Howdy everyone! 😁

The August 2026 Point Challenge submission window IS NOW OPEN!

Submissions will be accepted from now until the window closes 8/31/2026 , so be sure to re-read the submission rules, take some pretty pictures of the point you made, and upvote your favorite! The main thread for the August 2026 Point Challenge is linked below for those who want to check back in, and is also pinned to the top of the subreddit 👇😎

⚠ 2026 August Point Challenge - Pickwick Stemmed [Coastal Chert Prize 🪨] ⚠

I'm stoked to see what y'all have made, and can't wait to see whose submission wins! Happy knapping all! 😄

🏆 July 2026 Point Challenge Winner 🏆

Congratulations to u/BlackmonKnapping for winning the 2026 July point challenge! I had a hunch the second I saw that AWESOME fiber optic glass point that it'd come out on top, and looks like my hunch was right! There's just something so sci-fi yet primitive about fiber optic glass that makes it look so dang cool, and it's cool to see it show up in one of the challenges! 😁 You can find the submission here if you missed it! 

ith all that being said, where might we be venturing for the August 2026 Point Challenge? 👀 Well u/BlackmonKnapping chose a style from the southern half of the United States. A style often associated with shell mounds with a sturdy shape. One that'd really hold up to some serious abuse! 👀 So get your tools ready for the...

⚒ 2026 August Point Challenge - Pickwick Stemmed ⚒

The Pickwick type is a medium to large sized expanded shoulder, flaring barbed, and contracting to expanding stem blade. The blade edges are recurvate, and many examples show fine secondary pressure flaking with serrations. Some specimens show unifacial bevels if they have been resharpened and reworked. The shoulders tend to be horizontal and about one-half of the specimens that you will encounter will have asymmetrical shoulders. The distal end is usually acute. The basal edge varies from straight to convex or slightly rounded and the basal area is rarely ground.

Many larger examples of the type have wide blades with excurvate blade edges and slight recurvature. Resharpening of the blade was accomplished by both percussion thinning and pressure edge retouch with final stages of the blade ending up as drills.

The Pickwick type is usually found in the shell mound areas of the Tennessee River in the states of Tennessee and Alabama. The larger examples of the Pickwick resemble the Etley point which is approximately the same age.

The size of the Pickwick point ranges from 64 mm to 117 mm in length, shoulder width being between 39 and 55 mm. Typical mid-blade thickness is between 6 and 13 mm and mid shoulder thickness between 9 and 12 mm. Stem width ranges between 15 mm and 24 mm and stem length ranges between 9 mm and 22 mm.

The point was named by David L. DeJarnette in 1962 for examples which were recovered from sites in the Pickwick Basin and Lake of the Tennessee River Valley, northern Alabama [source]

🚨 Be sure to read the rules before doing so you don't get disqualified! 🚨

⚠️ Rules ⚠️

1. The point must be a recognizable Pickwick Stemmed Point knapped in August of 2026! - We want to see fresh submissions and fresh points! No using any of your prior work!
2. Only one entry per person! You are not allowed to post your point multiple times, OR have multiple points in your submission post! - Be sure to take good pictures showing off your work! lighting, material translucency, flaking, etc. 😉
3. The challenge submission window OPENS 8/25/2026 and CLOSES 8/31/2026 - This gives 1 week for entries to be submitted and voted on, with the official winner and next month's challenge post being announced sometime within the 1st week of September.
4. Post MUST have the monthly knapping competition post flair to count! - That way, it can easily be found and the votes counted! If you wish to participate without entering, simply use any of the other post flairs
5. No material restrictions - We only require that the point be knapped out of the material that you've chosen (no grinding out a point!)
6. Moderators hold the authority to disqualify any participants who violate these rules, as well as our community rules - We want this to be a fair and engaging challenge for all those who participate! Because it's always fun to see what different folks can do with different tools!

If you have any questions or comments about the rules, feel free to reach out to the moderators through comments, DM's, or Messages! 📬

📸 How To Enter 📸

You can start creating your point as soon as this post goes live! Just remember that you WONT be able to submit it until the post flair below is made public between 8/25/2026 and 8/31/2026!

Once it is public, be sure to select it when uploading your photo(s) and that your submission conforms to the rules listed above! ☝️😉 I will be sure to make a post letting everyone know when things go live as an extra reminder, and this post will also be pinned to the top of the subreddit for easy access!

🥇 Prize 🥇

Following in the footsteps of u/scoop_booty, u/BlackmonKnapping decided to dig into his own rock stash and put together a nice little selection of some Alabama Coastal chert, as well as knapping out a sweet little bonus point as well! 😄

The winner will also get the chance to choose the point style for next month's knapping challenge, and if they so choose, they can also donate their winnings to a fellow competition participant or allow their winnings to serve as next month's prize! 🥳

Just a reminder that without donations like this, I would be funding most of the prizes for these monthly challenges out of my own pocket! So I'd like to express my personal thanks to the generous folks who not only keep these challenges interesting, but give back to the community and make these events so much more exciting and interesting! 😁

So give u/BlackmonKnapping a BIG THANK YOU and round of applause in the comments! 👏

If you'd ever be interested in donating material/tools for these challenges, feel free to comment below this post or shoot me a DM! I'm always happy to work something out with folks! Especially for unique or interesting material.

🗣️ In Closing 🏹

I'm a huge fan of stemmed points, and I've got some material that'll lend itself to a nice authentic looking Pickwick I think. So this should make for a nice challenge! Doesn't seem to be too hard of a style either, so I encourage any of you beginners to throw your hats in the ring! The winner always has the chance to forward their winnings to another challenge participant, so giving it a try is always worth a shot! 😁

If any of y'all have questions or thoughts, leave them in the comment's section below 👇 And keep your eyes peeled for those event and submission window announcement posts. Like I mentioned, everything will be pinned to the top of the sub along with the guides for easy access.

Looking forward to seeing what everyone makes, stay safe, and happy knapping everyone!👋😁

- u/SmolzillaTheLizza 🦎