Don Steele
45 Cal.
Back in January, in the thread titled "Extending Flint Life" there were a few entries discussing the use of a diamond file. Sunkmanitu Tanka related his success using a "cheap diamond file" to extend flint life. I was intrigued and found just such an item online so I placed an order. The set was something like $10.00.
I received a set of 6 files of varying grit and picked one to use on my flints. Over the last few months, when I have been able to focus on my flintlock shooting, I've used that file to dress the rock on my rifle from time to time.
At this time, I am able to report a couple of things that I have learned:
1. Using the file sharpens the leading edge without resulting in loss of length of the flint nearly as quickly as happens using the traditional knapping method. The distance from the leading edge of the rock to the frizzen face remains constant for a much longer period i.e.: more shots before needing to move the rock forward in the jaws of the cock.
2. Patient use of the file applied evenly across the entire underside of the flint will reduce the natural thickening that occurs when restoring the edge by any method. It also reduces/eliminates the "roughness" or un-evenness of the edge that we see when knapping. As a result, once you acquire a little skill with the file (and use a little patience) your flint will retain a sharp smooth edge that will fully contact the face of the frizzen as it passes across it, even after many shots have been fired.
For anyone wishing to give this a try, one lesson I learned was to dress the rock frequently, not wait until it stops working altogether and then try using the file to bring it back to life.
Disclaimer: It's entirely possible that my own knapping skills are not sufficiently well developed and those who have mastered that art will have no problem achieving these same benefits, but that's not me.
I'm keeping a couple of these "cheap diamond files" in my shooting box and don't care about any "HC" issues. Thanks go out to forum member Sunkmanitu Tanka for making us aware of this option.
I received a set of 6 files of varying grit and picked one to use on my flints. Over the last few months, when I have been able to focus on my flintlock shooting, I've used that file to dress the rock on my rifle from time to time.
At this time, I am able to report a couple of things that I have learned:
1. Using the file sharpens the leading edge without resulting in loss of length of the flint nearly as quickly as happens using the traditional knapping method. The distance from the leading edge of the rock to the frizzen face remains constant for a much longer period i.e.: more shots before needing to move the rock forward in the jaws of the cock.
2. Patient use of the file applied evenly across the entire underside of the flint will reduce the natural thickening that occurs when restoring the edge by any method. It also reduces/eliminates the "roughness" or un-evenness of the edge that we see when knapping. As a result, once you acquire a little skill with the file (and use a little patience) your flint will retain a sharp smooth edge that will fully contact the face of the frizzen as it passes across it, even after many shots have been fired.
For anyone wishing to give this a try, one lesson I learned was to dress the rock frequently, not wait until it stops working altogether and then try using the file to bring it back to life.
Disclaimer: It's entirely possible that my own knapping skills are not sufficiently well developed and those who have mastered that art will have no problem achieving these same benefits, but that's not me.
I'm keeping a couple of these "cheap diamond files" in my shooting box and don't care about any "HC" issues. Thanks go out to forum member Sunkmanitu Tanka for making us aware of this option.
