Description
These flat rate boxes of heated treated spalls and/or flakes of Agatized coral are ready to work upon arrival. Agatized Coral is essentially million+ year old coral heads from when Florida was a shallow sea. Over time, silica replaced the organics and now we have some really nice rock as a result that breaks sharp and clean once heat treated. There is a ton of work that goes into finding, spalling and heating coral, but the end result is very worth it. It knaps pretty well once heat treated, but I still consider it better for the intermediate or skilled knapper as some of the pieces are a bit abstract and require greater skill to thin down. Boxes are about 2/3rds white/cream and 1/3 rich color mixed. The color is a bit more rare in good quality knapping rock. I strive for function over fashion and the white typically yields slicker rock on average but when the color is good, I certainly use it as it’s a special treat!
We now offer a few different options between smaller arrowhead/knife sized flakes, and the larger abstract spalls that are best used for making larger spear points and knife blades. You can choose between the flakes, spalls, or a mix of both. Please keep in mind that the larger spalls have quite a bit of cortex that needs skinned off. These are typically not ideal for beginner knappers. If you are looking for Coral spalls that are already cleaned up, and 90% of the trouble spots worked out, we have that option available as well. Our Premium Coral Spalls page has beautiful coral hand flaked and ready to work.
Note: Most of our coral spalls are somewhat larger abstract pieces perfect for larger points and blades, so we no longer offer those in the 2lbs selection. 5 pound boxes are typically just a few larger spalls so we unfortunately require a 5lbs minimum order.
Understanding Coral: Before heat treating, often times the rocks look quite grainy, rough or drab. Once heat treated, the rock quality and color improves significantly, but the outside appearance remains the same. It is only once you create a fresh break does is reveal its true color and new slick texture. In the sample shown below, you can see where a flake has been removed to reveal the much better rock that is inside.
