English vs. French Flints

[Mountain Rifleman]

Which of the two flints might you feel are superior English grey or French amber?

 

[jamesthomas]

I think it all depends on what type of lock you have. Just go buy a half dozen of each and try them.

 

[galamb]

Didn't the English kick Napoleon's butt?

Were the flints to blame? :idunno:

 

[Treestalker]

English Brunettes are proven and steady, but Oh My, the translucent grace and beauty of the French blondes are intoxicating. I like English in larger musket sizes, but I use a wee French darling in my CVA flintlock Indian blanket gun. Mercy. (Merci?) Tree. C'est bon, Mon Ami.

 

[Mountain Rifleman]

I have always used the English with good service.been hearing some good things about the French. ill try some and see if theres that much difference. thanks all

 

[Mountain Rifleman]

oh yes,but he was such a little person with bad heartburn.

 

[Mountain Rifleman]

yes they are,and a bit expensive.but you pay for beauty I guess.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Didn't the English kick Napoleon's butt?

Were the flints to blame? :idunno:

Nope...line over column and superior potassium nitrate form South Asia courtesy of the HEIC! :wink: :haha:

As for flints, found them more or less to be a toss-up. Both work...French are prettier...English are easier to get & cheaper. Like it said up top, grab a baker's dozen of mixed and see what you and the old smoke pole like best! :thumbsup:

 

[Snakebite]

I haven't tried French, the English work just fine for me, I don't think the French could work better. I did get some flints from one of the forum members but for some reason I just couldn't get them to work on my gun so I gave them to someone else and they worked for him, go figure. So I went back to the English. If it works for me, no need to change.

 

[TFoley]

I haven't tried French, the English work just fine for me, I don't think the French could work better. I did get some flints from one of the forum members but for some reason I just couldn't get them to work on my gun so I gave them to someone else and they worked for him, go figure. So I went back to the English. If it works for me, no need to change.

Just like to point out that back in the day, whenever the Brits fought the French they tended to beat the ELS out of 'em. These events, you'll also note, took place mostly on the Continent of Europe, and never actually in England. :wink:

Better musketry, y'see, thanks to the use of Brandon flints from just away down the road from me here in rural East Anglia.

'Brandon Flints and Grimes Graves - producing fine flint products since 3,000 B.C.'
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/grimes-graves-prehistoric-flint-mine/

tac

 

[tenngun]

Cave man sites in modern day France and England has shown a cross channel trade . English flint in French sites and French flint in English sites. The basic chemical structure is the same but for organic chemical in the water where the flint plants lived and the soil they sat in over the years since.

 

[Billnpatti]

That is a pretty tough question to answer. Both are superior flints. I have used both and to me, they seemed to be about equal in performance but the French flints were more expensive so I have favored the English over the French on the basis of cost alone.

 

[Brokennock]

22 replies to this same thing only as far as page 3 of this area. As for more of an answer, tried both, no preference, doesn't hurt to try them and then, in the words of a fellow IDPA shooter and reloader when asked what bullet was best, "use what works."

 

[lhw123]

Used both and they both work well for me. The French ones are more expensive though. It wouldn't hurt for you to try a few for yourself.

 

[BCarp]

In my Jim Chambers large "Round-faced English" lock, the French amber flints spark better and last longer. They also work great in a 200+ year-old lock on an original fowler I have....

 

[larry wv]

I like the English flints better. Larry

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

I prefer the English flints though I have plenty of both. The French flints seem to have a tendency to crumble in my experience but do spark well when working.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

My experience... The English sell flints...the French have rocks that geologists also call "flint". Natural products are unpredictable, so I may have had a bad run with the few French flints that I've tried, but for me it's English or go caplock.

LD

 

[Ken Cormier]

I have used both no real difference between to my gunnes.

 

[galamb]

English flints result in faster ignition.

When your fire they "spark"

With the French flint you get "Le spark".

See, the French take longer to get a "spark" :rotf: