The term 'needles of obsidian' refers to a naturally occurring fragment of obsidian that is basically rod like in shape. Needles can be any where from the size of a pencil lead to that of a three-foot section of four-by-four.
     As obsidian cools beyond the threshold of crystallization, it contracts and fractures. Usually the pattern of shattering is pretty random, creating pieces of varying size and shape. In any large obsidian flow there may be a few long thin pieces just because of chance. In a few flows, however, the entire formation has an over all tendency to produce needles. No one has ever seen this occur, so theories as to the origin of needles are only that: theories. The one that I favor, which was developed by an actual geologist from Humboldt University some twenty-five years ago, is that the needles formed in an already existing obsidian flow when it was bisected by a fault line. The resulting earth movement flaked the rock along parallel axis at 90 degrees, the result being needles. At every site where I have found more than random needles, there seems to be a general matrix with needle sizes ranging from hair-like to honkers of up to thirty inches; but please, feel free to come up with a theory of your own. Perhaps they were left by aliens or are some kind of weird communist plot. At any rate the needles are the second key to the wonderful and amazing tones that our chimes produce. The shapes allow the sympathetic vibrations to build up and emote.
      Needles of obsidian are relatively rare and little known. Over the years, we have found several places in Oregon and California where we are permitted to dig them, and we enjoy primitive camping, hiking and digging for six to eight weeks per year.