Hobbies And Interests
Manufacturing Techniques
Scrapers were made by striking off a single flake or spall from a stone core, usually made of flint, obsidian or basalt. One side was then shaped and rounded by striking it with a stone to flake off chips. One edge was then sharpened by pressure flaking with a pointed antler or stone tool to flake off small chips. If the scraper was hafted or mounted on a handle, the opposite end was sometimes notched and blunted to prevent cutting through the sinew used to bind it. Sometimes scrapers were made from recycled broken tools.
Scraper Uses
Animal hides of all types were used by prehistoric people for clothing, footwear, blankets, tents, and were cut into strips for binding. Scrapers were used to prepare the hides by removing the fat, muscle tissue and tendons stuck to the inside of the skin. Scrapers were also used to smooth and shape wood, bone and other soft material. Scrapers were used until the sharp edges were wore down and they were often resharpened.
Scraper Types
There are many different types of scrapers, categorized by their shape. Side scrapers are long and narrow and may be sharpened on either edge. A double-side scraper is sharp on both sides. A denticulate-side scraper has a serrated edge. End scrapers are sharpened on the thinner, bottom end of the flake. A transverse-end scraper is wider than it is long. A round-end scraper is called a discoidal or disk scraper. The shape of the cutting edge on both types can be concave, convex or straight.