Darkhorse
Senior Member
I use only Tom Fuller black english flints bought from Track of the Wolf. When I order I specify that I want them to pick only flints with a flat top, no hump. These clamp in the jaws of Marse Jim Chambers large siler's better.
I know several on here knap there own flints and that's great, everybody needs basic knapping skills to get the most out of a flintlock. But I simply don't have the time to learn that skill, plus keeping things simple works best for me.
The flint is your igniter. The sharp edge scrapes down the hardened steel of the frizzen and shaves off tiny hot particles of steel seen by us as sparks. These sparks drop into the pan and ignite the prime. High speed photos show not only sparks coming out of the pan but an incandescent sheet of flame blossoming out and up. This sheet of flame is what ignites the main charge.
Be aware that dropping the hammer on a loaded gun with an empty pan can still cause the main charge to ignite. Just one spark is all it takes.
Black english, blonde french and local flint all work well. I stay completely away from the diamond cut agate type. The edge seems to break down way to fast for my taste.
For the flint to do it's job well it must be held solid with no cushion. I have tried both lead and leather to hold my flint in the jaws. I quit on the lead because with use it deforms and the flint will get loose. So now I use only lead and leather.
A flint leather is cut about 1" square, size depends on your lock and can be trimmed to suit. I bend the leather in half and using snips cut a small square out right in the center. The flint goes into the folded leather then into the jaws. The cut out square allows the back of flint to butt against the clamp screw. This makes the entire process solid with no cushioning effect. Remember your trying to shave steel that's file hard. At this time I make an extra and glue the leather to the flint with period correct super glue. So if a quick change is needed in the field you just slide one out and the other in.
Tighten down semi tight, cock your lock and drop the frizzen. Slowly lower the hammer against the friz. Hold both the hammer/flint against the friz and the friz down tight with your offhand. Adjust the flint so it touches the friz across the entire edge and tighten it down. It should not move back and forth.
When setting your flint be absolutely positive that the flint edge does not contact the barrel when the hammer is fully down. Files cut steel and a good flint is harder than a file so if you don't want a nasty gash cut in your barrel be sure you have clearance.
Some rifles like the bevel down some up. I always go bevel up. Perhaps this gives a touch quicker locktime. Also when I knap the bottom it gives chip clearance on both sides.
Now I take a 1/4" brass rod with two steps cut in the end. Put one of these steps against the edge with the lock on half cock and with the rod pointed back at basically the same angle as the knapped edge (bevel) and with a small hammer lightly tap the end of the rod. Before doing this place a paper towel in the pan to catch the tiny flint slivers. You should see tiny slivers fall into the paper towel. These are like tiny razors but you'll learn this the hard way in your own flintlock journey.
When you do this all your doing is sharpening your flint just a fraction. Even if it doesn't really seem to need it. Now check the edge against the friz again, don't worry if there are small places where to twain don't meet. As one little edge wears away another will take it's place. I expect to get a minimum of 25 shots from one knapping sometimes more. A flint is good until it's too thick to knap or too short to strike the friz.
You can tell if your flint is sharp enough by gently lowering it against the face of the friz. If you feel it trying to cut as you lower it then it's sharp enough.
Understand that the above description is what I do for hunting. When just burning powder I'll just clamp in a new flint and shoot until it needs sharpening. The only other case is where a flint is too long and contacts the friz at half cock. I'll knap that one until it just clears.
For a quick knap in the field I do one of three things; Carry an extra, sharp flint. Carry a small piece of 3/4 brass to lightly tap the flint edge. Or....
Lift the friz, lower the hammer all the way, then lower the friz on top of the flint. With your off hand hold the friz down tight and slowly pull back on the hammer. Should hear and feel a SSSSCRUCHHH sorta sound as the flint scrapes the hardened friz chipping off small fragments.
I would do this only with custom lock like Chambers, Davis or L&R as we know these frizzens are hardened all the way through. I would avoid doing it with production rifles as some are only case hardened, meaning hardened just so deep. Below that is regular soft steel.
