I was not happy with my first knapping class and here is why: I felt
we were not getting enough instruction on wise use of the obsidian
rocks we had to buy.

The instruction was basically to smash up the obsidian and when we
saw a piece that vaguely looked triangular, to use that piece to try
to make an arrowhead. We were introduced to hammerstones, Ishi
sticks, and abraders.

But, despite what were apparently annoying questions on my part about
how to best use the material, how to look at the rocks and devise a
plan to use as much as possible to make multiple tools, etc. no such
information was forthcoming.

"Oh, that's a good piece, you can use that one!" Why is it good, it
doesn't look anything like an arrowhead, what and how would you use
it for? Hello, hello? [Etc., etc.]

So, I apparently recovered some ancestral memory from my ancient
group, the Cheap White Bastards. They strongly disapproved of just
smashing obsidian rocks some four inches (4") in diameter to make one
(1) arrowhead a little over one inch (1") long. One of our charter
members, Og, mentioned that Mrs. Og would give him heck if he spent
the afternoon ignoring her shopping list for a scraper, three small
replacement blades for her knives, and a small saw to cut tendons and
ligaments – as well as whatever points he could make – from the
precious obsidian for which she had to trade her favorite necklace.

After viewing several hours of YouTube videos, I begin to see that
there are knappers who study their "rocks" and plan what they can try
to knap out of them. I want to learn more about how to "see" this
potential and how to try to maximize the resource.

I am working with a few others to do an obsidian harvesting trip in a
couple months so I can get rocks with which to learn. Between now
and then, I would like to get better educated. I may take another
class, but I am most likely to try to get some private sessions with
some relatively charitable knapper.

Am I off-base? Suggestions?