Grading System

Our grading system includes 3 aspects of the flintknapping piece. These will include the length, width and diameter. The system includes four separate calculations.

1) Length

A piece that is 6 inches are longer is considered to be of higher difficulty to produce, therefore extra points are received for pieces over 6 inches long.

20 points will be received for every inch up to 6 inches.

40 points will be received for every inch over 6 inches.

Any fractions of inches will be determined by dividing by that fraction.(ie, 1/4 inch for piece 6 inches or lower would receive 5 pts and 1/4 over 6 inches would receive 10 pts)

Examples

5 inch piece will score 100 points(20X5)

10 inch piece will score 280 points(6 inches at 20 pts per inch and 4 inches at 40 pts per inch

(20X6=120 40X4=160 120+160= 280)

2) Length X Width

Length multiplied by Width at the widest point of the piece. Then multiply that figure by 10 to get total number of points.

Examples

10 inches long by 2 inches wide would receive 200 points.(10X2=20 20X10=200)

8 inches long by 4 inches wide would receive 320 points(8X4=32 32X10= 320)

3) Width to Thinness Ratio

Divide width by diameter of piece(at thickest and widest points) A piece of a 10/1 ratio is considered to be of higher difficulty to produce, so once a piece reaches 10/1 the points increase dramatically on a sliding scale.

Sliding Scale Points

up to 9/1 is 30 pts per ratio(9/1 would be total of 270pts)

10/1 is additional 90 pts

11/1 is additional 90 pts

12/1 is additional 90 pts

13/1 is additional 180 pts

14/1 is additional 360 pts

15/1 is additional 720 pts

16/1+ is additional 1000 pts per 1 ratio increase

Any fractions of a ratio would receive that same % of the next step up in points. For example, 13.5/1 ratio would receive and additional 180 more points(.5 of the 360 you receive at 14/1)

Examples

A piece 1 7/8 inches wide by 1/8 inch diameter has a ratio of 14.5/1(1.87/.187) and would receive 1240 pts.(270+90+90+90+180+360+360)

A piece 5 inches wide by 3/8 inch diameter has a ratio of 13.3/1(5/.375=13.3) and would receive 828 points(270+90+90+90+180+108)

4)Length to Thinness Ratio

Divide the length by the diameter. A 30/1 ratio must be reached before any points are awarded. The sliding scale will be used here as well, giving points by % in the same manner as the W/T sliding scale.

30/1 is 500 pts

40/1 is additional 500 pts

50/1 is additional 750 pts

60/1 is additional 1000 pts

70/1 is additional 1000 pts

80/1 is additional 1000 pts

Examples

A piece which is 10 inches long and 1/4 inch diameter would have a 40/1 ratio and receive 1000 pts. (500+500)

A piece that is inches long and 1/8 inch diameter would have a 64/1 ratio and receive 3150 pts(500+500+750+1000+400)

All the points from each area are then added together for a total score.

I would like to acknowledge and thank Jim Winn of CA for his help on developing this system.

Disclaimer---This system is not intended for use with eccentrics, very small pieces, or pieces over 1/2 inch in diameter. FOG pressure scores are not intended to be compared to Percussion scores