Anybody use Dura Flints?

[Darryl]

I know this is sacrilegious, but has anyone used Dura flints?

 

[danlwhite]

If those are those super expensive rocks that are supposed to last almost forever, I have not but I have seen two guys try them. Each of them ended up replacing a frizzen because the flint ate it up in short order. One of them resembled a canoe, without bow or stern. I would avoid them if that's what your are talking about. :imo:

 

[Joel Lehman]

I ordered some years ago for my 40 poor boy with a Cochran lock. The "flints" were sharp at first and sparked well.
They lasted about 30 shots per side. I then tried to resharpen them with a diamond file. I could not get them as sharp as the were originally. The averaged about 10 shots per side. I do not think they are worth the money, time and effort is takes to use them.

Stick with black English flints. They have worked the best for me.

High and dry in Austin, TX

Now I use

 

[LRB]

I used them for a couple of years. Cannot say anything bad about them. they are not hard to sharpen, and I was able to get them sharper than new with a diamond knife sharpening "stone". They did not eat my frizzen any more than a flint. I averaged about 40 shots from each edge. I stopped using them just to be more PC, and I got tired of the sneers when certain people saw what I was using. For four bucks or so, give them a try. You may like them. I can say one thing about them I did not like, They are white. You can color them, but nothing I tried was permanent.

 

[roundball]

I know this is sacrilegious, but has anyone used Dura flints?

I have not...I looked at them when I switched to Flintlocks, but the notion of a man-made synthetic space age "flint" just seemed to fly in the face of the whole point of going back to "flint lock" technology in the first place.

To me, learning all the real flint related aspects of that technology is the main point of learning to shoot flintlocks...basically it's the only difference between them and caplocks.

So I decided I'd go with black english flints and learn all that...besides, they're the real deal...it's what the settler's used...also, buy them in bulk and they're reasonably priced
:front:

 

[danlwhite]

maybe I am remembering the wrong rocks; some guy came through one of our reinactments selling these guaranteed lifetime things for about $15 a pop. Those ate frizzens. Everyone I knew who bought one tossed it out.

 

[OTHERN]

I have used the Dura flints also. The only problem I have had is that for me they need to be sharpened every 3-4 shots and that is a pain. I have not noticed any accelerated frizzen wear. :m2c:

Othern

 

[lacerote]

Wick, where did you get them ? I used the old Green River Forge Fire flints years ago and they were great ,especially for hunting . Never had a frizzen problem with them as long as the frizzen was properly hardened. Are these the same things? I rememeber once in Muzzle blasts Russ Ham was selling a frizen facing he said was super hard and I put that on my gun and used that forge fire flint and the amount of sparks was scary !I now use English Flints, Amber flints and something called German cut flints (got some at the CLA show ) they spark great but also are a kind of grey color. Anyway would like to at least try a Dura flint if I can be told who has them , Thanks

 

[Bob J]

I rememeber once in Muzzle blasts Russ Ham was selling a frizen facing he said was super hard and I put that on my gun and used that forge fire flint and the amount of sparks was scary !

Was told (and read) that the frizzen facing material you are referring too turned out to be a radioactive material

 

[lacerote]

I Heard this also , but then in high school my science teacher brought in a gieger counter and used it on al of the guys wrist wathes which ALL showed to be radioactive. That material did have a warning about using a mask when grinding it but unless it would make you glow , the resluts were super spectacular. So I hope some one will respond as to where they get these duraflints, I mean if you used them you had to get them some where ? Also does anyone know if these are the same as the old Green River Forge Fire Flints , of which I would love to find a few.

 

I know this is sacrilegious, but has anyone used Dura flints?

Not me!!! Oh no no no! :nono:
Fine English black flints for my rifles. :thumbsup:
Don
Don

 

[gordy]

I may be wrong,but didn't Dixie Gun Works carry them.Seems I saw them in one of their catalogs from the late 90s.I just bought some Black English Flints.Right now I'm useing up the TC flints My Daughter sent me.When their gone I intend to use only the real knapped flints.Roundball's sentiments are the same as mine.I like to try to get by with as much original equipment as possible.

 

[Darryl]

Here's the information on where to get Dura Flints. I have not contacted them yet but heard it was difficult connecting up with this company.

