Novaculite for gun flints

[bldtrailer]

No it's a nibbler for doing tile work (small cuts) it works most the time cutting the flints into useable sizes but now and then it shatters the flint

 

[ord sgt]

I knap arrow and spear points and use the waist flakes from the spawls I order to make my gun flints. I use percussion and pressure flaking tools to shape and sharpen them. Once you start using these flat gun flints it will spoil you for the ridge backed ones you buy. They spark every bit as well, last as long if not better than the English flint I was buying from TOTW. I also like and use the Keokuk chert from I think Oklahoma but wanted to try some of the novaculite and see how it compared. Both spark like crazy but am curious to see which last the longest and which is harder on the frizzen face.
I think another benefit to using flatter flints is it leaves more room for the top jaw of the cock (being screwed down closer to the bottom jaw) to clear the frizzen face when arching down to make contact. This should allow more of the flint length to be used as it shortens from wear, thus increasing each flints useful life.

If you want an unbiased opinion on your chert flints, I am willing to help evaluate them. Just let me know and I will send my address.

 

[M. De Land]

If you want an unbiased opinion on your chert flints, I am willing to help evaluate them. Just let me know and I will send my address.

OK, what size do you want to try? I'll knap a half dozen and send them to you for evluation. I'll make half of them in novaculite and the other half in Keokuk chert. I have no desire to go into the gun flint business but could use any honest evaluation help in figuring out what works well or not and will be useful for us all to know one way or the other. I would ask them to be evaluated in spark generation, longevity and frizzen wear difference if it can be noticed in such a short test phase.

 

[toot]

No it's a nibbler for doing tile work (small cuts) it works most the time cutting the flints into useable sizes but now and then it shatters the flint

thanks for the reply.

 

[ord sgt]

OK, what size do you want to try? I'll knap a half dozen and send them to you for evluation. I'll make half of them in novaculite and the other half in Keokuk chert. I have no desire to go into the gun flint business but could use any honest evaluation help in figuring out what works well or not and will be useful for us all to know one way or the other. I would ask them to be evaluated in spark generation, longevity and frizzen wear difference if it can be noticed in such a short test phase.

I have tried to send a "conversation" to you. Not sure if it went through. Each time that I tried, there seemed to be some type of fault.

 

[BJHabermehl]

Seems like Rich Pierce used that type of material for his gunflints, the best sparkers I ever put in a gun.

I’m carefully hoarding my supply of Rich’s white chert gunflints. I use them pretty much strictly for hunting as they spark so well in me big Chambers English style locks. I can’t tell you much about longevity as reliability trumps it in my opinion for hunting. BJH

 

[Rifleman1776]

The use of the term "chert" can be confusing. All chert is flint but not all flint is chert. To designate the rock/flint in question as chert you need to know how it was embedded in the earth. e.g. nodules such as are found in the chalk deposits in England are flint. Flint found in the ground or mountainsides can be called flint. But, it is not an important distinction. Good flint is good flint even by any other name. As far as I know, Rich's gunflints are just white flint. The few I have do not resemble novaculite as some have suggested they are.

 

[Zonie]

I have tried to send a "conversation" to you. Not sure if it went through. Each time that I tried, there seemed to be some type of fault.

The most common "fault" is the writer forgot to put a title in the box that says, "Title".
If this box isn't filled in with something, the Conversation will not be sent. You have to click on the box to write in it.

 

[kansas_volunteer]

Here in Kansas we have a region known as the Flint Hills. Does anyone know iour flints qualities as gun flint?
I'm not a knapper but many years ago while working in the oil fields i noticed a piece of flint roughly arrowhead shaped. I told my coworker i could make an actual arrowhead from it. He said there was no way. So, I took it in my gloved left hand, holding it tight by my fingers, and using the tang of a file made a honest to gosh arrowhead from it. It was my first and only experience as a knapper. From that experience I reckon Kansas flint my be OK for gun flints.

