for just one so please beware of "gray ghosts." They are out there waiting, watching----for the next poor soul who believes a good story. "My great granddaddy-----Or------Why I'm 90 years old now and I'm going to meet my maker soon. Do you think I would lie to you?" Look out for those "Gray Ghosts" especially around Halloween, they tend to be a little more nasty!

"REFERENCES"

1997, "Grey Ghosts and Old Timers", Chips, Vol. 9, #1, by D.C. Waldorf.

Personal communications with Charley Shewey.

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