Flint knapping hammer ?

[Kentuckyjed]

Larry Callahan sells this Multi-Tool

$25.00 + S/H
• Contains two screw drivers, a swiveling vent pick, and a flint napper.
• This is a replica of an original tool found in an Appalachian bag.
• The swiveling vent pick keeps you from losing the pick and keeps you from sticking yourself.
• Flint napping notch was an add-on which works great for freshening up your flint in a hurry.​

 

[springfield art]

One of the skilled blacksmith knife-makers out there should make a knife that has a small "hammer head" up on the pommel; a small striking surface to knap flints in the field....

 

[HighUintas]

Larry Callahan sells this Multi-ToolView attachment 268987
$25.00 + S/H
• Contains two screw drivers, a swiveling vent pick, and a flint napper.
• This is a replica of an original tool found in an Appalachian bag.
• The swiveling vent pick keeps you from losing the pick and keeps you from sticking yourself.
• Flint napping notch was an add-on which works great for freshening up your flint in a hurry.​

Is that notch used like a lever? Put the flint edge in there and torque the tool upward to refresh the flint edge?

How does that method compare to pressure flaking or hammer knapping?

 

[Pete G]

Learn how to pressure flake against the frizzen.

 

[HighUintas]

Learn how to pressure flake against the frizzen.

I've searched for tutorials or instruction on this but can't find anything

 

[M. De Land]

Looking for a flint knapping hammer .I used a very small ball peen hammer but need something better .

Make a pressure flake tool, learn to use it and forget the little hammers and notchers that waist a lot of good flint material and produce a substandard edge to what is possible .

 

[Uncle Miltie]

Copied from an original English tool I have used this over 30 years

 

[Salty Cracker]

Is it just me or anyone else feel the only time I need to knap a flint is during target shooting and the rifle is loaded and fails to spark. I keep the rifle in a safe direction, close the frizzen over the prime , use my left hand to hold the frizzen closed for a bit of safety and strike along the top edge of the flint with my forged turnscrew thats in my bag as others suggested. Does a wonderful job and the rifle will fire. Takes less time than it does to describe it. If I'm hunting I always have a good sharp flint installed before I get in the woods. I like multi use items and the least amount of items in my bag as possible.

 

[Uncle Miltie]

Is it just me or anyone else feel the only time I need to knap a flint is during target shooting and the rifle is loaded and fails to spark. I keep the rifle in a safe direction, close the frizzen over the prime , use my left hand to hold the frizzen closed for a bit of safety and strike along the top edge of the flint with my forged turnscrew thats in my bag as others suggested. Does a wonderful job and the rifle will fire. Takes less time than it does to describe it. If I'm hunting I always have a good sharp flint installed before I get in the woods. I like multi use items and the least amount of items in my bag as possible.

Knap the flint before it absolutely needs it: before it goes "klatch." I usually shoot entire matches without a single fail to fire.

 

[Salty Cracker]

Knap the flint before it absolutely needs it: before it goes "klatch." I usually shoot entire matches without a single fail to fire.

You are one hundred percent correct. I just get to shooting and fix as needed. Wrong thinkin I know but I'm talking shooting targets out behind my house. If I ever shot in a match I would prolly be a little more proactive.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

I've searched for tutorials or instruction on this but can't find anything

Here ya go.

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/extending-flint-life.112689/

 

[IanH]

Knap the flint before it absolutely needs it: before it goes "klatch." I usually shoot entire matches without a single fail to fire.

Absolutely.

I can't believe no one has mentioned a gentle touch-up of the hard, glazed spots on the flint edge only using a quarter as a pressure flaker.

 

[HighUintas]

Absolutely.

I can't believe no one has mentioned a gentle touch-up of the hard, glazed spots on the flint edge only using a quarter as a pressure flaker.

Can you elaborate on the "hard glazed spots"? I am green

 

[M. De Land]

Knap the flint before it absolutely needs it: before it goes "klatch." I usually shoot entire matches without a single fail to fire.

I can shoot a 30 shot match with a sharp flint start out but score better if I take the time to pressure flake it sharp between relays. This makes more consistent spark production and thus ignition.
A properly pressure flaked edge is not only sharper than is a percussed edge, it is stronger , usually wider and lasts longer. This is true because a pressure flaked edge does not fracture the flint like percussion methods tend to , it sets up edge scarps ( small ridges between flakes) that strengthen the edge and it preserves the corners of the edge that tend to break off with percussion methods.
Arrow point knapping videos on line is where I learned to make and use pressure flaking tools. I then adapted the same technique to gun flint making.

 

[M. De Land]

Make a pressure flake tool, learn to use it and forget the little hammers and notchers that waist a lot of good flint material and produce a substandard edge to what is possible .

Knapping is for making the flint but pressure flaking is for maintaining the edge sharpness.

 

[HighUintas]

Knapping is for making the flint but pressure flaking is for maintaining the edge sharpness.

For pressure flaking a flint to refresh the edge, do you always want to push pressure downward towards the flat side of the flint or does it depend on whether you use the flint bevel up or down?

 

[M. De Land]

For pressure flaking a flint to refresh the edge, do you always want to push pressure downward towards the flat side of the flint or does it depend on whether you use the flint bevel up or down?

