In the early 1800`s what did the indians use to put the holes in trade beads?

Question

Indians used a lot of beadwork on their clothing,how did they get the holes in the beads?some beads were made of stone.

Answer 1

the beads were introduced as trade goods "TO THE INDIANS"!!THE GLASS BEAD AS TRADE GOODS GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE TIME OF THE PHOENICIANS!!THERE WERE HOWEVER SOME VERY FINE QUARTZ BEADS FROM THE EMPIRE OF THE INCAS THAT DEFY ALL MODERN ATTEMPTS AT ANY RE-CREATION BY EITHER TECHNIQUE OR IN THE MATERIALS USED!!THE HEAT OF FRICTION GENERATED IN ANY PROCESS KNOWN IN THE "ATTEMPT" TO REPRODUCE THEM WOULD CRACK AND RUPTURE THESE EXTREMELY FINE BEADS OF DIFFERENT NATURALLY OCCURRING STONES AND SEMI-PRECIOUS MINERALS!!EGYPTIAN MUMMIES BEADS ARE VERY FINE AND HARD TO REPRODUCE IN MODERN MANUFACTURING PROCESSES!GLASS BEADS WERE PROBABLY DERIVED FROM PURE BEACH SANDS INITIALLY WHICH HAD FORMED NEAR HOT BONFIRES LAID OUT ON BEACHES TO DRAW NATIVES IN TO COMMERCE WITH PHOENICIAN SEA-TRADERS!!GLASS WAS MELTED,SHAPED ,COLORED,MADE INTO EASILY TRANSPORTABLE RODS AND SHAPED,MOLDED FORMS,POTTERY AND COLORED ADORNMENTS!!ULTRA FINE RODS WOULD BE LAIN DOWN IN SEQUENCES TO MAKE FACES,FLOWERS AND OTHER IMAGES AND THEN WOULD BE RE-FUSED INTO LONG RODS WITH THAT REPEATED IMAGE THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH;WHEN SLICED THAT IMAGE WOULD APPEAR IN EVERY BEAD SECTIONED OFF OF THOSE RODS!!KADELOSCOPIC AND SYMMETRICAL EFFECTS WERE ALSO ACHIEVED!!SOMETIMES SPLAYS OR LAYERS OF ADDITIONAL COLORED GLASS WERE DRIPPED OR SWIRLED ON TOP OF A CONSTRASTING COLOR TO GREAT EFFECT.COOLING THEY WOULD BECOME OF ONE SUBSTANCE!!DISTRIBUTED SEPARATELY OR IN LONG STRINGS..THEY WERE EASILY TRANSPORTED AND WERE MUCH APPRECIATE BY THE PRIMITIVE PEOPLES ABROAD BECAUSE OF THE "SECRETLY HELD" METHOD OF THEIR MANUFACTURE AND THE MATERIALS USED!!THEY WERE USED TO DECORATE ALL COMMON TOOLS,WEAPONS,FURNITURE AND GARMENTS!!ELABORATE NECKLACES AND JEWELRY BECOME TRIBAL ADORNAMENTS,BRIDE VALUE INDICATORS AND SIGNIFIERS OF GOVERNMENTAL AND SOCIAL HEIRARCHIAL STATURE!!

Answer 2

Trade beads were traded to the Indians, not from them, presumably with holes in place at the time of trade.