You're never too old to learn a new skill

HOT SPRINGS - You are never too old to learn something new, whether it is a craft, a new skill or perhaps a field of study and Donald Safford of Hot Springs has proven that to be true. At the age of 75, Safford not only has invested himself in the art of flint knapping, but also in the throwing of atlatl darts. All of this was done because of an interest in digging in dirt.

“I’m from South Texas and started looking for arrowheads with my brother and sister on a big ranch... I thought I could make them as easy as I could find them. There’s a lot of big rattle snakes down there and they’re professional biters,” Safford said laughing. The idea of making arrowheads began around 10 years ago.

Flint knapping is the art of shaping flint, chert, obsidian, or glass by reduction. The atlatl is the combination of a spear or dart and a flat stick, which the spear rests upon. The spear is thrown using leverage from the stick to increase its velocity.

After learning the art of flint knapping by sitting down and working at countless pieces of obsidian, chert and flint, he became more invested in the history of arrowheads, and in the knowledge of making arrowheads, spear points and knife blades.

“I joined Pungent Sound Flint Knappers, and they have about maybe 10 to 15 meetings a year,” said Safford. He then said he meets weekly with other flint knappers in the area and together they work together on learning and they trade amongst each other.

“I make modern reproductions and so I study all styles,” Safford said. He emphasized that he tries to reproduce exactly the shape and material for each tribe, region and time. As a part of his reproduction, Safford tags every item he makes with the date it would have been used, where it would come from, the material and when he made it. Tagging it with his initials and date he said allows him to study his progress.

Being intent on creating an exact copy of ancient artifacts, Safford says, “I call it functional, and for it to be functional, I tell people it’s got two functions, one it’s got to bring the bacon home and the other is to keep the enemy out of your camp.” He says a good piece of work should have, “a sharp leading edge, it should have symmetry, thin, and should have lash notches.”

As part of Safford’s educataion about the history of arrowheads, and other points, he has also invested his time in learning the geology of the parts of land where the artifacts he reproduces come from. In Safford’s shop on the side of his house, he stores his works, but also houses a large collection of books he studies from on history and methods.

In some of the meetings with his group of co-knappers there are competitions to see who can make the best reproductions. In the recent past, Safford said he just returned from a trip the Bitterroot and Livingston, MT. Safford also travels back to his home state of Texas often to collect chert from down there to work on. Safford’s intent he says is not to make money off of his craft, but to just make them. He says his biggest cliental is young boys and girls, and he gives them good prices and that his often donates them.

Every day Safford says he wakes up, makes coffee, hikes, practices his atlatl and then makes two or three points. He says, “I try to get points out of every piece of rock and so it is a little contest between me and the piece of material.” Loving every part of the process, Safford also hosts classes and travels to schools in the area and will teach classes for a day.

Only four years ago, as a result of learning about weapon implements, Safford started throwing the atlatl in atlatl competitions. According to Safford, most of the time what people believe they have found in the dirt is an arrowhead he says is probably the tip of an atlatl dart (spear). He said the atlatl was around for many more thousands of years than the bow and arrow, and the tip of an atlatl dart can look almost identical to an arrowhead.

Not slowing down, Safford has plans for continuing his flint knapping and atlatl throwing. In July, Safford will have a table during the Dave Thompson Falls Days in Thompson Falls, and then he will be traveling to Idaho for a show.