Which Flints Produce the Best Spark?

[muzzle-loader]

We are currently conducting some research regarding muzzleloader flints and we wanted to see what you all thought. What types of agate have you found to produce the best spark and durability?

 

[Dave Marsh]

I use Rich Pierce white flints, English black flints and French amber. Have never tried an agate and have never heard anything positive about them.

 

[akroguy]

Black English gets the job done so never tried any others.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Agate flints don’t work well at all.

You want French ambers or English blacks.

 

[Cruzatte]

I've used French and English flints to great satisfaction. Never tried agate. And I'm not inclined to go hunting for them in Kansas, either.

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

I use both Tom Fuller English black flints or occasionally French Amber. I see more variability WITHIN those types than BETWEEN those types.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[Art Caputo]

I tried some of the agate flints in my early days of shooting and had spotty results. Tried the black English flints, and been with them since. I buy the Tom Fuller flints just about exclusively for the last several years.

 

[Gkarp429]

Agate flints are inferior to black or amber. Try to avoid at all cost

 

[LongWalker]

The only agate flints I've tried were sawn. Results were so inconsistent that I gave up long ago, though I kept trying once or twice a decade. Now I just keep a sawn flint in my bag as a reminder to never buy them again.

 

[hanshi]

I've found English black, French amber and the white flints to be generally excellent and equal in sparking/quality/and durability. All sawn flints, agate, I view as garbage; they were worthless in my guns.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

We are currently conducting some research regarding muzzleloader flints and we wanted to see what you all thought. What types of agate have you found to produce the best spark and durability?

LD

 

[ord sgt]

I have used English black flint for many years. Right now, I am using white chert knapped by two forum members. The chert sparks quite nicely.

 

[biliff]

The couple of sawn agate flints I've tried didn't last long and couldn't be knapped to renew the edge (or if there is a way to sharpen them I don't know what it is). My impression is they're an attempt to produce a completely uniform product that gets used a few times and then tossed. They're fine if you don't shoot much.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

I bought a few dozen from a gent who used to sell them here.
Dang nicest flints Ive used. I use 2-3 a year so, they will last a long time.

 

[Ray-Vigo]

The best for me have been English black and French amber. Both work well.

 

[Rifleman1776]

We are currently conducting some research regarding muzzleloader flints and we wanted to see what you all thought. What types of agate have you found to produce the best spark and durability?

Asking that question undoubtedly will produce the most and best sparks.
Actually, the best spark is achieved through a combination of good lock, properly hardened frizzen and a good rock. Decried by some but I have used German sawn flints for decades. They sparked very well for me in a Pete Allen Siler lock and did quite well in others. They also lasted a long-long time. No doubt English black are excellent, I have used them much without complaint.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I use Rich Pierce white flints, English black flints and French amber. Have never tried an agate and have never heard anything positive about them.

See my other post. A lot of the sawn flints were agate. Also, I had a hunk of red agate I used for fire starting. Sparked like a monster.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Waiting on first flintlock to arrive but bought a bag of French amber.

 

[painter]

Waiting on first flintlock to arrive but bought a bag of French amber.

I'm new to the flint game, but I too bought a dozen of the French amber flints.

I use Rich Pierce white flints, English black flints and French amber. Have never tried an agate and have never heard anything positive about them.

Is that the Rich Pierce that's a member here?

 

[Grenadier1758]

The same one. Sadly Rich has retired from the gun flint knapping trade.