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Flint Substitute?

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Jarikeen

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Just out curiosity, is there something else one can use in a flintlock other than a flint, that produces a good spark and is more durable?
Cheers
 
Jarikeen said:
Just out curiosity, is there something else one can use in a flintlock other than a flint, that produces a good spark and is more durable?
Cheers

Don't know about more durable, bit you have flint, chert, jasper, agate and pyrite to choose from... (all will spark)

Hard knife sharpening stones will spark in a pinch if broken small enough to fit into the jaws...

There use to be a product called Duraflint, it was a ceramic flint, don't recall if they are still made...

Look at this from the percussion cap's point of view, even if you only get two shots from a flint, that is still 50% better than what the percussion cap offers...
 
There are different grades of flints, Black English and Amber French are at the top of the list, there's white flint, red flint, Ohio flint, all have their strong and weak points. Why even broken Indian arrowheads can be used in the flintguns, they're already shaped, how convenient too, just break off the point and base and you are ready to shoot after a quick knapp.
That's slicker than moose snot on a door knob I recken.
 
To add to your list, quartz will also work, and what makes a surprisingly good gun flint is knapped shards from petrified wood from out west.
Ohio Rusty
 
I tried glass once, but there is something missing in glass that makes the sparks happen. Even though flint and glass are very similiar, they are completely different in their complex structure that makes flint or flint like stone throw sparks and glass stone doesn't or wont. Either one will make a great arrowpoint or knife though.
Ohio Rusty
 
Chert, "flint", agate, petrified wood (most of it), novaculite, chalcedony, jasper, etc all are in the quartz mineral family, therefore of similar hardness (mohs scale 7). Glass (and obsidian=volcanic glass) is not crystalline, not a mineral, and softer at mohs scale 5 or 5.5. Hardened steel won't spark well if at all with glass because steel is slightly harder--you want something that will strike off tiny shards of hot steel, and glass does not "cut it", pun intended. The reason novaculite makes a good whetstone is beacuse it is made of microscopic-sized quartz crystals which abrade the steel--and will wear out your frizzens faster than most flint. Modern stainless steels won't spark because of too much alloyed chromium and etc, and you need carbon steel--also novaculite does not cut many high grade stainless steels very fast because they are harder than most carbon steels (>6)....
 
I'm glad you guys had the answers. Now I don't need to waste any time trying glass. I'll stay with Mr. Fullers offerings then. :thumbsup:
 
If you live in the washita mts. Real Hard Arkansas, the transulent stuff, like in eaton mt or the black stuff will spark like crazy..
As long as it's free :grin: :grin:
 
Right-o boys! We might be havin' services for ole Anvil if he gets too rash with the wife's "jury"*! :rotf:

*"jury": A word used in Texas to describe shiny things folks wear on their necks and fingers!! Don't know what we actually call stuff used for body-piercing besides "Ouch!" :rotf: :rotf:
 
Jarikeen said:
Just out curiosity, is there something else one can use in a flintlock other than a flint, that produces a good spark and is more durable?
Cheers


Seeing how you are from Qld - Australia, have you ever considered trying greenstone (from Western Australia greenstone belt), it's suppose to be like quartz in properties, it should spark...
 
Today I was breaking up some bricks (we use the pieces to keep the rebar up off the ground) and picked up a piece that cut my finger like a razor blade :shocked2: . These particular bricks were very hard and the broken edges were very sharp . Which got me to thinking :hmm: that if I were in desperate need of something to make a frizzen spark , a piece of hard brick might do the job . I should have brought a piece home and tried it . Maybe I will on Monday , if I think of it .
 
Hello
I just joined the forum, i am a metal detectorist and colonial collector

i found this post on flint types and glass from 2006 and was interested ,

As i detected near a Rev war fort or Redoubt first in American hands then English, I found what appears to be pewter or tin or pot metal sleeve for a flint, but the remains are mostly gone, but a piece 3/8 wide and the dept of sleeve, what appears to be glass or quartz, the sleeve is flattened out so i have to try and pry it out to confirm material inside, but reading the comments in this post , glass doesn't appear to be a viable spark making option, has anyone experimented with this?
 

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Thanks,

I opened it up, it appears more like a quartz or rock crystal material, which makes sense as i read above quartz being harder than the steel causes the spark "you want something that will strike off tiny shards of hot steel,"

The metal flattened Casing measures 1 3/4 long by 7/8, I supposed as the stone is around 1/4 so it would have been
1 1/4. when intact
 

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