Black English Flints

[roundball]

Interesting experience this morning with flint life...I've been using 3/4" Tom Fuller black english flints for over two years now and get what I assume is excellent life out of them averaging 40-60 shots per flint.

Every now and then I discover a particular flint that just doesn't seem to wear much at all...have had 3-4 over the past couple years that I've gotten close to 100 shots out of, making me wonder if there might be different strengths of BEF's depending on which vein of flint they might have come out of compared to others.

I shot an entire 40 shot range session with one this morning, never knapped it, and it hardly looks used...I cleaned the rifle and flint, and reinstalled it to use for the next 40 shot range session.

In those other 3-4 examples, I went through two range sessions and into a third before I had to replace them...they look like all the rest as far as shape, color, etc...but there's definitely something different about them

 

[musketman]

I have a microscope, I bet the grain (lattices) of the flint has a lot to do with the way it wears...

If you send me both (marked flints) I will test this and reply, then mail them back to you...

If you want to, I will PM you my address and we can do that...

 

[roundball]

Interesting thought, and offer...and as it turns out, I actually have access to a microscope where a friend works...might save up one or two and perform 'flintoscopies' on them ::

 

[musketman]

Great, saves on postage...

Look for grain patterns from the leading edge (frizzen side)

Example: The 100+ shot flint may have vertical grain patterns whereas the lesser shot flints might have horizontal patterns...

 

[Leonredbeard]

roundball,
I have had flints that actually knapped themselves from shot to shot keeping a sharp edge until well used. I am sure that the geometry of the lock can make life easier for good english flints.
God bless.
volatpluvia

 

[robinghewitt]

They used only freshly dug flints for guns, I'm wondering if maybe they are damaged by frost?

Flint left lying on the ground tends to go milky in colour, flint built into walls tends to stay black. Black flints embedded in a path where people empty their dogs take on the golden French color, which could explain a lot :: :: ::

Maybe your long lasting flint has never frozen :m2c: