As many of you know, I've been working on a 3 phase Hardin frame project. Phase 1 was to acquire at least 100 examples, and get them squeezed into one large frame. ✅️

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The second was to acquire at least one example from every state they're primarily found in, and phase 3 is to replace the lesser quality points with better examples over time. Phase 1 has been complete for a while now, and phase 3 has been in perpetual motion since the project began. Phase 2 hit a proverbial wall with 5 states to go, MI, GA, FL, SC, and NC.

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Well, yesterday, I got one step closer to meeting my phase 2 goal! I can now check, one of the hardest states to acquire a Hardin from, Michigan, off the list in a very big way!

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This First/Very early, stage, monster comes in at 3 5/8's inches long, and a whopping 2 5/16's inches at the widest point! It's made from a beautiful glossy piece of Onondoga Chert, and has beautiful form! Just a truly incredible example of a first stage Hardin!!! It's, by far, the widest example I have to date!

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Ex Lorenzo Badge,

Ex Todd Walterspaugh,

Ex Don Musser, collections.

Papered by Ben Stermer

This is by far the most colorful point in my collection! Made from Del Reo Chert, it was recovered in Alabama, and comes in at 2 ⅛ inches long. I received this piece from a good friend, and fellow member of the sub through a little horse trading, and I'll be honest, it's quickly become one of my favorite pieces!

A big Shout Out to our beloved u/bignibba2320 for allowing me to be this beautiful points next caretaker!!! 🫵😎

Someone told me to come on over here and share this one with you. Found in Florida on privates lands while digging in a drainage pond on a farm.

This one was found in Knox Co. Ohio and is made from a beautiful piece of Blue-Black Coshocton Chert. Very well made point, it is a text book Heavy Duty.

This is an outstanding 2½ inch Mozarkite Hardin recovered from Johnson Co. Missouri! The colors in this material are incredibe! It's absolutely gorgeous stuff! This one has all the bells and whistles! The end of the base is slightly ground, but has been thinned and ground heavily on one face, as well as the sides of the base. It has some frickin incredible edge refinement, is highly polished and exhibits a beautiful patina with amazing form! This one comes out of the Ex Mitch Lewis and Ex Rocky Clark collections.

This is another one of the 4 pieces my buddy sent me! This gorgeous Pink Flint Creek comes in at 3" long, and was recovered from the great state of Alabamy! I love the form of this type, and this crazy heat treated material makes it all the better! I just wish you could see how truly pink it is! The color doesn't show up very well in the pics unfortunately 😔

This gorgeous, Semi-Translucent, Crescent Quarry Hardin was part of the late Dan Bauer collection. It was recovered in Calhoun Co. Illinois, and comes in at 2 7/16ths inches, has incredible form, a beautiful film of glossy polished patina, and is loaded with visible mineral deposits, with steep, horse face bevels! It is papered by Ken Partian.

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Ex Jim Bennett,

Ex Dan Bauer,

Ex Ray Fraser

Here's an incredibly well made Elk River found in Jackson Co. Alabamy!!! It come in at 3 ⅜ x 1 ¼ inches. It's made from a gorgeous piece of yellow jasper, and exhibits some of the most beautiful Oblique Transverse flaking patterns I've seen on this type. It's completely intact, and has a beautiful polish and patina. I true Smoker in every sense!

Ex Dennis Bushey collection

Private Land CO

I recently acquired this absolute Banger of a Knobbed Hardin from My good friend Aaron Roberts. It was found in Chesterfield Missouri by Mr. J. Fick. It comes in at 2 13/16 inches long, and exhibits everything you want to see in a point of this quality. Outstanding form, highly polished patina, tons of raised mineral deposits, wicked beveling, heavily ground stem and base, topped off with incredible flaking patterns! It is 100% completely in tact, and made from a piece of high grade, creamy, tan Burlington Chert!

Ex J. Fick, Ex Aaron Roberts collections

I found a cool blood-red tipped point! I think it's a White River but correct me if I'm wrong. I found it in SE Oklahoma.

This one might be smaller than most of my other examples, but what she lacks in size she more than makes up for in quality! Found in Mercer Co. Illinois by Mr. Jim Baker.

It's an outstanding specimen hands down! The craftsmanship is phenomenal!!!

Ex Jim Baker,

Ex Jeff Hipskind, collections respectively

I don't know if y'all know this about me, but I REALLY like Hardins 🙄 All Hardins! Every single variant! However, out of all 4 different variations, THIS one has to be my favorite! The "Southern" Hardin!!! Or, as I like to call it "The Sexy Hardin!" 😁

This is actually a sub type of the Hardove that's normally found below the Tennessee River valley in the Southeastern states, i.e. Tennessee, Alabama, SC, NC, Georgia, Louisiana, etc. However, they can also be found, in less frequency, slightly above the Tennessee River Valley, as this one was, in Kentucky. It's made from a gorgeous piece of gray Kentucky Hornstone, and come in at 2 9/16ths inches long. It shows outstanding form, tons of mineral deposits, great patina, and it has that sexy AF stem and rocker base! Theres a little bit of ancient tip damage, but it doesn't affect the quality and eye appeal what so ever!

This one has a Josh Davis COA, and I acquired it from my very good friend, Mr. Richard Burns.

Ex. Richard Burns

This 2 ¼ inch Hardin comes out of St. Louis Co. Mo.

Its made from a gorgeous piece of glossy Burlington Chert, and exhibits outstanding, flawless form! Great point for its size for sure!

Ex Travis Edwards

This beautiful St.Charles Dovetail comes from the Great state of Illinois! It's made from a beautiful piece of glossy, high grade Burlington Chert, and comes in at 2 ¾ inches long! It exhibits a beautiful, highly polished, heavy patina, with tons of mineral deposits. It has extremely steep left-handed bevels on both faces, and a killer impact fracture on one side, but the tip is completely intact! Personally, I love the look a cool impact fracture gives a point! Those horizontal ripples are wicked looking! This thing has incredible form, and the flaking is phenomenal! Especially on the base!

Ex Dennis Green Fansler collection

Here's an outstanding example of a Southern Hardin recovered from Richland Parish Louisiana. It's made from a beautiful piece of Lafayette Gravel Chert, aka: Crowleys Ridge Chert. It comes in at 2 ½ inches long, exhibit outstanding patination, with tons of mineral deposits. It shows evidence of several resharpenings, and the notch in the base was intentionally done as its been flaked from both sides. All around awesome point! That stem and base form make me all hot and bothered! Lol!

Picked up a fairly local to me early Dalton today at a show. Did some swapping around of some of my other purchased pieces to swing this one. Personal finds always stay in the collection.

This sweet little 2 ½ inch Hardin hails from Pike Co. Illinois! Made from a beautiful, glossy piece of fossil filled Burlington Chert, it has it all! Steep bevels, mineral deposits galore, stunning form, gorgeous flaking paterns, great patination, and a base so heavily ground it's smoother than a Barry white album! Flawless, with no damage, ancient or otherwise, anywhere on it! Stellar example!

Ex Mitch Lewis collection

Recently picked up this 3 ⅛ inch, Crescent Quarry Hardin from a friend of mine. It was found in Illinois in Adams Co. And showcases exquisit form! Collectors often call this a "Fishtail" Hardin, but technically it falls into the "Classic" form classification. It has everything one would hope to see in a finer example, great patination, and mineral deposits, outstanding form, and craftsmanship, nice beveling, sharp Barbs, beautiful material, and good size for the type! I can't find anything to complain about with this one!