Flintknapping school

[RackwitzG]

Hi,
being kind of a muzzle loading nut I would like to just try to knap some flints myself.
Would anyone give me help or links that show/teach how gun flints are made?
I have found some sites that show you how to make arrow heads and jewelry but not gun flints in particular.

 

[soquili]

Hi,
being kind of a muzzle loading nut I would like to just try to knap some flints myself.
Would anyone give me help or links that show/teach how gun flints are made?
I have found some sites that show you how to make arrow heads and jewelry but not gun flints in particular.

RackwitzG, try this site, it's a forum for flintknappers. Most of the guys make arrowpoints and blades, but they can point you in the right direction for finding gunflint knapping info:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Knappers-R-Us/
Nice folks there.
Patsy

 

[rich pierce]

I am knapping my own flints. It's best if you've seen it done before. Good flint is a must. There are 2 ways for the newbie to make flints that work.
1) Pound on a piece of flint rock till a piece comes off that looks like a flint. Believe it or not, you'll get pieces that will work.
1a) do this a little more deliberately and knock off "spalls" that are about flint size and trim them.
2) figure out how to set up a flint "core" with a good "striking platform" and knock blades off the core, going around and around, each time knocking off a blade that is 1/2" to 3/4" wide. Bust those up over a wedge-shaped tool set in a wooden block.

I've made about 160 flints now. Whenever I need some distraction from the real problems of life, I tackle problems I can solve. Go outside, slect a core, start turning it over and deciding how to proceed. Start preparing the core then try to get blades off it. Many of them are too wide or narrow because I have not mastered indirect percussion and mostly use direct percussion.

Last night I made 12 flints, from small Siler to Brown Bess size, in half an hour and considered it a good time.

 

[Scota4570]

Hey Rich,

I too have made flints and arrowheads. One thing that I have trouble with is knocking the end off a cobble to make a platform. Any tips?

 

[rich pierce]

I have tried various methods and nothing works quite as well for me as using a granite hammerstone that just fits my hand and protrudes about 2". I hold the cobble in the air in my left hand and smack the cobble sharply, 90 degrees, above where my hand holds it.

But much of the flint I get has already been worked by native Americans, their leavings at a series of nearby quarries. So a lot of it is already split.

 

[Bear Rider]

The problem that I have is that everyone leaves out instructions on the first, most basic step -- find flint. Since the terrain here in northwestern Nevada is mostly volcanic rock and sand, thus far that has been my stumbling block. There are supposed to be some fair deposits of flint around Ely, on the other side of the state, but other than that, I haven't been able to find any prospective spots. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[rich pierce]

You'd do well to find areas that have limestone- that's the only place where flint is found (chalk in England's flint mines being a specific form of calciferous rock).

You may do well to find obsidian, agate, etc instead of flint and chert in a volcanic area. You might find a flintknapping forum and ask for sources of flint in your area.

Last but not least you could buy rock or get somebody to send you a chunk or two, maybe barter. What you got?

Also- Google "Chert" and "Nevada" and you'll get lots of results. Try the same with "obsidian" and "Navada", agate, etc.

 

[Bear Rider]

Rich,

Thanks for the leads. I'm also realising that I have to take one more step backwards before I can move forward -- learn something about the basic geology of flint and its substitutes.

 

[Twisted_1in66]

You'd do well to find areas that have limestone- that's the only place where flint is found (chalk in England's flint mines being a specific form of calciferous rock).

You may do well to find obsidian, agate, etc instead of flint and chert in a volcanic area. You might find a flintknapping forum and ask for sources of flint in your area.

Last but not least you could buy rock or get somebody to send you a chunk or two, maybe barter. What you got?

Also- Google "Chert" and "Nevada" and you'll get lots of results. Try the same with "obsidian" and "Navada", agate, etc.

Hi Rich,

I don't believe you can get Obsidian to spark. Don't think it's hard enough. If it is....I've got at least 100 lbs. of it that I picked up over the years on the Eastern Sierra of CA. I was teaching fly-fishing schools on the Arcularius Ranch near the top of Long Valley (Owens River runs through it). Got it for flintknapping because once I figured out what it looked like unbroken, I could see that it was all over the place. It was plentiful and is easy to knap. Basically it's volcanic glass.

My wife thought I was nuts to move a couple of boxes of rocks from CA to VT in '98 and now to VA in '05.....maybe she's right?? :shocking: :shocking:

 

[Rebel]

Actually, we have a lot of Obsidianin Oregon and it does spark. Only problem is it is real brittle and breaks easy. I have tried it in a flintlock and it sparked but doesn't last long.

 

[Twisted_1in66]

Actually, we have a lot of Obsidianin Oregon and it does spark. Only problem is it is real brittle and breaks easy. I have tried it in a flintlock and it sparked but doesn't last long.

You know of course that now I'll have to dig out a few pieces and try it? Of course, I've got to find a place around here to shoot first. There's a private range a few miles away, but tough to come up with the initiation fee and annual fee all at once.

 

[Rebel]

That has been my problem since we moved here last year, trying to find places to shoot. I thought i had one lined up and then the BLM locked a gate across the road about April or May. Most everything around here is private property and a lot of it landlocks Public land. Only range is about 15 miles away, but i hate to join a range. And with gas prices the way they are, couldn't afford to drive to it very often anyway.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

Out west where there is lack of flint, agate spalls and petrifies wood will also make good gun flints.
Ohio Rusty