When using a pressure flake tool with the flint still in the cock I put a pop-cycle stick under the edge supported by my off hand pointer finger and push the pressure flaker point (copper or mild steel) inward and downward on the edge toward the support pop-cycle stick and pop off a row across the edge corner to corner.
It actually works better out of the cock against a board or solid piece of wood because you have more leverage.
A pressure flaked edge keeps moving higher on the flint body with each new touch up row until you will need to flip the flint over and start working upward again. This has the added benefit of keeping the impact on the frizzen moving up and down so as to discourage groove cutting across the frizzen face from only one impact position.
I make all my flints from flakes with no bevel so they can be flipped over and lay flat.
When I have had store bought flints from time to time I grind off the bevel with my shop grinder using a green carbide sharpening wheel .

 

[HighUintas]

When using a pressure flake tool with the flint still in the cock I put a pop-cycle stick under the edge supported by my off hand pointer finger and push the pressure flaker point (copper or mild steel) inward and downward on the edge toward the support pop-cycle stick and pop off a row across the edge corner to corner.
It actually works better out of the cock against a board or solid piece of wood because you have more leverage.
A pressure flaked edge keeps moving higher on the flint body with each new touch up row until you will need to flip the flint over and start working upward again. This has the added benefit of keeping the impact on the frizzen moving up and down so as to discourage groove cutting across the frizzen face from only one impact position.
I make all my flints from flakes with no bevel so they can be flipped over and lay flat.
When I have had store bought flints from time to time I grind off the bevel with my shop grinder using a green carbide sharpening wheel .

Thank you for the information, I appreciate it. I ground the humps off the top of my flints so they would sit in the jaws better, and I think I should be able to flip them over after a while and continue using them after the edge climbs up the bevel pretty far. Would you mind sharing a picture of one of your flints? I have some chert and agate that I picked up when we took my kid rock counting for his birthday, and I've been wanting to try it out but I haven't ever napped anything, so as long as I can get it into some sort of shape that will fit in the jaw and have a sharp edge, I think it will work okay

Also, I made a pressure flaking tool this morning. I didn't have any copper, so I broke off the head of a small brass screw, and screwed it into a scrap of hickory. Dowel. It seems to be able to dig into the edge of the Flint enough to wear. I can get a flight off pretty easily. It was Great being able to use some flints I had already used before but tossed into my bag cuz I didn't know how to resharpen them yet. Thank you for the recommendations!

 

[M. De Land]

Thank you for the information, I appreciate it. I ground the humps off the top of my flints so they would sit in the jaws better, and I think I should be able to flip them over after a while and continue using them after the edge climbs up the bevel pretty far. Would you mind sharing a picture of one of your flints? I have some chert and agate that I picked up when we took my kid rock counting for his birthday, and I've been wanting to try it out but I haven't ever napped anything, so as long as I can get it into some sort of shape that will fit in the jaw and have a sharp edge, I think it will work okay

Also, I made a pressure flaking tool this morning. I didn't have any copper, so I broke off the head of a small brass screw, and screwed it into a scrap of hickory. Dowel. It seems to be able to dig into the edge of the Flint enough to wear. I can get a flight off pretty easily. It was Great being able to use some flints I had already used before but tossed into my bag cuz I didn't know how to resharpen them yet. Thank you for the recommendations!

I'll get some pictures of flints and tools used to make and sharpen them later today. I'm trying to get my Jeep going as it was 5 degrees F. this AM and the weak battery won't start the ole girl !
Bring up some arrow point making (knapping) videos on line and they will teach how to make and sharpen flint in short order.

 

[M. De Land]

Thank you for the information, I appreciate it. I ground the humps off the top of my flints so they would sit in the jaws better, and I think I should be able to flip them over after a while and continue using them after the edge climbs up the bevel pretty far. Would you mind sharing a picture of one of your flints? I have some chert and agate that I picked up when we took my kid rock counting for his birthday, and I've been wanting to try it out but I haven't ever napped anything, so as long as I can get it into some sort of shape that will fit in the jaw and have a sharp edge, I think it will work okay

Also, I made a pressure flaking tool this morning. I didn't have any copper, so I broke off the head of a small brass screw, and screwed it into a scrap of hickory. Dowel. It seems to be able to dig into the edge of the Flint enough to wear. I can get a flight off pretty easily. It was Great being able to use some flints I had already used before but tossed into my bag cuz I didn't know how to resharpen them yet. Thank you for the recommendations!

The pictures requested. I don't use the big flints but knapp out a few to keep in my box for folks at matches that run out of musket flint and need one to keep shooting. Mostly use the 3/4 x 7/8s and 1/2 x/3/4s , rifle and hand guns.
The smallest pressure flake tool on the bottom is the one I keep in my shooting box for match tune up, the other three are for shop arrow point tools. As you can see I like caribou and moose antler for the handles and my knapping billets.
The second from bottom is really useful in point notch making and is an 8 penny galvanized nail ground with two flats. I like the mild steel just as well as the copper as it will do the same work and lasts longer.
The third from the bottom is my most used copper pressure flake tool and has set screws so I can telescope more copper out when worn back.
The fourth is Caribou abbo flaker.
Click on to enlarge.