Flint or camp axe?

[sniper68]

This Gentleman had some flints for sale awhile back. When I asked him what size, he wasn't sure, I had him measure the width. He come up with 1". he said a few were smaller and most were a little bigger. :shocked2: He was right!!

 

[rich pierce]

Those are shards for striking fire or could be used in a wall gun

 

[sniper68]

They're for sure knaped, some are 1 1/4" and the ones shown are 1 1/2", both English and French. If not for wall guns, I would hate to see the issued musket that would required them.

 

[musketman]

I would say those were for flint and steel fire kits, or they could also be used for hide fleshing, I believe the Native Americans used palm size flints for such purposes.

 

[trent/OH]

Does he have any more? A few more and you could build a small structure.

I recently found what looks like a huge gunflint, but I suspect it is a cross-section of a large flint knife or flake. If it's a gunflint, it's for Paul Bunyan's pistol.

 

[texcl]

Where did he find them? Was it near an old fort or large river? They look french to me. I used to have a bunch of original bess flints and they were all much darker, either grey or black, and yes like a knuckle head I used them in my flintlock, they worked real good too. I've seen arrow heads a similar color and grain too, so maybe there is an american source, I'm sure there is no easy way to find out.

 

[Old Sarge]

Those look like French Musket Flints. They run about an inch or so wide. Most of the originals I have are somewhat rounded from turning in the jaws to get a sharper edge for a few more shots before changing. Found them in a dig out of a firepit along the Allegheny River near Kittanning, cir 1740-1750s. TOM :thumbsup:

 

[sniper68]

These, according to the guy I bought them from were discovered buried near Kathmandu, at the site of an old Armory that was closed sometime around the Napoleonic Wars. They're a mixture of French and English. There appears to be 3 or 4 distinct styles of knapping. I picked these out to illustrate what I talking about. The 3 on the left are French and the 4 on the right English.

 

[Old Sarge]

I think the ones in the pix, on the right, are the French flints. All the ones I have are amber colored. They look large for musket flints, but I was told that is what they were.

 

[sniper68]

I think the ones in the pix, on the right, are the French flints.

:shocked2: