flint shape?

[pepperbelly]

I was looking at my musket tonight, and I had forgot that there is a flint in the cock. The edge of the flint that hits the frizzen isn't square though. Are the flint edges supposed to the square/straight?
Mine is a little convex- the outer corners hit the frizzen, not the middle.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[paulvallandigham]

The edge of the flint should strike the FACE of the frizzen squarely, so that the entire edge cuts steel, not one or two locations.

To knapp the flint to match your gun's Frizzen, simply move the cock to the half cock notch. Then, lift the frizzen up off the pan until the the back of the Face of the frizzen, or the " L ", is raise just enough that if you lower the cock again, down, manually, the edge of the flint will strike at the back of the base of the "L". You have to cradle the gun in your arms to be able to use both hands to do this, but once you have the frizzen raised to this position, you can use the side of your Left hand Thumb to hold the frizzen in that position, by wedging it against the pan, and letting the the side of the frizzen rest against the side of the thumb. Then, using your Right hand, cock the cock all the way to full cock. and pull the trigger. The flint edge will srrike this lower area of the frizzen back, at a much steeper angle that it strikes the face of the frizzen, when the frizzen is done in its normal " Closed " position, and the blow will knock off enough of the edge to create an even, straight edge the width of the frizzen face.

In your case, the two ends of the flint will be knocked off, and a new edge, which is square to the face will be created. Raise the cock back up to full cock, close the frizzen, and dry fire the lock again. You should see the flint NOW cut steel across the full width of the frizzen.

 

[oreclan]

Interesting technique. I've been shooting flintlocks for 33 years and have never seen that done or even heard it described before. Must not have been paying attention! Thanks. Ron

 

[riarcher]

That's interesting.
I've always had better luck setting the flint to a very, very small angle to the frizzen. As it wears it's way across it seems to provide more spark and longer flint life.
Maybe it's just my lock?

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Interesting technique.

It is. But I have tried this numerous times on my lock amd with Fuller black English flints and with Pierce white American cherts, and it was too inconsistent 'for me'.

Now, my results DO NOT indicate what yours will be. So try it! Thus, I prefer the knapping method Roundball wrote about, using a brass hex rod, 5/16" or 3/8" and 'percussion flaking' the flint along it's edge (where needed) by simply dropping the rod against the edge. I did file a step onto one end of the rod so I can 'pressure flake' the edge if needed too.