An excerpt from an article

 

In my everyday building, which almost always incurs the use of reclaimed lumber I have amassed an amazing store of used nails. In olden days I've read of farmers burning their cabins to gather the nails to use on their new farms further west. I always thought it would be cheaper to sell the farm and buildings intact and just buy new nails to carry to build the new home. Since nails were hand made then I guess not.

A short while back while sitting under my favorite shade tree with a cool drink I start to think of uses for old used nails.

The first thing I came up with was a flaker that I use to flake stone and glass arrowheads with. As my life long interest has been experimental Archeology and Anthropology this was quite in line with wanting to make some arrows on the cheap. Have you priced knapping kits? They start at 50 bucks and go into outer space. But to the point I sifted through my “stash” of old used nails and pulled out a dandy. I had a piece of then fresh cut green hickory. I drilled a smaller hole into what became the handle or shaft. Then I cut the head of the nail off and tapped it into the flaker handle till it was seated, After a couple of months it is well stuck in the handle. So I flaked two arrowheads, one from chert, and one from a bottle bottom. Since there is a wealth of info on the web about making arrowheads I wont repeat it here.