Flint leather

[pooch156]

I had always bought my flint leather from Dixie Gunworks. Theirs is tanned buckskin. Not too thick. Recently I ordered some flint leather from TOTW only because I was ordering a number of other things. I recieved the order today. The flint leather was way too thick. I had to open the jaws of my new rifle almost all the way out (small siler) and could not get the flint back far enough for proper placement. Drat! So, I need now to order flint leather from DGW. Food for thought.

 

[Art Caputo]

I have used both depending on the particular lock/flint. I have cut a notch in the leather where the hammer screw makes contact, allowing the flint to be set further back in the jaws.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

I had always bought my flint leather from Dixie Gunworks. Theirs is tanned buckskin. Not too thick. Recently I ordered some flint leather from TOTW only because I was ordering a number of other things. I recieved the order today. The flint leather was way too thick. I had to open the jaws of my new rifle almost all the way out (small siler) and could not get the flint back far enough for proper placement. Drat! So, I need now to order flint leather from DGW. Food for thought.

If you have a belt sander, just sand it thinner to your liking. No big deal. If you don't have a belt sander, a wood block and 80 grit with a little elbow grease.
Flintlocklar

 

[Tom Compton]

Shave the leather to your desired thickness. An old straight razor well honed does well.

 

[TerryK]

I used old wallet leather in the past. Good recycle/second use.
I got an old wallet in my range box waiting to be used.

 

[Jaeger]

I found that the leather in an old pair of leather gloves was the perfect thickness for mounting my flints.

 

[hanshi]

I've used deer skin as well as leather so thick I had to notch the rear as Art Caputo posted. Most pieces of leather can be made to work.

 

[tallpine]

Take a ride over to your local Goodwill store, You will find all the flint leather material you will ever need for cheap.

 

[Notchy Bob]

Pooch,

As an amateur leatherworker, I have accumulated pieces large and small of various types of leather, including brain tan, "commercial brain tan," German tan, and chrome tanned buckskin, if buckskin is what you prefer. I've pretty much settled on commercial elk hide for my own flint leathers. It's of medium thickness, maybe 4 oz., tough but soft and flexible, so it compresses and conforms well.

If you'll measure the thickness of the leather you like and PM that measurement and your address to me, I can probably find something close amongst my plunder. I'd be happy to send you enough for a few flint leathers, which probably won't amount to more than a few square inches. "On the prairie," of course.

Let me know.

Notchy Bob

 

[bud in pa]

I once bought 10# of leather scraps from Leather Unlimited. Different lengths, thickness, and widths, cheap.

 

[Butler Ford]

Take a lead ball, beat it out flat to the thickness you need and trim it to fit the jaws

 

[BadDaditood]

I used to wonder where I could scrounge leather bits, until I started making my own gun leather, bandoliers and “‘cootermints “
Now I got a big ol’ box-o-bits.
If you stumble onto a cheep 3-4oz belly it’ll make hundreds of flint leathers
If you need some scraps DM me

 

[Musketeer]

I've used from 2 to 5 oz leather successfully. I wouldn't want to go thicker than the 4-5 oz range, though.

 

[toot]

I had always bought my flint leather from Dixie Gunworks. Theirs is tanned buckskin. Not too thick. Recently I ordered some flint leather from TOTW only because I was ordering a number of other things. I recieved the order today. The flint leather was way too thick. I had to open the jaws of my new rifle almost all the way out (small siler) and could not get the flint back far enough for proper placement. Drat! So, I need now to order flint leather from DGW. Food for thought.

use lead!

 

[toot]

Take a lead ball, beat it out flat to the thickness you need and trim it to fit the jaws

that was the SOP, back in the day!

 

[toot]

why pay for it, LEATHER. it need not be bought! .as guys stated there is plenty of it for free, old shoes, belts, hand bags, jackets, ETC, figure it out. or go with a lead ball?

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

Not all locks like lead, just to mention. Agree though that for that little scrap of leather, most folks have something lying around the house that can be used. An old wallet, a glove who lost its mate, a beat up purse.
You can also use a razor blade and cut the width of leather down, and the idea of cutting a hole where the **** screw fits is really a great one regardless of the thickness of the leather. Some cocks just don’t leave enough room for some length of flint + leather wrap.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Not to mention the use of a piece of wooden match stick or flint wide strip of leather lacing under the rear edge of the flint to make the angle of the flint striking the frizzen more glancing / scraping to improve the geometry of the lock.

 

[Brokennock]

Hobby Lobby and Tandy sell bags of "scraps" including their "buckskin" tanned leather. Plenty there for flint leathers and small projects like patching things or trying them as wads in a smoothbore.

I too like the thinner, spongier, leather, as opposed to harder veg tan of any thickness, for flints. It seems to conform to the flint and the jaws better and hold better. If I do have to use veg tan I wet it 1st.

 

[pooch156]

I do need a new wallet! I never thought of using lead and I have plenty of that! Thanks guys!