Flint Kapping

[The Hungry Hunter]

Ok so far I found a tool to put on my dremel tool to sharpen a flint, I foung out how to make a flint hammer, but where can I fing out how to knap a flint that is on the rifle, I have seen shooters do this at the range, but never shown how to do it, are there any visual aids out there to show how to do it.?

 

[jethro224]

I don't know of any videos. It's really not as complicated as you may think. Just make sure the pan is empty, best to have an unloaded gun but a plug in the touch hole is safe too. Point the muzzle in a safe direction. Then put the hammer on half-cock and gently tap straight down on the very edge of the flint. A brass tool will guarantee no sparks.
I generally put my finger under the flint and use the back edge of my belt knife but some would call that unsafe... might get flint in your finger and steel on flint may make a spark.

 

[ebiggs1]

A small brass rod (Ace Hardware) is all you need. Than just tap the edge of the flint like your were breaking eggs.

 

[Macon Due]

Mr Biggs
Do you tap straight down on the edge...like at a 90* angle or from the front like a zero degree angle? [like you were trying to drive it deeper into the jaws?]
Macon

 

[Rifleman1776]

Mr Biggs
Do you tap straight down on the edge...like at a 90* angle or from the front like a zero degree angle? [like you were trying to drive it deeper into the jaws?]
Macon

Hard to describe but not hard to do. Sorta from the back top. After the first time you will be an expert. But real experts will get you into an explanation of the structure of flint, how the shock waves will cause various effects on that structure, and on an on until you decide to take up basket weaving instead of flint shooting.
Best advice possible: jest do it. Ye might ruin a flint or two but once you learn (that should take about three minutes) it will become second nature.

 

[ebiggs1]

Best advice possible: jest do it.

:thumbsup:

To quote Rifleman 1776. You will quickly see how to strike the flint. Try on some old used ones first. Don't over think it, like some may suggest and I am surprised they haven't! :shocked2:

 

[wahkahchimaol.com]

So you leave it in the jaws of the flintlock? That doesn't hurt the action? It must be a very gentle tap.

 

[Rifleman1776]

So you leave it in the jaws of the flintlock? That doesn't hurt the action? It must be a very gentle tap.

Very good question. I, and others, should have covered already.
Yes, leave in jaws. But, very important, put a finger under the bottom jaw (at half cock) and support when striking. Failure to do that can put excess stress on the sear and possibly cause it to break. Note: I did say can and possibly. Not always but still supporting is a wise precaution. And, no, it doesn't take three hands. Just figger it out for yerself. And, very important, if you are on a range durin a match do stay at the firing point and keep the muzzle facing down range. Some folks don't take kindly to malfunctioning loaded guns being pointed at them. :shocked2:

 

[Macon Due]

I still wonder if I am doing it wrong......when I strike the edge...it chips off and is sharper but also more 'blunt' and now ofcourse is shorter and needs to be moved forward. It also seems that after knapping I'm lucky to get 7-10 shots out of it?
This flintlock stuff is going to make me [more] crazy!
Macon

 

[Rifleman1776]

I still wonder if I am doing it wrong......when I strike the edge...it chips off and is sharper but also more 'blunt' and now ofcourse is shorter and needs to be moved forward. It also seems that after knapping I'm lucky to get 7-10 shots out of it?
This flintlock stuff is going to make me [more] crazy!
Macon

You won't be a full fledged flintlocker until you are completely crazy. :youcrazy:
Sound like you are knocking a bit too much off the front. Done right only some chips from under the leading edge will come off. Little more maybe but not enough to really shorten the flint the first couple times you sharpen it. Sadly, 7 to 10 shots may be all you get depending on the flint and the lock (design, frizzen hardness, etc.).
When all the stars and moons are in proper alignment many more shots are possible. It is part of the flintlock madness that keeps us in the game. If ye can handle the aggravation from others, try some cut flints. For me, in some locks, they last longer than the Energizer bunny.

