Flint leather or lead

[Kilted Cowboy]

Where do y'all purchase the leather or lead that goes around the flint in the lock jaws. I have been through the TOW catalog and can not find it anywhere?
Any help on sources will be appreciated

 

[Zonie]

I use leather I had left over from an old Tandy kit and some other small pieces of leather I picked up somewhere just because I thought I might have a use for it someday.

If you have a thin old leather belt around, that might be a good source of leather for a flint wrap.
It doesn't have to be big. Just enough to cover the upper and lower jaw and wrap around the end of the flint by somewhere around the same width as the jaws on the cock. You could just "shorten" the belt by cutting off about 1 1/2 inches from the end that goes thru the buckle first.
If you are at all talented you can then trim the end back to the shape it used to be before you cut if off and no one looking at the belt will know the difference.

You are looking for some fairly thin leather. Maybe about 1/16 to 3/32 thick.
Leather much thinner or thicker than that doesn't seem to work as well for me.

 

[Grenadier1758]

My leather has come from the scraps left after making a pouch or belt. You might find some soft/supple leather at a shoe repair shop. A other option is to use a leather belt. You want a soft leather to grip the flint that is about 1/8" thick. You want it supple to wrap around the flint. A hole in the fold will allow you to set the intent as far back as the hammer screw. Another piece of weather the size of a match stick may be placed u der the rear edge of a be slip flint to position the flint t for a dancing scrape of the frizzen.

 

[Kilted Cowboy]

I use leather I had left over from an old Tandy kit and some other small pieces of leather I picked up somewhere just because I thought I might have a use for it someday.

If you have a thin old leather belt around, that might be a good source of leather for a flint wrap.
It doesn't have to be big. Just enough to cover the upper and lower jaw and wrap around the end of the flint by somewhere around the same width as the jaws on the cock. You could just "shorten" the belt by cutting off about 1 1/2 inches from the end that goes thru the buckle first.
If you are at all talented you can then trim the end back to the shape it used to be before you cut if off and no one looking at the belt will know the difference.

You are looking for some fairly thin leather. Maybe about 1/16 to 3/32 thick.
Leather much thinner or thicker than that doesn't seem to work as well for me.

Shorten one of my belts! Oh how I wish i could. I need every inch of them right now.
But i need to dig around for some scrap leather.
I heard some use lead sheet? Whats that all about?
Any advantages/disadvantages?
Thanks Zonie

 

[Kilted Cowboy]

Thanks Grenadier 1758 also

 

[Grenadier1758]

Soft lead is supposed to grip the flint better. However for some of us the lead loosens up under the impact of shooting requiring frequent tightening of the jaws. Also, some lock makers will void the lock warranty as the heavier lead sheet is to heavy for the frizzen

 

[Tom A Hawk]

I have excellent results with lead. I simply hammer down a .454 pistol ball till its flat then trim to size with shears.

 

[Carbon 6]

Lead tends to loosen after several shots for me.
I have a supply of assorted leather so it's not a problem for me, but one could easily cut some from an old work boot or gloves. I occasionally find leather jackets cheap at thrift stores and garage sales.

 

[Kansas Kid]

Save your old worn out boots and such to cut up for many things.

 

[Coot]

Where do y'all purchase the leather or lead that goes around the flint in the lock jaws. I have been through the TOW catalog and can not find it anywhere?
Any help on sources will be appreciated

I only use lead in large musket locks. As already mentioned, pounding a roundball or a small piece of scrap lead into a thin sheet & trimming it works fine. As to leather, scrap leather from old gloves, boots, leftover bits from a project, all work. If a Tandy leather is nearby, they will sell you a lifetime supply of scraps for $5.

 

[Pletcher]

Some time back I tried to see if I could tell the difference between the spark production of lead or leather held flints. The link below goes to the results. (I have not tried a link like this since the forum reorganized.

https://www.blackpowdermag.com/lead-vs-leather-flint-attachment-study/
Regards,
Pletch

 

[johnfrommd]

I have excellent results with lead. I simply hammer down a .454 pistol ball till its flat then trim to size with shears.

I have been doing the same for many years and haven't seen a problem.

John

 

[Griz44Mag]

I always have some leather scraps from projects laying. Leather in small pieces is available on fleabay all the time. I just bought a moose half there a week ago. If you watch and track, you can catch the small pieces there for pretty cheap.

 

[Bearkiller]

I use the pre-cut leather from TOTW it comes in 2 sizes
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/111/1/FLINT-PAD-6
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/111/1/FLINT-PAD-7

 

[RP3543]

Source for Lead Sheet...
https://www.mcmaster.com/9032k272

 

[FishDFly]

Since lead weighs more than leather, would not using lead wear out a person's frizzen faster since it the cock is hitting the frizzen with more force and increasing the time for repairing it???

Does using lead wear out the face of flints faster and require more knapping?

Using lead seems counterproductive to me.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Where do y'all purchase the leather or lead that goes around the flint in the lock jaws. I have been through the TOW catalog and can not find it anywhere?
Any help on sources will be appreciated

Leather I just get some scrap...could be an old dress belt, an old thick work glove. As mentioned, for lead you and take a ball and bash it flat...I use a .490
Leather on rifle locks,
NEVER use lead on rifle locks
Either lead or leather on musket locks, and muskets seem to do better with lead. Be sure there is a hole in the back so the flint can rest against the jaw screw.
https://smilingfoxforge.com/index.p...ibute=0&rewrite=flint-wrap&controller=product
Although the "throw" of the cock to the frizzen face is much much larger on a musket, the speed is a bit slower and the impact and the often stiff frizzen springs tend to really slow the flint down at impact, so.... a little more mass with the added lead keeps the speed up and thus you shave metal fast enough to super heat it = sparks.

LD

 

[Rifleman1776]

As many others have said, lead is not a good choice. Like others the leather I use is mainly from scraps. But, a good source for hobby leather is the closest resale shop. Items like boots, jackets and even furniture can be bought for next to nothing and provide a goodly amount of leather. For your purpose, one jacket will keep you in flint lock leathers for more than a lifetime.

 

[Flintleather]

I’ve cut up an old wallet, nice n thin and well broken in. Flintleather

 

[Sidney Smith]

I've bought flint leather from RWS. It used to be sold in small packs in the muzzle loading section of a sporting goods place I go to sometimes (no its not Dick's). One pack lasts a long time if you reuse the leather.