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So I'll be going flintlock deer hunting in eastern PA in two weeks, and I need to redo my flint.
I bought two globs of obsidian and am having a devil of a time knapping pieces. To be more precise, getting the rock into the good core platform.
I've watched a bunch of videos, gleaned info from flintknappingtools.com and primitivearcher.com, and am still working on it.
Does anyone have suggested sites for literature or specific videos that are great quality in terms of instruction content? As far as videos, I think I've seen two informative ones out of a dozen or so, as far as rock selection and tools.
While I don't have a bone billet or copper mallet (gave a favorite bronze mallet away), I have found an ash-wood mallet I have seems to work great.
The literature I've read goes into extensive detail, and I have a hard time translating the words into understanding the rock in my hands.
So, any video or literature suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
Your first problem is you're using obsidian. Basically its glass and glass doesn't spark well in a flintlock. If it did we'd all be using beer bottles in our locks. You need actual flint or chert. My only experience with working flint is basic knapping of dulled flints, but I'm told this video is pretty good for making a gun flint from scratch.



With only two weeks to go before the season, you're probably better off buying some good English flints from Track of the Wolf and spending some time at the range. Play around with gun flint making after the season.
 
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@AndyinEverson is the go to guy for these types of things. I will say that I have found a good thick leather "Knapping Hold" will really help hold your flint, and a good iron knapping fleck tool makes more precise knapping faster! It's still a involved and slow prosess, but once you get the hang of it, it's not that bad! After that, tuning your lock can be a challenge, but again, once you get the hang of it, it's not that bad! :)

Best of luck!
 
Knapping flint...
I found that to sharpen the edge...just :
Un-prime if you have a loaded firearm...
Put your hammer in half cock...
Have the flint rest on your index finger...
Lightly tap the flint edge with your knife spine , turn screw..etc...

You should see small flakes fly off...
The flint does not need to be razor sharp or even have a "clean edge"...it just needs to to be "sharp"

I have made my own gun flints...but...
In England there was a whole guild system built around this...it is a work of art and takes a lot of practice.
Andy
 
2nd vote for Track"s flints,at 2.00 a piece with the time you have to get them in, easy decision and work on the knapping after deer season.
 
Your first problem is you're using obsidian. Basically its glass and glass doesn't spark well in a flintlock. If it did we'd all be using beer bottles in our locks. You need actual flint or chert. My only experience with working flint is basic knapping of dulled flints, but I'm told this video is pretty good for making a gun flint from scratch.



With only two weeks to go before the season, you're probably better off buying some good English flints from Track of the Wolf and spending some time at the range. Play around with gun flint making after the season.
Paleoman52 is one of the more informative ones I saw.
I will also note, after watching "material selection" videos, he is using chert there. Perhaps that's why he was able to get such reasonable flakes.
What I also noted, in trying to spall flakes off the obsidian, it runs in grains. Flakes when struck from one direction, kinda makes stepped spall from the other and scars the rock.
 
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@AndyinEverson , mighty kind of you. Lyman 50 cal Trade Rifle, I believe it's 3/4 x 1"
I will try your knife-blade knapping on the one that came with the rifle. It produces no spark at all.

@Roundball58, well then I have a big chunk of unremarkable stone. Funny how a few sites listed chert, chalcedony, jasper and obsidian as recommended sources for flint material.
 
Obsidian is great to knap in to projectile points, scrapers, drills etc. aka "arrowheads" to the layman. That may be where the confusion of obsidian as a "sparking flint.

Obsidian can produce an amazing edge and is being used in modern surgical tools...chert and chalcedony can also be used to create projectile points.

Brutus Out
 
As a heads up, I believe lyman includes sawn agate flints when they ship their rifles so Andy's knapping technique might not work real well.

If you're researching gun flint sources thru "scholarly" sites, I'm willing to bet not a one of them have ever actually fired a flintlock so they're recommendations would be suspect.

And lord, I hope you're using real blackpowder.
 
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@P7id10T

Flints will be in route , this coming week...
And yeah stay away from the cut agate "flints"...they "work"..but nothing beats a good English flint or French "Amber" flint....

I have used chert as a field replacement and it works pretty good...
Andy
 
So I'll be going flintlock deer hunting in eastern PA in two weeks, and I need to redo my flint.
I bought two globs of obsidian and am having a devil of a time knapping pieces. To be more precise, getting the rock into the good core platform.
I've watched a bunch of videos, gleaned info from flintknappingtools.com and primitivearcher.com, and am still working on it.
Does anyone have suggested sites for literature or specific videos that are great quality in terms of instruction content? As far as videos, I think I've seen two informative ones out of a dozen or so, as far as rock selection and tools.
While I don't have a bone billet or copper mallet (gave a favorite bronze mallet away), I have found an ash-wood mallet I have seems to work great.
The literature I've read goes into extensive detail, and I have a hard time translating the words into understanding the rock in my hands.
So, any video or literature suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Put my name on one of the round balls you picked up today and harvest away! ! :)
 
As a heads up, I believe lyman includes sawn agate flints when they ship their rifles so Andy's knapping technique might not work real well.

Yup, the one installed in the rifle when I bought it was a sawn quartite, probably agate. It's in the shape of a trapezoid, and the clamp doesn't hold it very well, even with the leather. Losen, align, test its strike and you *may* get a small spark out of it, then it moves out of position and you're SOL. Curse and repeat.

If you're researching gun flint sources thru "scholarly" sites, I'm willing to bet not a one of them have ever actually fired a flintlock so they're recommendations would be suspect.

One did mention knapping the bottoms of old wine and Coke bottles. I thought, "yeah, right."

And lord, I hope you're using real blackpowder. Goex FF, FFF & FFFF for the pan.
 
Do you know what size gun flint you need...I can send you some if ya need some to shoot or hunt with...
Love the brotherhood at NWFA!!

Obsidian can produce an amazing edge and is being used in modern surgical tools...chert and chalcedony can also be used to create projectile points.
Yes, I have four cuts on my right hand from trying to knapp the one. I did flake off three pieces which look like they might have made actual flints. Freakin' razors, though. Took one small piece to a thick cardboard, it cut through like it was butter.
 
@P7id10T

Flints will be in route , this coming week...
And yeah stay away from the cut agate "flints"...they "work"..but nothing beats a good English flint or French "Amber" flint....

I have used chert as a field replacement and it works pretty good...
Andy
They arrived in today's mail.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Will post a range report from this weekend !
 
Here it is mounted! Nice spark every time!
Feel free to correct me if wrong.

20181128_163211.jpg
 
Looks good to me...I have never put much stock in the Bevel up / Bevel down arguments ...the flint or gun will tell you how to place the flint....
Glad you got 'em and like 'em....:D
Andy
Story here: the leather that was on the old flint was trash, felt like a piece of remnant off an old, black prophylactic.
I have a lot of leather pieces from various collections - useful stuff. But, it's all too thick!
Well, I do know how to fillet a fish, and I just happened to find a 7" Kershaw fillet knife at Goodwill last week for $2.
Pulled out my whetstones, put a good edge on that blade, and filleted me a thin strip of leather, the one you see in the picture.
Cheap B'stard - that I am!
 

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