Humpback Flints?

[awreis]

What exactly are they? I have read a few different posts in my searches about flints and people refer to these but what exactly are they? I assume it is referring to the overall shape where it humps up at the back of the flint where the jaws grab it?

 

[Dave Marsh]

Yep.

 

[mckutzy]

They dont grip in the jaws of the cock well, due to the one point of contact. There are ways to combat this, typically grinding them down a bit to make a flat surface.
A grinder with a diamond blade helps alot, glue it to a stick to hold onto, keep wet with water to cool, touch the back and keep moving till its thin enough to grab good.... Heat it off with a heat gun or even a flame.

 

[ZUG]

I purchased a dozen black English flints from TOTW and six were nice two were somewhat ok and four were very poor with big humps. I have a 3" X 8" 400 grit diamond plate that I use to flatten my ceramic sharpening stones so I use that diamond plate to flatten off some of the hump from those flints that need it. It takes a while but it does remove the hump.

 

[Greenjoytj]

I have my diamond file immersed in a shallow pan of water to keep flint dust out of the air. Grinding off the odd shaped hump on a few flints does take a long time.
I’ve often wondered if the water bath is acting as a lubricant to the flint thereby greatly extending the time it takes me to flatten a hump backed flint to a useable shape.

I think that poorly knapped flints that create with big hump backs which render them useless to most shooters, should have the hump ground flat on a large powerful diamond industrial grinding wheel right at the original knapping factory.
I’d pay extra for a dozen flints just to get a full dozen usable flints.

 

[Pete G]

Cutting teeth in the jaws of the flint cock will go a long way towards alleviating any problems with humpback flints.

 

[ZUG]

Cutting teeth in the jaws of the flint cock will go a long way towards alleviating any problems with humpback flints.

Thats true only if the flint fits in the jaws to start with.

 

[Rifleman1776]

When ordering it is wise to specify "no humpbacks". Most good vendors will honor this request. If they don't, do business elsewhere the next time. I like sawn flints, and they are always flat.

 

[IanH]

Clamp them between wood blocks in a bench vise and grind off the humps with a 4" diamond-tipped tile saw blade installed in an electric angle grinder.

Or learn to knap your own flints and never be at the mercy of the flint vendors again.

 

[Flintleather]

Before and after, grind mine down with a diamond tip in the Dremel.

 

[olskool]

stonewall creek outfitters and Kibbler are my two sources for flint. i have got junk from TOTW,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Mike in FL]

Before and after, grind mine down with a diamond tip in the Dremel.

Good idea! My last order of a dozen English flints from TOW were humback. Don't like 'em.

 

[TDM]

Humpbacks do seem to be the norm now. If you order from TOW they won’t hand select them if you choose the dozen option, which is cheaper. You have to pay the extra .20-.30 cents and order multiples. Plus request no humpbacks. Doubt we’ll ever see the quality of flints of just a few years ago.

 

[kyron4]

Humpbacks do seem to be the norm now. If you order from TOW they won’t hand select them if you choose the dozen option, which is cheaper. You have to pay the extra .20-.30 cents and order multiples. Plus request no humpbacks. Doubt we’ll ever see the quality of flints of just a few years ago.

That's what I do, I order 10 at a time and request "no humpbacks". I pay a little more per flint that way , but get quality flints with no humps.

 

[rchas]

Lots of ways to grind off the humps; but it is best to do it wet. You really don't want that dust in your lungs. I use a cheap Hazard Fraught tile saw I got a few years back.

 

[#blackpowderbill]

Don't order from IMI! I ordered 5 lb of selected flints about a year and a half ago. I got about a pound and a half I can't use. And probably spent 3 hours grinding the other ones in the shape.

 

[User_Dan]

Don't order from IMI! I ordered 5 lb of selected flints about a year and a half ago. I got about a pound and a half I can't use. And probably spent 3 hours grinding the other ones in the shape.

Shame... I to ordered 5 pounds years ago and got 85% good useful stuff in most sizes

 

[M. De Land]

Good idea! My last order of a dozen English flints from TOW were humback. Don't like 'em.

Take a bit of time and get on line and learn to knap your own points and gun flints. I use the debatage (waste) from point making to knap all my gun flints. Never will need to purchase another.

 

[Numlok]

I love a good humpback flint. My flint-gun's lock geometry is a little weird, and in order to strike as far up on the Frizzen as I need to, I need to gain a little height. A humpback flint inserted bevel-down strikes the frizzen right where it should.

 

[TDM]

I love a good humpback flint. My flint-gun's lock geometry is a little weird, and in order to strike as far up on the Frizzen as I need to, I need to gain a little height. A humpback flint inserted bevel-down strikes the frizzen right where it should.

There you go. It’s an ill wind that blows no good.