DICKINSON (AP) - Joe Hicks' appreciation of ancient crafts may be traced back to his childhood. He enjoyed playing with bows and arrows as a child and started bow hunting as an adult.

"I was hunting with a compound bow. After a while, it became too easy and I decided to make my own bow. The next step was to make my own arrowheads," said Hicks from his home in Dickinson.

He was further inspired to pursue the craft of flint knapping after attending a bow hunter's convention in Missouri. He watched a flint knapper at work and decided to give it a try. He learned the basics from watching a video tape, but it came down to hours of practicing.

Flint knapping is the process of making such stone tools as arrowheads or projectile points. It is a reduction process because flakes of stone are broken off the original piece of stone.

Hicks knew the American Indians mined Knife River flint in Dunn County for thousands of years. He was granted permission from three Dunn County land owners to look for the flint.

"If somebody gives me rocks, I give them arrowheads in return," he said.

"Knife River flint isn't plentiful," he said. "These rocks are hard to come by."

He said some of the rocks come to the soil surface by cultivation and others are washed up by run-off.

Hicks is particular about the flint he selects. The best rocks break in a predictable manner.

"A half pound of rock might produce three arrowheads," he said. "You have to have rock with certain qualities."

Hicks starts the process with a technique called percussion flaking, in which flakes are driven off the edge with a hammer stone. The goal is to thin the stone to the required thickness.

The next step is pressure flaking, by placing a pointed copper tool on the edge of the stone. The inward pressure removes a small, thin flake from the stone.

"I use both to do one arrowhead," he said.

"The Indians used antlers and bones (as tools). I use copper and hammer stones and some antlers," he said.

"I can pick up almost any rock and call it a hammer stone," he said.

Hicks can make an arrowhead in about 10 minutes.

"But it won't be a pretty one. The pretty ones take an hour," he said.

"I fail 30 percent of the time because I hit it the wrong way. Some rocks have weak spots in them," he said.

Hicks has 10 flint rocks that remain untouched because of their quality. He feels unworthy to work with them until he has accumulated several more years of practice.

A well-shaped arrowhead will stand the test of time.

"Even some old pieces have a little bit of edge," he said.

Hicks said a newly forged arrowhead can be difficult to recognize among ancient points that were buried in the soil.

"Collectors claim they can tell most of the time," he said.

Hicks has worked with other materials such as obsidian, chert and agate, but he prefers Knife River flint.

"It holds its edge and it's so hard. It's more dependable," he said.

Hicks works on his hobby as his schedule allows. He and his wife, Heather, are the parents of four children. As a stay-at-home dad, he cares for CJ, 10; Austin, 7; Henry, 3; and Hannah, 2.

"I'd make arrowheads every day, but I usually make one a week," he said.

Having a supply of handmade arrows and a bow, Hicks has one more goal to achieve.

"I've never shot a big game animal with a stone point," he said.

"Some states allow you to use stone points, but North Dakota regulations say they (arrowheads) are required to be made out of metal," he said.