Dale Duby Obsidian Knives

In 1963, while Dale Duby was working in the woods as a timber faller, he saw a fellow logger making an arrowhead from a piece of obsidian during their lunch break. Dale became very interested in the technique and so he asked the other fellow to teach him how to make an arrowhead. It was then that Dale began making arrowheads for friends simply as a hobby, but in 1988, while Dale was falling timber in the Seneca, Oregon area, he discovered a lot of obsidian laying around on the ground. It was then that Dale decided to start making artifacts that eventually turned into a full-time job.

Materials needed to produce these knives are obtained locally. Most of the high quality obsidian used comes from Central Oregon and Northern California and come in a variety of colors such as mahogany, rainbow, midnight lace, clear green, Burns green, silver sheen and more. Not all colors are always available. Dale buys antlers shed annually from local deer and elk which are mostly picked up by ranchers who know the animal''s whereabouts at all times. Bone handles are a by-product of the fur industry, and no animal is harmed to obtain them. Wood handles and all wood used to construct their furniture is obtained close to Prairie City, Oregon. Wood from private and public land, including juniper and pine, is harvested locally to construct their furniture.