Elkk Enterprises
PO BOX 871
Port Hueneme, CA 93044

Phone: 1-800-796-2762 or
Phone: 1-805-382-1817



Email Elkk Enterprises

 

[lacerote]

Thanks Daryl, seems I saw an article some time ago andn found this contact info no one ever answered the phone but I will try again . I always thought it was wierd why they never advertised them anywhere I have seen nor have I ever seen one for sale at a trade event or shoot. The old Green river forge fire flints were advertised a lot in their day. I had a regular English flint break in half on me once in British Columbia with a Grizly about 30 yards away on the thirteenth day of a fourteen day hunt and my second try in B.C. After that my hunting guns got forge fire flints and got my one shot kill(patched round ball ) grizly and one shot kill Moose in Alaska. Never failed to ignite the priming with one of those, dont know anything on Duraflints but really like the German flints Jeddidia sells . Can anyone else who have claimed to use the Dura flint tell me where you bought them ??

 

[lacerote]

I am beginning to think this Dura flint thing is a Hoax ! As suspected that ELKK info which never worked for me in the past still does not work and the toll free number is disconected the other is not their number according to who answered the phone . I remembere trying this info years ago when the rumor of these flints first surfaced .At that time I could not find a living sole who could actually put one in my hands or give a real company that actually had them for sale. In reading the info on the internet about them they are not a man made flint at all but a type of semi precious rock which makes them more intersting . Again would appreciate it if the people who said thy used them on this thread would say exactly where they got them , how to contact that company(with working numbers). and when they got them , or maybe these should have been on the X files.

 

[roundball]

I am beginning to think this Dura flint thing is a Hoax ! As suspected that ELKK info which never worked for me in the past still does not work and the toll free number is disconected the other is not their number according to who answered the phone . I remembere trying this info years ago when the rumor of these flints first surfaced .At that time I could not find a living sole who could actually put one in my hands or give a real company that actually had them for sale. In reading the info on the internet about them they are not a man made flint at all but a type of semi precious rock which makes them more intersting . Again would appreciate it if the people who said thy used them on this thread would say exactly where they got them , how to contact that company(with working numbers). and when they got them , or maybe these should have been on the X files.

Someone on another board sold me a few several years ago...to my disappointment, they were not the size they were alleged to be and "mysteriously" I was never able to get that 'gentleman' to respond to my Emails about it...but that's another story.

Yes, they are real, I've had them in my hands, I got rid of them, and enjoy outstandng results from my black english flints.

 

[Rebel]

I bought a 5 pack from them a few years ago, when they were still sorta in business. I wouldn't waste my time or money trying to find any. They work, but aren't all that great. Kinda like a long lasting sawn flint. They are white in color, and just don't look right in a flint lock. And they don't spark any better, or even as well, as BEF's. And the ones i bought were supposed to be 3/4" for a Great Plains rifle. They were too short unless you set them way out in the jaws, then they didn't want to stay in place. :m2c:

 

[LRB]

EAGLES, I bought mine direct from Elk Enterprises. I later ordered more for some friends. They were hard to get in contact with. As far as how well they worked. For me they worked great. Mega sparks. I think a lot of the problems mentioned are due to poor sharpening. You need a coarse, and medium to fine diamond "stone", and bring the edge down sharp like a knife. As I said, i got 30 to 40 good shots off each side. I was using them in a large Siler. I did not see any more frizzen wear than with flints. The main reason I tried them was because the local ML store gets $2.75 for rifle flints. Elkk prices were $4.00. You can a hell of alot of shots for that $4.00. However, I went back to English flints after I did some shopping. Two very good sources are MLBS and TOW. I just did not like the way the Dura flints looked. For a time, and maybe now, Log Cabin Shop had them. Call and see. They can be colored with permanent markers, but it aint permanent.

 

[roundball]

I bought a 5 pack from them a few years ago, when they were still sorta in business. I wouldn't waste my time or money trying to find any. They work, but aren't all that great. Kinda like a long lasting sawn flint. They are white in color, and just don't look right in a flint lock. And they don't spark any better, or even as well, as BEF's. And the ones i bought were supposed to be 3/4" for a Great Plains rifle. They were too short unless you set them way out in the jaws, then they didn't want to stay in place. :m2c:

That's what happened to me...except that I specifically asked him about that before hand and got assurances all was well

 

[lacerote]

called log cabin and they have not heard from that compamy for years so they are gone .