Where be this Obsidian? I want some!

The stuff can be found in central oregon, literally central oregon, middle of nowhere! The particular place with the highest concentration is an area called Glass Butte. The state allows independent prospectors a max weight of 200 pounds of material collected per person per year. I went with my girlfriend and got our max load. Really turned my little pick-up into a nice low rider, and sucked gas like it was going out of style. Thankfully it was an all expenses Paid trip down there and back for the collection of this stuff. The stuff was all hand mined using the old style of pick-ax, rock hammer, and chisel/punches and pry bars. We did this in mid summer so it was both hot and tiring. We packed in several tanks of water and we were really quite glad to have brought as much as we did. While at the site, I got some practice working out some rather rough (compared to my father) knifeblades all done of the various grades of obsidian that we mined while out there. The hard work paid off well and my father got quite a bit of rock!

Once upon a time, my mother hunted rocks, so we have shards of amethyst, leaf & shell fossils, beach agates, jasper, jade, malachite, petrified wood and other gems scattered throughout the house. In recent years, however, she has expanded upon her initial tools into a collection of hammers and mallets. So, don't ever attempt to break in, because she has fifty choices for bludgeoning you!

heh heh's well all my tools are for mining, and the creation of arrowheads and knives. Even have some completed pieces laying around. Considering the sharpness is surgical grade in some of these points, a burgular wouldn't stand a chance against one of those knives, metal is sharp, these things are sharper! Also have a nice stone hammer that would do wonders vs any body parts or that sort.

My father has tried making arrowheads out of most everything you listed, I think the only thing he got any success with was the amethyst, though it has a very odd breakpoint on it. Twas a total pain to work with if memory serves me correctly.

Making stone tools is something I have yet to dabble in, as I've ventured into another manual labour of love - handspinning plant and animal fibres into twines and yarns, and handweaving them into cloth and baskets. Maybe when I eventually move away to an island or interior wilderness cabin, I will expand my usage of natural materials for my daily living. I wonder if bacon grease or deer tallow would make an okay soap?