 

[Kansas Jake]

Here in Kansas we have a region known as the Flint Hills. Does anyone know iour flints qualities as gun flint?
I'm not a knapper but many years ago while working in the oil fields i noticed a piece of flint roughly arrowhead shaped. I told my coworker i could make an actual arrowhead from it. He said there was no way. So, I took it in my gloved left hand, holding it tight by my fingers, and using the tang of a file made a honest to gosh arrowhead from it. It was my first and only experience as a knapper. From that experience I reckon Kansas flint my be OK for gun flints.

I live in Manhattan and have used local flint in a flintlock and with my firesteel . I can walk around my yard and find flint. Some isn't the hardest and tends to wear easily, but knapped will make a very sharp edge. I have a homemade flint in my 36 right now and have gotten about 20 shots so far.

 

[M. De Land]

I did a short video on pressure flaking gun flints a couple of years ago and have it on a card file around here somewhere. If I can find it I'll get my son to help me re-post if there is any interest.

I have tried to send a "conversation" to you. Not sure if it went through. Each time that I tried, there seemed to be some type of fault.

I found it and replied. I need to know if you want 3/4s x 7/8s or 7/8s square or what ever ?

 

[M. De Land]

I found the video but don't know how to compress it enough off my computer file to make it fit on this web site. Help Zonie ! We tried to compress it with zip but they only would take it down 2 percent. Is there some way on this site to receive it by compression or some other method.
The original post was down loaded to Photobucket who apparently compressed it to make it fit on this forum. We have since stopped using photobucket and retrieved our data from them and down loaded to our personal file.

 

[Zonie]

The only way to show a video on the forum is to upload it to a site that handles videos, like YouTube.
Once loaded on the site, open it and copy the files address at the top of the page. Once copied, you can paste the address into a post here on the forum.

The forum isn't set up to down load videos directly from your computer. It also cannot directly link to a file that is stored on your computer.

 

[M. De Land]

The only way to show a video on the forum is to upload it to a site that handles videos, like YouTube.
Once loaded on the site, open it and copy the files address at the top of the page. Once copied, you can paste the address into a post here on the forum.

The forum isn't set up to down load videos directly from your computer. It also cannot directly link to a file that is stored on your computer.

Thanks for the reply, guess I can't do it after all.

 

[Shotgunblast]

I only know what the folks I buy the spawls from call it. It is heat treated. I ask the seller about how heat treated chert would work for gun flints and he said it would not be good material for that purpose but being of experimental bent I had to try it anyway and it sparks as good or better than any I have bought from TOTW. I've made up some packets of Keokuk gun flints of five count and given them to friends to try out and make a comparison for me. Two of them wanted more of the flat flints and were willing to pay for them as they had the same opinion I did of how well they worked.
I have read that it is harder on frizzen faces but will have to test this to see if true as well. They're is lot of apple sauce in print out there stated as fact.
I don't really understand what heat treating of chert does to the crystiline structure as it is only about 400 degrees for 6-8 hours! It does make tough chert flake easier bubt I doubt it is hot enough to change the hardness level.

Heat treating closes the inclusions (cracks) in the chert and flint. Heat treating aligns the crystal structures of the silicate on top of each other making it easier to work with.

 

[M. De Land]

Heat treating closes the inclusions (cracks) in the chert and flint. Heat treating aligns the crystal structures of the silicate on top of each other making it easier to work with.

I wonder, would this tend to make it last longer or shorter in gun flint application ?

 

[Shotgunblast]

I wonder, would this tend to make it last longer or shorter in gun flint application ?

Yes it does give a shorter life span due to it being more brittle and easier to work with , but sparks better with being treated.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Heat treating closes the inclusions (cracks) in the chert and flint. Heat treating aligns the crystal structures of the silicate on top of each other making it easier to work with.

Can you verify that with expert resources. I'm skeptical.

 

[rich pierce]

Can you verify that with expert resources. I'm skeptical.

I sure wish heat treatment closed cracks. It does make it glassier and easier to knap.

 

[M. De Land]

I sure wish heat treatment closed cracks. It does make it glassier and easier to knap.

Yeah, I'm sure you've gotten into tough chert before Rich, onery'er than cat hair, ain't it. I tried a bit of brown out of Texas that seemed good right out of the river bed. Got a small nodule from Dixie Gun works that was really tough and needs some heat treating. I've read that soaking it for a few days under water makes it knapp easier but have not actually tried it.