On Tue, 18 Nov 2003 21:51:42 EST, Alex Shvartsman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> you can try a stone hand ax, but I would recommend a # 15 bard barker
> scalpel
> blade wielded by a qualified surgeon.



Actually, you may not need the scalpel:

"Electron microscopes reveal to us that a traditionally knapped obsidian
blade is many times sharper then the sharpest platinum blade we can forge.
An obsidian or flint blade cutting through flesh severs the cells more
finely than steel, so the incision heals more quickly and leaves hardly
any scar. There's a place for knapped blades in surgery."

http://www.worldandi.com/public/1991/february/cl4.cfm


"Neanderthals used raw materials located close to their caves to make
tools and weapons. Only their stone tools preserve today, although it's
likely they also used wood as a raw material. Their stone tools were
extremely effective. A freshly struck tool made from the rock Obsidian can
have a cutting edge only 1 molecule thick - as sharp as a surgeon's
scalpel."

http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/N/neanderthal/survival_kit/toolmaking.html