Hello, my name is Bert Mathews and I am a maker of knives/sharp stones. Wasicun (wa-she-shoo) is a Lakota word for "white man". I was adopted by the Nez Perce indians in 1960 and some of my items are replicating Native American tools. Regardless of our ancestral lineage, we are all descended from flint-knappers. My knapping heritage is every bit as valid as that of a Native American. In other words, I am not an Indian wannabe, I'm just a modern day flint-knapper. As such, I have a luxury that early knappers didn't. I can study flaked tools from around the world, from various time periods and cultures. I can draw from this accumulated knowledge of point styles, and add my own modern twists to create knapped work that is a continuation of stone tool evolution.
 

A beautifully flaked blade is only half of the equation for a beautiful knife, the handle must complement the blade. I make every knife as an individual project, designing the blade and handle for a beautiful match. My primary goal is to make knives that are beautiful. Too many knives look like the maker just stuck the blade in the handle with little thought to visual balance. This is O.K. for a mere tool (like a concealed weapon!), but I want my work to be an eye magnet!

Speaking of concealed weapons- don't think that because my knives are metal free they are perfect for slipping past security to hijack planes with. A friend almost missed a flight because she kept one of my knives in her carry-on bags for safekeeping. Security found it, and they didn't act too interested in the finer points of stone flaking! Stone knives are sharp and functional, human survival through the Stone Age is proof of this. But we left the Stone Age for a reason- metal knives are better tools! Stone knives are relatively fragile (after all, they are made by controlled breakage). The haft area is quite a bit weaker than on a metal blade knife. Stone blades are re-sharpened by re-knapping the edge. This process destroys the original flake scars and makes the blade smaller. Also, the longer the blade, the more fragile it is. For these reasons, I recommend my knives be used for display and collecting/investing purposes only. You can use them for a cutting tool if you like, but why risk damage to such an expensive knife when you can get a more functional steel knife for much less money?

CUSTOM KNIVES

In the past I made knives to a customer's specification. I have discontinued this practice for two main reasons: it tends to get in the way of creativity, and the amount of time it took me to complete a project (up to a year) often left the customer feeling forgotten and me feeling like I wasn't providing good service. You may ask that I make a particular knife for you, but I won't take an order or make any promises other than to contact you if I do make the knife. Having said that, if you just want an unhafted blade I will take orders for those as that is much easier for me to accomplish.   A word about pricing: the prices for my work may seem high or low depending upon your perspective. The prices you see are at or close to the WHOLESALE level. Some knappers and knife-makers sell their work to retailers. This allows for a higher volume of sales, as it gets the work in front of many prospective customers. The disadvantage to this is that the maker has to sell at a price about 50% less than retail. I only make a very limited number of knives, and currently do no business with retailers. So for the time being, I can offer low prices. Another factor is time involved in making the knives. Full time makers have to work as quickly as is reasonably possible to produce a good volume at a low cost. My knapping and knife-making is not my main source of income, so I'm free to experiment and take my time with the knives. I promise you I make far less an hour knife-making than your plumber, auto mechanic, landscaper, etc. (Please don't think I'm criticizing the full-time knapper/knife-makers. They just have to face different realities than I do.)

ORDERING INFORMATION

Prices shown or quoted are in U.S. dollars and include postage for U.S. delivery (sorry, Michigan residents must add appropriate sales tax!). I accept money orders and personal checks (I do wait for them to clear before shipping). Any orders over $60 will be shipped insured, return receipt (in the USA). If you return an item, please ship it the same way!  For orders outside of the U.S., payment must be in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank, and cover any additional postage beyond regular U.S. postal rates. I am sorry for the inconvenience to my foreign customers, but my production is just too small to warrant involvment with credit cards! 

 For more information on knapping in general, check out my links or contact me for recommendations.
 

Bert Mathews Bert@sharpstones.com 6556 Sherman Rd. Charlotte. MI   48813-9148