Flint maintenance

Stumpkiller · Aug 24, 2020

Sidney Smith said:
Not worth the trouble IMO. Flint gets dull turn it over. Gets dull again, remove, toss it, install a new one.

To me attempting to refresh a flint is like trying to reuse dirty patches. A waste of time.

I hate waste in principal. I go for 60 shots. Sometimes get more. Have pulled 100 on occasion. And then there's always a flint falls apart in just a few. I have over 200 fresh flints squirrelled away in reserve in case the supply dries up, but eek out every possible shot for each one I buy currently. Then the replaced flints go in a jar for future revisiting if I ever come up short. There are maybe four quart jars of spent flints in my basement.

I have several Mizzy wheels and will work humpies or rebevel an edge in extreme cases. My rifle takes a slightly smaller flint than my fowling piece.

Use it up. Wear it out. Make it do, or do without.

Ben Meyer · Aug 25, 2020

My problem is, my gun/lock takes the small 5/8"x3/4" flints. After 15-20 shots, ill need to knap it. I get another @5 shots. Then I replace it. I have tried (successfully) to recondition these used flints, but the finished product is usually too small to fit into the lock jaws securely.

My sons gun uses 3/4" or 7/8" flints, big ones. His last much longer and refresh much better.

wulf1928 · Aug 25, 2020

JohannesKepler said:
So I finally got my Bess out for a round of SUCCESSFUL shooting today. No hiccups, nothing went wrong, everything went perfectly. (I know right, what were the chances knowing my luck thusfar )

The only thing I ran into was the flint dulling. Now I know this is bound to happen, and I was prepared by having a knife; however, I was unable to sharpen the flint at all with it. Is there a certain technique? Or a different tool?

I use a "green wheel" to shape and sharpen my flints, which makes them work and last longer. I also
use the step blade to nick off tinny bits when in the field.

Hatchet-Jack · Aug 25, 2020

What did the old timers Kenton, Boone and Girty do when their flints stopped sparking? I bet they knew how to knap flint.

toot · Aug 25, 2020

JohannesKepler said:
So I finally got my Bess out for a round of SUCCESSFUL shooting today. No hiccups, nothing went wrong, everything went perfectly. (I know right, what were the chances knowing my luck thusfar )

The only thing I ran into was the flint dulling. Now I know this is bound to happen, and I was prepared by having a knife; however, I was unable to sharpen the flint at all with it. Is there a certain technique? Or a different tool?

you must use a knife that is made of CARBON STEEL and not STAINLESS STEEL.

toot · Aug 25, 2020

Many Klatch said:
Just a note of caution. If you use the back of a steel knife to knap your flint there is a slim chance of a spark. It's a good idea to dump the powder out of the pan first. Also, make sure the gun is pointed downrange.

when I do it I also hold / put my left thumb over the empty pan.

jager43478 · Aug 25, 2020

Many Klatch said:
Just a note of caution. If you use the back of a steel knife to knap your flint there is a slim chance of a spark. It's a good idea to dump the powder out of the pan first. Also, make sure the gun is pointed downrange.

Buy a silcone carbide green grinding wheel. Cuts a flint like butter. I have to trim the back of my flints so they will go back far enough into the jaws to give me clearance between the flint and frizzen at half cock plus I can take some of the top with high lobes

toot · Aug 25, 2020

Rifleman1776 said:
30 isn't bad. Some folks get only four or five. Others might get many more. And depends on what kind of flint. My German swan agates seem to be useful for forever and longer.

it all depends on how many shots that GOD wants you to get out of one!

toot · Aug 25, 2020

SDSmlf said:
I’ve always used a notched piece of soft steel to refresh a flint’s edge. I typically use a 16 d nail with notches filed into the end.View attachment 40870

do you tap the nail or do you twist it against the flint?

Art Caputo · Aug 25, 2020

My primary shooters have larger locks that utilize 3/4- 7/8” flints. On average I can get about 30-40 shots with 3-4 knappings without repositioning my flint in the jaws. With these larger locks I can initially position my flint to strike the frizzen at 60% height. After the knapping which reduces material, I will be striking about 50-55% of the height and still get fast ignition. With practice, the sharpness of the flint can be felt when wiping, and I can be pretty accurate in determining whether it needs to be knapped in advance, avoiding a misfire. With an empty pan, I will place the hammer at the half cock position. I will hold my turn screw between my index finger and thumb, press my middle finger of the same hand against the edge of the flint while placing blade of the turn screw in the top of the flint edge and braced against my middle finger. When tapped with my ball starter this flakes off about 1/32” for the width if the 1/4” wide blade. 3-4 taps across the flint edge leaves the flint straight and sharp. Takes less then half a minute and I can get 6-12 more shots. Been using this technique for about 25 years. A picture is worth a thousand words:

SDSmlf · Aug 25, 2020

toot said:
do you tap the nail or do you twist it against the flint?

