Flint alternatives

[RAEDWALD]

Has anybody tried pieces of Aluminium Oxide ('India' stones) or Silicon carbide ('Crystolon'stones) as an alternative to flints?

With a Moh's hardness of 9.2 and 9.5 respectively they would certainly be hard enough to strike sparks form steel.

If there is a problem I would imagine it to be a lack of toughness so they might crack with the impact.

I can imagine that it might work better with a piece of old file in the cock and the hammer coated with the stone.

Flint is good and classic but if you can't get it easily or quickly may be this would work and I have a weakness for anything different.

 

[Grenadier1758]

There have been other materials used for the flint. I haven't seen these on the market for years. The main problem was once they got dull it was nearly impossible to sharpen them to produce a spark.

There's a reason that flint is still used after all these centuries.

Change and improvement is good. In the case of flint to produce sparks, practice is the best way to improvement.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Novoculite is used. It is about the same hardness as flint. It is a 'cousin' to flint and quartz. Much is found in the Ouchita mountain areas of Arkansas.
A stone in the near-diamond range of mohs 9 might be too hard. I think it would wear out a frizzen very quickly.
Jasper, agate and other stones are often used.