Flints??

[Cruzatte]

What is your favorite type flint and where's a good place to get them.Might wait for friendship. What size normally does a large siler use?

I've used both the Tom Fuller English flints, and the French amber flints. They both make sparks, and my fusils and rifle all go bang. I get my flints from Track of the Wolf (TOW, not to be confused the the fiber from the flax plant.)

 

[springfield art]

I like French flints best, then English flints. I get both at the Log Cabin in Lodi OH.

A couple companies advertise them in Muzzle Blasts and Muzzleloader magazines; one is Heritage Products, I believe. Real flintlock geeks would probably want to try out both the English and the French, just for the fun of it!

 

[springfield art]

I've known several people who swear by the amber, French flints...."they spark more" and "They last longer"..., never found that to be true. I always use good, English flints, especially in repro English muskets!



I always hand pick my own. I will be buying some at the Fort Frederick Market Fair the last weekend in April. However for the OP, Kalamazoo Living History Show is 3.5 hours away on March 18th - 19th. That's another good place.

LD

Yes, handpicking is the best way. If you go to a bigger re-enactment, you want to get to the Sutlers just as they open up, otherwise there's enactors picking over the stock like bees on apples in October!

 

[SciAggie]

I've just ordered 60 something flints from France. As long as it's not a scam it's a good deal.

Can you share who you ordered from? If it's a scam let us know...

 

[Bushfire]

I ran a thread same as this not too long ago.

One member here put up an email for Kevin Chartier in France. He just sent me bank details and when I asked for a tracking number he replied here is your tracking number but there was nothing there.

In Aus its $10-15 per flint, for 100 euro which is about $170 my money there was 32 3/4" and 32 7/8" so worth taking a chance.

 

[TDM]

Well, I sure used to take getting good, uniform flints for granted. Wish I'd bought more a few years ago.

 

[Bushfire]

Well, I sure used to take getting good, uniform flints for granted. Wish I'd bought more a few years ago.

That honestly my plans with my recent purchase. If all goes well and his flints are good quality I'm going to buy a bulk amount that will last me decades.

Because I don't shoot competition I only go through a few flints a year. 100 of each size will last me decades.

Also can't see the prices going down ever again.

 

[TDM]

I agree @Bushfire

 

[smokepolehall]

I no longer buy flints from TOW. Last 2 dz. have had way too big of hump & not flat. Plus i have had at least 8 just split, crack break. No more Tom Fuller English blk. flints for me. Thats wasted over $50

 

[M. De Land]

Well, I sure used to take getting good, uniform flints for granted. Wish I'd bought more a few years ago.

I suggest taking the time to learn enough about flint knapping to make your own. I've had opportunity to try several types of our own chert gotten from around the USA and they are every bit as good as any I have bought from TOW and other suppliers.
One does not have to pick through anything but rather try spark the material and then knapp to fit your lock requirements.
Commercial flint is almost always made from core blades instead of spawl flakes hence the common (pain in the butt) ridge on the back. Flakes on the other hand will be flat and the bevel is easily knapped to the shape one desires . The big thing is self made flints are pretty much free to a point maker as they are mainly waste products plus knapping is very interesting and fun to do.
One more thing I found from experience is that heat treated chert makes every bit as good of gun flint as does raw chert from what I can see in use.

 

[hanshi]

I have no preference and have used English black, French amber, white chert and some "gray" colored flints I got from somewhere. All seem to be roughly equal in performance. I've tried obsidian with dismal results.

 

[TDM]

I suggest taking the time to learn enough about flint knapping to make your own. I've had opportunity to try several types of our own chert gotten from around the USA and they are every bit as good as any I have bought from TOW and other suppliers.
One does not have to pick through anything but rather try spark the material and then knapp to fit your lock requirements.
Commercial flint is almost always made from core blades instead of spawl flakes hence the common (pain in the butt) ridge on the back. Flakes on the other hand will be flat and the bevel is easily knapped to the shape one desires . The big thing is self made flints are pretty much free to a point maker as they are mainly waste products plus knapping is very interesting and fun to do.
One more thing I found from experience is that heat treated chert makes every bit as good of gun flint as does raw chert from what I can see in use.

I've dabbled with flint knapping. I made an assortment of knapping tools, have a fair supply of Texas-Missouri chert, even have a nodule of English flint. I have made a few useable gun flints, but wasted a LOT of chert doing so. If I have too, I can, just not that good at it. And running out of time to get much better.

 

[bldtrailer]

making your own can be fun but be ready for a lot of waist and band aids

 

[TDM]

Those are nice ones @bldtrailer, I actually have made a few equally as nice looking. But there would be considerably more debris at my feet.

 

[NorthFork]

For English I'd say Log Cabin Shop. TOTW a far distant second. The last few shipments from TOTW have been 'humpy' and quite frankly poor quality overall. As for French, there is only one I'd buy from, and that is Heritage Products.

 

[flconch53]

I am pretty sure TOTW and Log Cabin shop both sell Tom Fuller Flints.

 

[morehops52]

I have been using the cheap butt sawed agates? that come in blister packs. Tried some english Tom Fuller flints from TOW and will never use the others again. What a difference.

 

[Cruzatte]

I have been using the cheap butt sawed agates? that come in blister packs. Tried some english Tom Fuller flints from TOW and will never use the others again. What a difference.

Good man. I tried those sawn gunflints many years ago, just as an experiment. I got a couple of shots out of them, then tried to knap them back a bit. They just chipped all wrong. At this point I couldn't buy a spark. I've gone back to knapped flints and never regretted it.

 

[M. De Land]

I've dabbled with flint knapping. I made an assortment of knapping tools, have a fair supply of Texas-Missouri chert, even have a nodule of English flint. I have made a few useable gun flints, but wasted a LOT of chert doing so. If I have too, I can, just not that good at it. And running out of time to get much better.

One of the things picked up some where along the way is to grind the humps off purchased flints that greatly enhance their ease of use. I have 8 inch diameter green color grinding wheels on a bench grinder used for sharpening carbide tool bits and they will grind the humps off gun flints with ease.
It has to be done in short bursts so as not to heat crack the flint and one needs to wear a good dust mask. Works great for forming or touching up the bevel as well but then the pressure flaking takes over to keep them sharp and form the scalped/serrated edge which is so much stronger and longer lasting than is a chisel shaped edge.

 

[TDM]

One of the things picked up some where along the way is to grind the humps off purchased flints that greatly enhance their ease of use. I have 8 inch diameter green color grinding wheels on a bench grinder used for sharpening carbide tool bits and they will grind the humps off gun flints with ease.
It has to be done in short bursts so as not to heat crack the flint and one needs to wear a good dust mask. Works great for forming or touching up the bevel as well but then the pressure flaking takes over to keep them sharp and form the scalped/serrated edge which is so much stronger and longer lasting than is a chisel shaped edge.

Yes, I use a wet tile saw with a diamond blade. I bought it years ago for rock cutting. Works quite well for grinding the humps off of flints when placed against the side of the blade. I just haven’t fooled with getting it out and setting it up in a while. About time to do that as I have lots of humpback flints accumulated.