Useful tool

Dear Editor,

Cave man had a pocket knife that cut up mastadons and skinned saber-tooth tigers. By simply flaking (chipping) stone edges, he turned a rock into a usable cutting tool. Every race on earth started with stone tools as a first step toward modern man. Unlike the creatures this tool helped take down and be used, this tool from the past is still around today. Oh, I am sure many, with their fancy knives made in China and other third-world countries, look down at the flint scrapers and blades, but you'd be wise to take a second look. See, a good scraper can be bought for $10 (modern made) and fits nicely in the palm of the hand.

The flat tool also goes into the picket with little or no danger of cutting material. A flint scraper is amazing in how easy it cuts up meat or skins fish.

In the modern world of multi part-time jobs, I use my scraper daily to cut open boxes and the rock slices through heavy tape with one pass. It also cuts up papers so I can mix them with dirt to make adobe bricks.

Pictured is my 2-ounce pocket knife from before time was kept. The more you learn about the past, the less you need to fear the future.

Bill Donze

McCook