The literature of anthropology contains so many references to the fire hardening of arrow and spear points, digging sticks, and other pointed implements of wood that the assumption has become dogmatic and almost fixed. It is needless to refer in particular to specific writings which contain references to fire hardening.

Since fire hardening is assumed to be a culture trait of importance, I decided to make a series of experiments to determine to what extent wood was altered by being charred in a fire.