bldtrailer
Pilgrim
Flints
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I ruined a whole batch I was heat treating at 450 F. It completely fracture all of it that was unworkable before hand I still don't understand what happened as that amount of heat should have annealed or left it unchanged.
I don't have a lot of experience with heat treating but just enough to know it's easy to overdo. I was shocked at one batch of grainy but not concretey chert that turned into a dream to flake at only 350.
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Thanks for the input ,I will try lower temp next time !
This was posted in a FB muzzleloader group. Thought it was interesting. I’m a visual learner, and this helped me understand the techniques you all we’re discussing.
" Heat treat or not probably depends a lot on the particular rock." This heat treating thing has me confused. I have read articles from "experts" who say it is beneficial and others who say it is not. One of the "not" experts suggested that many people believe heat treating was done by native Americans/Indians was because so many chips and bad points were found at old camp fire sights. But, others argue that was the case because several would sit around the fire and socialize while all knapped their flint points and, thus, there would be chips and defective points.
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I love H-F! You may need some kind of power tool but can't justify a "pro quality" item for occasional use; A cheap tool may do for hobbyist use.
hanshi
Cannon
I don't shoot that much these days so flints last me a good while. I kinda "stocked up" a few years ago and have a fair supply of black English, white chert and the amber French flints. I'm one of those "chew your tobacco twice and then smoke it" cheap frugal ol' timers. I don't even throw away flints that are so worn that they won't stay in the jaws of the cock. I can always find a use for stuff like that.
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- Joined
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Flint was a batter item in history and was as good as cash to those peoples. It was repurposed until no longer large enough to be of any practical use as a tool or weapon.
They learned probably by accident that heat treating, tough to work chert ,could be made very manageable if done correctly.
It was heat treated in history by making a large hard wood fire. burning down to coals then covering with earth or sand, bark or leaves on that , the layer of chert to be annealed and then the whole schebang buried for several days.
We do it now in an electric oven or even and old crock pot.
They learned probably by accident that heat treating, tough to work chert ,could be made very manageable if done correctly.
It was heat treated in history by making a large hard wood fire. burning down to coals then covering with earth or sand, bark or leaves on that , the layer of chert to be annealed and then the whole schebang buried for several days.
We do it now in an electric oven or even and old crock pot.
Last edited:
smoothshooter
50 Cal.
Well, after posting this thread I now have bought enough English and French flints, that I paid for and back ordered which have now arrived, and knapped enough chert to probably last me to the end of days. My shooting box has a bag in it now with about 50 good ones, and there is a pile of super hard chert on the corner of my driveway. It's behind a trailer so the wife hasn't even asked me about it yet!
Chert does spark very well. Perhaps too well. Flints seem to be a good bit softer than the creek chert I'm working with. I don't think I would use it on an antique frizzen, because it really tears up the face faster than flint, but the shower of sparks is quite pleasing! I'm finding I have to dress the edge about half as much as with flint. Of course, the store-bought ones look better!
Chert does spark very well. Perhaps too well. Flints seem to be a good bit softer than the creek chert I'm working with. I don't think I would use it on an antique frizzen, because it really tears up the face faster than flint, but the shower of sparks is quite pleasing! I'm finding I have to dress the edge about half as much as with flint. Of course, the store-bought ones look better!
jonathan hawkin
32 Cal.
A while back, on one of the flint threads, there was an email address for a fella in France, maybe near Tours, but for the life of me I cannot find it, does anyone have it at all?, thanks
buckleymarka56
40 Cal
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Get yourself a 7 inch wet saw and a steel striker , test it with the striker. If it throws off good sparks, cut it up.
That's what I do, here in north Texas, there's now a lot of places, but some parking lots use bull gravel. It's full of flint.
If you want , send me some, I'll cut it up and send you them back.
Mark
Matt Soultz
32 Cal
Get your post count above 15. Then you can post an add in the classifieds sections. Howdy from Henry county.
price
TerryK
40 Cal.
I just bought 50 from stonewall creek outfitters. I think they were 95 and 15 shipping.
They only had french in 7/8, so that is what I got. I think the quality is pretty good, but not perfect.
This is my 3rd batch from them.
https://www.stonewallcreekoutfitters.com/flints/
They only had french in 7/8, so that is what I got. I think the quality is pretty good, but not perfect.
This is my 3rd batch from them.
https://www.stonewallcreekoutfitters.com/flints/
