Flint life and type

[barebackjack]

Wow, flints are kinda expensive. At least some are. $5-7.50 apiece, twenty some bucks a dozen for cheapos.
What kind of life do you get outta a flint? I guess if you get 100 shots out of one, thats no worse than percussion caps.

Also, whats the difference between the flints? I see french amber, american gun flints, arkansas cut flints, german agate, and english gun flints. Im sure there is a difference, im guessing in longevity and sparking ability.
Whats better, cut or knapped flints?
Could someone please enlighten me, I will have a flinter soon, and this could be a tasty bit of info to know.
What about the traditions flints you buy locally for $5 a package of two or three, they any good?

Thanks again

Boone

 

[Rebel]

You can get Black English flints from Track Of The Wolf for $1.00 each, less if you buy in bulk. What kind of flints are you getting that are that expensive?
[url] http://www.trackofthewolf.com/categories/tableList.aspx?catID=2&subID=29&styleID=83[/url]

 

[Old Ironsights]

I have a dozen or so TC cut agate flints. They are almost impossible to knapp (by me anyway) but with a decently tuned lock you don't need to. I get easily 50+ strikes per side. (at $4/ea that's +/-.04 a spark if you can't re-edge it...)

I also tried some cut chert from Deer Creek Products (Catalog only) that were $5/doz. Mixed bag sizewise, but they spark OK.

Haven't bought anything else yet.

 

[rich pierce]

The advantage of cut flints is that they are uniform and easy to clamp. Hard to knap/sharpen unless you have a diamond hone. Not authentic, if anyone cares.

Knapped flints are always non-uniform. Some will be taller or humpy, etc.

English are generally fine grained, French somewhat less so, and others like those I make, coarse.

 

[roundball]

Tom Fuller Black English Flints have turned out to be the best quality for me...sharpest edges, best sparks, longest life, knapp easily, and are the least expensive, particularly when bought in bulk bags of 50 or 100...plus, they're the real deal.
:thumbsup:

 

[Old Ironsights]

The advantage of cut flints is that they are uniform and easy to clamp. Hard to knap/sharpen unless you have a diamond hone. Not authentic, if anyone cares.

Hmm, I have a diamond hone (hadn't thought to try that) and a Stainless Steel Flintlock... nope, not too concerned about authenticity, just function. :grin:

 

[Rebel]

And economical too when you get 93 shots out of them like i did with the first one i just changed in my Jackie Brown smoothbore. Hope i get that many out of the rest of them. :grin:

 

[paulvallandigham]

Boone: Flint life depends on how much tension your mainspring has, and how smooth the lock functions. Then how much tension is on the feather spring. Flints come in different grain sizes. The Black English Flints have been the standard for many years, and I haven't found anything that will beat them for durability, and long life. Some come close, but I haven't seen anything that will beat them. The cut flints are a different breed of cat. They can be very hard, and also last long. Depending on the hardness and temper of your frizzen, you can get use out of them. Because they are so hard, I think the angle of the cock to the frizzen becomes more critical. You want the edge of the flint to hit the frizzen at a 60 degree angle to face of the frizzen. That way, the flint scrapes steel, and doesn't gouge metal from the face.

I suggest you try a couple of each kind. Yes, they can be expensive, but any education is. You can always sell what you don't use to another shooter who is trying to get his own education. Try them in your gun, and keep track of the strikes. Check to see how each sparks, and how long the sparks last. Make your decision based on what works in your gun.

 

[Ridge]

The lock has the most to do with it IMHO.

My large Silers will only spark reliably around 20 or 25 shots per flint.

My Chambers Colonial Virginia lock seems to fire forever on one flint.

 

[John Strong]

I have had great luck withe the English Flints from Track of the Wolf. I do want to try the French flints sometime. I am more concerned with good spark rather than flint life.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I am willing to bet that a tuned siler lock would spark much more than 25 times with any flint. I will be happy to tune your lock for you for free to prove it. If you are interested send it to me.

 

[Rebel]

I got 93 shots outs of the first Black English flint with the Large Siler in my Jackie Brown Carolina smoothbore. Good enough for me. Hope it does that well with the next flint.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

I make my own, recently bought 5 bucks worth of scrap pieces Brazilian agate slabs at a local rock show. So far have made over a 100 sawed flints, work great and have enough left for that many more.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Don't try to knap sawed agate, dress them with a diamond file or such. I use the cutting edge side of a 6 inch diamond saw blade to renew.

 

[makanaut]

I have gotten over 140 shots with a black english flint in a large siler lock. Maybe knapped it a couple of times and moved it forward in the jaws. They work for me and dont use anything else

 

[Itegorm]

There has been a ton of stuff concerning what flint type is best posted a seearch through old posts should give scores of opinions. But on the same not I personally have found that it depends on the gun, some work really well with one type and not as well with another material, type, shape. For example I have an early dutch flintlock that seems to work best with the amber colored french flints that are 3/4 wide but that have been shortened (from the heal) to just over 1/2 of an inch long (kind of stubby), it allso works well with some of my home knapped flints out of local MI chert in the same configuration. I have a flint pistol lock that seem to only do well with real flat long edged english black flints. I also have a friend with a TC gun that will use anything at all with no problem. I would hit a show or event with a few vendors and see if you can pick up some differnt types and try the out. Failing that I would go with some of the Black English flints and a couple of the French ambers and try them both out. Try TOW for the English flints and Horst and McCann for the French, both render excellant service in my experience).

 

[Marc Adamchek]

Roundball - I use Tom Fuller flints as well, purchased for $1.05 apiece. The only bulk size they sell is a quantity of 250. Where can you buy Fuller flints in bulk qtys of 50 and 100?

 

[roundball]

Roundball - I use Tom Fuller flints as well, purchased for $1.05 apiece. The only bulk size they sell is a quantity of 250. Where can you buy Fuller flints in bulk qtys of 50 and 100?

I got them from October Country that way a few years ago...recently I was able to work out an arrangement with Tom Fuller himself, minimum order of 1000 direct shipped to me...this is not a "for sale" situation...just volunteered as the coordinator of a good deal and passed that on by repackaging/reshipping them to several fellow ML'ers within the 48 states...might do it again later this summer if there's enough interest...I'm starting another list based upon PT's I receive.

 

He won't do it any more. One or more vendors who sell his flints caught wind of the purchase and cried to him about it, so he stopped. Says he will only sell wholesale to resellers now.

 

[roundball]

He won't do it any more. One or more vendors who sell his flints caught wind of the purchase and cried to him about it, so he stopped. Says he will only sell wholesale to resellers now.

I bought after all that...send me a PT if you'd like further info