Long post I know. But....
I know several on here knap there own flints and that's great, everybody needs basic knapping skills to get the most out of a flintlock. But I simply don't have the time to learn that skill, plus keeping things simple works best for me.
The flint is your igniter. The sharp edge scrapes down the hardened steel of the frizzen and shaves off tiny hot particles of steel seen by us as sparks. These sparks drop into the pan and ignite the prime. High speed photos show not only sparks coming out of the pan but an incandescent sheet of flame blossoming out and up. This sheet of flame is what ignites the main charge.
Be aware that dropping the hammer on a loaded gun with an empty pan can still cause the main charge to ignite. Just one spark is all it takes.
Black english, blonde french and local flint all work well. I stay completely away from the diamond cut agate type. The edge seems to break down way to fast for my taste.
For the flint to do it's job well it must be held solid with no cushion. I have tried both lead and leather to hold my flint in the jaws. I quit on the lead because with use it deforms and the flint will get loose. So now I use only lead and leather.
A flint leather is cut about 1" square, size depends on your lock and can be trimmed to suit. I bend the leather in half and using snips cut a small square out right in the center. The flint goes into the folded leather then into the jaws. The cut out square allows the back of flint to butt against the clamp screw. This makes the entire process solid with no cushioning effect. Remember your trying to shave steel that's file hard. At this time I make an extra and glue the leather to the flint with period correct super glue. So if a quick change is needed in the field you just slide one out and the other in.
Tighten down semi tight, cock your lock and drop the frizzen. Slowly lower the hammer against the friz. Hold both the hammer/flint against the friz and the friz down tight with your offhand. Adjust the flint so it touches the friz across the entire edge and tighten it down. It should not move back and forth.
When setting your flint be absolutely positive that the flint edge does not contact the barrel when the hammer is fully down. Files cut steel and a good flint is harder than a file so if you don't want a nasty gash cut in your barrel be sure you have clearance.
Some rifles like the bevel down some up. I always go bevel up. Perhaps this gives a touch quicker locktime. Also when I knap the bottom it gives chip clearance on both sides.
Now I take a 1/4" brass rod with two steps cut in the end. Put one of these steps against the edge with the lock on half cock and with the rod pointed back at basically the same angle as the knapped edge (bevel) and with a small hammer lightly tap the end of the rod. Before doing this place a paper towel in the pan to catch the tiny flint slivers. You should see tiny slivers fall into the paper towel. These are like tiny razors but you'll learn this the hard way in your own flintlock journey.
When you do this all your doing is sharpening your flint just a fraction. Even if it doesn't really seem to need it. Now check the edge against the friz again, don't worry if there are small places where to twain don't meet. As one little edge wears away another will take it's place. I expect to get a minimum of 25 shots from one knapping sometimes more. A flint is good until it's too thick to knap or too short to strike the friz.
You can tell if your flint is sharp enough by gently lowering it against the face of the friz. If you feel it trying to cut as you lower it then it's sharp enough.
Understand that the above description is what I do for hunting. When just burning powder I'll just clamp in a new flint and shoot until it needs sharpening. The only other case is where a flint is too long and contacts the friz at half cock. I'll knap that one until it just clears.
For a quick knap in the field I do one of three things; Carry an extra, sharp flint. Carry a small piece of 3/4 brass to lightly tap the flint edge. Or....
Lift the friz, lower the hammer all the way, then lower the friz on top of the flint. With your off hand hold the friz down tight and slowly pull back on the hammer. Should hear and feel a SSSSCRUCHHH sorta sound as the flint scrapes the hardened friz chipping off small fragments.
I would do this only with custom lock like Chambers, Davis or L&R as we know these frizzens are hardened all the way through. I would avoid doing it with production rifles as some are only case hardened, meaning hardened just so deep. Below that is regular soft steel.
Long post I know. But....
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