Neither to maintain a sharp edge. I just place the notch on the edge of the flint and apply pressure with my hand. Flaking off just enough material to get that sharp edge back. I’ve seen some folks use piece of antler instead of the nail like I use, but I like the notch as it limits how much material I am removing.

gustrolland · Aug 25, 2020

JohannesKepler said:
So I finally got my Bess out for a round of SUCCESSFUL shooting today. No hiccups, nothing went wrong, everything went perfectly. (I know right, what were the chances knowing my luck thusfar )

The only thing I ran into was the flint dulling. Now I know this is bound to happen, and I was prepared by having a knife; however, I was unable to sharpen the flint at all with it. Is there a certain technique? Or a different tool?

I have been knapping arrow heads and flints for a lot of years, but I also cut flints with a diamond rock saw and yes they work great. Check with a rock shop and maybe they can match you up with a rockhound that will sharpen your flints or cut you new ones for alot less than the cost for new ones.

toot · Aug 26, 2020

SDSmlf said:
Neither to maintain a sharp edge. I just place the notch on the edge of the flint and apply pressure with my hand. Flaking off just enough material to get that sharp edge back. I’ve seen some folks use piece of antler instead of the nail like I use, but I like the notch as it limits how much material I am removing.

so it is a steady downward pressure, correct?

Pete G · Aug 27, 2020

Hatchet-Jack said:
What did the old timers Kenton, Boone and Girty do when their flints stopped sparking? I bet they knew how to knap flint.

They probably used pressure against the frizzen.

SDSmlf · Aug 27, 2020

toot said:
so it is a steady downward pressure, correct?

Correct. Doesn’t take much.

Ben Meyer · Aug 27, 2020

In the lock, I have a small hand forged tool with a knapping hammer and flathead screwdriver that I use. Place the coned hammer tip on the flint edge and pop it with my short starter. If I take the flint out of the lock, I use an antler point to pressure flake it. But again, this usually only earns me 5-7 more shots. I probably average 25-30 shots per flint, never more sometimes less. The black English flints seem to work best in my locks.

toot · Aug 28, 2020

SDSmlf said:
Correct. Doesn’t take much.

thank you very much for the reply, toot.

toot · Aug 28, 2020

did any one ever hear of using the frizzen to knap the flint? I read about it being done in MUZZLS BLASTS MAGAZINE. seems that you put the hammer off of half cock and let it go foreword slowly until it makes contact ever so slightly with the frizzen and apply a rearward pressure and it will break off very tiny chips and self refresh the flint. any one else ever heard of doing it this way? seems that you would always have a flint napper with you at all times.

Tom A Hawk · Aug 28, 2020

The problem with

Art Caputo said:
My primary shooters have larger locks that utilize 3/4- 7/8” flints. On average I can get about 30-40 shots with 3-4 knappings without repositioning my flint in the jaws. With these larger locks I can initially position my flint to strike the frizzen at 60% height. After the knapping which reduces material, I will be striking about 50-55% of the height and still get fast ignition. With practice, the sharpness of the flint can be felt when wiping, and I can be pretty accurate in determining whether it needs to be knapped in advance, avoiding a misfire. With an empty pan, I will place the hammer at the half cock position. I will hold my turn screw between my index finger and thumb, press my middle finger of the same hand against the edge of the flint while placing blade of the turn screw in the top of the flint edge and braced against my middle finger. When tapped with my ball starter this flakes off about 1/32” for the width if the 1/4” wide blade. 3-4 taps across the flint edge leaves the flint straight and sharp. Takes less then half a minute and I can get 6-12 more shots. Been using this technique for about 25 years. A picture is worth a thousand words:
View attachment 40929 View attachment 40930

This method works, but it is a short term / field expedient fix. The problem is that by directive the force straight downward the removed flakes are very deep and result in a very wide edge angle > . This type of edge profile dulls very quickly. When the knapping force is directed inward rather than downward and flakes are removed in more of a prying fashion, as opposed to chipping, very thin flakes are removed and the striking edge of the flint is maintained in a narrow vee much more like its original profile. Less of the flint is removed and it lasts longer. However, to do this properly it is necessary to remove the flint from the cock and use true pressure flaking tools as in knapping a projectile point. Flakers need to be soft enough to get a "bite" or grip on the flint. Steel or nails do not work well with this technique. Copper pressure flakers are available from flint knapping suppliers and work very well.

MIOutdoorsman · Aug 28, 2020

Tom A Hawk said:
The problem with

This method works, but it is a short term / field expedient fix. The problem is that by directive the force straight downward the removed flakes are very deep and result in a very wide edge angle > . This type of edge profile dulls very quickly. When the knapping force is directed inward rather than downward and flakes are removed in more of a prying fashion, as opposed to chipping, very thin flakes are removed and the striking edge of the flint is maintained in a narrow vee much more like its original profile. Less of the flint is removed and it lasts longer. However, to do this properly it is necessary to remove the flint from the cock and use true pressure flaking tools as in knapping a projectile point. Flakers need to be soft enough to get a "bite" or grip on the flint. Steel or nails do not work well with this technique. Copper pressure flakers are available from flint knapping suppliers and work very well.

Thanks for sharing this video.

I am learning a lot on this forum!

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