Obsidian knife From The Neolithic Period (10,000-3,000 BCE)Īs early as 365,000 years ago somebody was methodically chipping chunks of obsidian into knives and spearpoints. However, there have been obsidian spearheads found that pre-date what we thought was the evolution period of homo sapiens. Most people think of Native Americans’ use of obsidian arrowheads and knives when we consider the historical use of the material. How Are Obsidian Knives Used? Historically
#Obsidian scalpel used in surgery crack
However, the brittleness of the blade means that there is a possibility that they could chip or crack during surgery, making it unlikely that they will ever see widespread use in modern medicine. For instance, because of how sharp they can be, obsidian scalpels cause much less trauma to flesh that they slice through, resulting in faster healing. In fact, despite a lack of FDA approval, some surgeons routinely use obsidian scalpels as they have some significant advantages over their steel counterparts. To give you a point of reference, most household razor blades that are made out of steel measure between 300 and 600 angstroms.Īn obsidian blade can hold an edge of just 30 angstroms, making it sharper than any modern scalpel. The cutting edge of a blade can be measured in angstroms which gives you a rough idea of how sharp the knife is. To put it bluntly, obsidian knives are very, very sharp. So, in short, obsidian knives do have a place and may have potential in the future but, no, you should not expect to be carrying an obsidian pocket knife anytime soon. Obsidian knives in modern times are mainly used as display pieces or in traditional tasks such as animal skinning. This makes obsidian knives impractical for use in the kitchen, as carry knives, or in other daily tasks. The thin edge of a truly sharp obsidian knife tends to be extremely brittle and can chip or break easily. This makes it unsuitable for most tasks where it will be exposed to impacts or hard use. The other major drawback is that, since obsidian is not formed under pressure like a diamond, it is not very hard or durable. Obsidian knives have to be sharpened through a process called knapping, which is essentially chipping away bits of the material until you have a sharp edge. If you have an obsidian knife, you’re not going to be giving it a few strokes on a stone or in your strop to keep the edge.
The first major drawback is the work that’s required to form the super sharp edge. However, it comes with all the drawbacks that you would expect. Like a ceramic or glass, this allows obsidian to form an extremely keen edge. Because of the speed at which it cools, it does not have time to form a crystalline structure and, instead, forms a glass. Obsidian is created when highly viscous lava is cooled rapidly. Learning about the creating of obsidian and how it is formed into a knife sounds like something straight out of a fantasy book. What I’ve learned is super cool but, I’ll admit, a little disappointing for those of us that wanted an obsidian pocket knife to carry. Given how incredibly sharp and hard I thought obsidian was, it seemed like the perfect material. This led me down the road of obsidian knives. I recently had a bit of a romantic trip down memory lane and decided to start looking for a practical way to use obsidian. There was a site on my family’s land where we found dozens of 200+-year-old arrowheads that were still sharp enough to slice my fingers (ask me how I know…) I’m sure the food was great, but the most exciting thing we did was look for obsidian pieces and arrowheads. One of my best memories as a kid is visiting family in Idaho every holiday.
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