 

[ebiggs1]

I suspect you are tapping too hard. Keep trying, remember you can always tap more but you can't tap less. The number of shots per flint is ambiguous. There are some who claim outrageous number of shots per flint. I would discount their statements off hand. Rifleman1776 is correct and the number of shots per flint is as many as or as few as 7 to 10. I had one flint that went over 90 shots but all flints are not created equal. I would imagine the “average” Tom Fuller flint goes 30 shots. Some 20 some 40, you know more or less.
I also will tell you the flint does NOT have to be as sharp as you may have heard. My experience is a new flint will get into a “zone” and stay there for a good while without any attention needed. They get pretty cruded up and need to be wiped off but not knapped.
I think the gun also gets into a “zone”, too. I have over 2500 shots through my favorite TC Hawken and it is very forgiving and digests just about anything I put in it. The frizzen shows plenty of use but is not picky at the least.
The key word here is to keep at it. Longevity has it's rewards!

 

[Macon Due]

Mr.Biggs and Rifleman
Thank you both for your info. I might be trying for 'too sharp'...I made a 'tool' by turning one end of a 1/8" steel rod down to 1/16" for about a half inch and left a square shoulder on it to set against the edge of the flint. I then lightly tap the rod with my short starter handle. It seems though that I do not get Flakes to chip off from the underside but rather get Chips from the front edge? Thanks......Again, Macon

 

[Robby]

Macon, This is how I do it. Very light taps along the edge, with the face of the striker at a slight angle. Once in a while you will see a shiny spot along the edge that may require a bit more force in the tapping, but not much.

Good luck.
Robby

 

[Macon Due]

Thank you for the pictures Sir. i do not seem to just 'dislodge' flakes from underneath but actually break off the leading edge... More work needed on my part it seems.
Macon

 

[Robby]

Macon, I hold my finger 'firmly' beneath the flint while tapping. the angle of the tapper makes a big difference, and it is actually removing some material along the leading edge, not much, leaving it one molecule wide, or better said, very sharp.

 

[hanshi]

Exactly. Chips should come off the BOTTOM of the flint edge so angle your tapper so it strikes into the edge. I also found that copper works better than brass or steel and shortens the flint very, very little.

 

[tiger955]

Thanks for the picks Robby, I too have been baffled as how to properly sharpen my flint. Many have given descriptions and I have tried different angles. Sometimes I get a sharp one, sometimes just a blunt one. I have some old dull flints to put in my lock and a tiny brass hammer to try it out. :applause:

 

[Stony]

I've cheated. I went into a railroad hobby store and bought a 1 inch wide, 12 inch long piece of brass, about 1/8 thick. Cut off a 2 inch long piece and filed of about 1/16 at one end. left a little ledge. Then I rounded the other end and drilled a hole for a leather thong. Now I just set the edge of the flint into the ledge ( hold it at about 45 degree angle) and tap/whack the other end with a little hammer or my short starter. Puts a nice sharp edge back on my flint.

 

[Flash Pan Dan]

I learned how to knap an edge on a flint using a brass knapping hammer and then someone on this forum (I believe it was Paul V.) showed me the fastest easiest method ever.

You just bright the hammer down and hold the frizzen down on top of the flint and then cock the hammer while applying gentle pressure on the frizzen as the flint rides under it. As the bottom edge of the frizzen rides over the edge of the flint, a perfect shower of flint particles fly off the bottom of the edge and there it is a perfectly sharp flint and the edge follows the shape of the frizzen. Has worked for me, I don’t even carry the knapping hammer with me at all now.

 

[David W.]

I learned how to knap an edge on a flint using a brass knapping hammer and then someone on this forum (I believe it was Paul V.) showed me the fastest easiest method ever.

You just bright the hammer down and hold the frizzen down on top of the flint and then cock the hammer while applying gentle pressure on the frizzen as the flint rides under it. As the bottom edge of the frizzen rides over the edge of the flint, a perfect shower of flint particles fly off the bottom of the edge and there it is a perfectly sharp flint and the edge follows the shape of the frizzen. Has worked for me, I don’t even carry the knapping hammer with me at all now.

Just be sure there is no charge in the barrel. Not just by you're method, but by whatever way it's done!