Igneous obsidian was used to make arrowheads and knife blades long before humankind discovered how to forge steel blades. Ancient Japanese civilizations as well as the Aztecs of Central Americal relied on this amazingly sharp natural material.

The knowledge required to fracture this extremely brittle naturally occurring glass into useful blade shapes has virtually disappeared. One enclave remains in Hokkaido, Japan, where high-quality obsidian is still available in sufficient quantities.² We are pleased to be able to offer obsidian of this quality to ambitious knifemakers, experimental anthropologists and other handcraft artists. The translucent stones also are amazingly eye-catching, allowing them to be additionally suitable for making jewelry and other fine objects.