What is the angle of impact of the flint on the face of the frizzen? In the small locks you see used on pistols, this angle is very critical. You want the flint to strike the frizzen 60-66% of the distance UP from the heel of the frizzen, and at a 60 degree angle to the face. If the frizzen spring, and the cam on the bottom of the frizzen that contacts the top arm of that spring are adjusted( tuned) correctly, the frizzen should pop open and up and away from the flash pan when the flint has scraped its way down the middle third of the frizzen face. This movement allows the parks to be thrown down into the pan.
Generally, when you get gouges on the frizzen, the flint is striking the face at too "square" an angle.
Use a protractor. The Baseline runs along the bottom of the flint as its held in the jaws. The centerpoint is obviously at the Point of Impact of the edge of the flint to the face of the frizzen. The tangent line is from that centerpoint up to the top rear point of the frizzen. The frizzen should have a 10 degree curve to the rear of the action- ie. the face must be slightly curved- not straight.
If the frizzen is not throwing sparks, after hardening and tempering, you should suspect that there was not enough carbon in the steel when it came from the factory- OR-- your choice of flint wrap needs to be changed. If you are using leather, please use thin leather, like a piece from an old wallet, or a woman's purse. The tongue on an old pair of boots usually is very thin, but tough, too. Thick, soft, tanned leather tends to act as a shock absorber, and creates weak sparks and fewer sparks.
You have not told us much about this lock you are using, nor any reason why you simply didn't send it back to the manufacturer to fix. I suspect this is some lock you picked up cheap, and got what you paid for. Its probably made overseas. It not only will have design problems, but it will also be made from less than desirable steels. There are things that can be done to improve such locks, but we need to know what make it is. :hmm: :surrender: :thumbsup: