In England most stone tools were made of flint, although in some areas chert, quartzite and some volcanic rocks were used. Flint and chert occur naturally in chalk and limestone areas, but have often been eroded from these bedrocks and can be found at the edges of rivers or on beaches.

All these rocks can be flaked (or knapped) in a controlled way. In the Palaeolithic period a simple pebble was used as a hammerstone. When struck against a flint nodule a flake could be removed. After a series of flakes had been struck, the remaining part of the nodule (the core) was often discarded.

Stone flakes have very sharp edges and could be used for cutting anything from wood to meat. The flakes were sometimes altered by the removal of a series of much smaller flakes from the edges. This technique, called retouching, could strengthen and alter the shape and angle of the edge. It could be used to create tools such as scrapers for removing the fatty tissues from the inside of hides, or notches for pointing spear-shafts and digging sticks.