IMA Flints By The Pound ...Got 'em...Now What?

[sheriff john]

Just unpacked my "pound of musket flints" from IMA. Forty- two genuine antique musket flints exactly as promised. I paid the extra few bucks for hand-selected. 38 are usable, most really well made, in various shades and shapes. When I checked other sources for flints, these are much cheaper but some are HUGE, too big for even my Brown Bess lock. I'm an admitted "napper", not a "knapper". Ideas on how to make little flints out of big ones? Simply?

 

[Bnewberry]

I ordered 5 pounds and got about 140 useable or will be useable after repair. If you have a dremel yo7 might be able to notch/score and break the too large ones.

 

[sheriff john]

I'll sure try the Dremel. Thanks for the reply. Most are "classic" - well made, dark greasy-looking musket flints. I've put a few on my gun show table but not much interest. I figure they were possibly made in England, travelled to Nepal, then to the U.S.A. many years ago. Interesting bit of history if nothing else.

 

[Bnewberry]

Use eye protection good filtration as the little rock bits are not good for eye nor lungs.

 

[bldtrailer]

you can use pliers to nibble the back ,making a notch to fit length wise. look on utube for knapping to width

 

[hanshi]

I got a bag of those flints to share with another shooter, this was years ago. Some of the flints could be used immediately while others needed a bit of work. There were about half & half black English & amber French flints and all seemed to spark quite well. I still have some of them left and will get around to "size tuning" them for locks eventually.

 

[smoothshooter]

I ordered 5 pounds and got about 140 useable or will be useable after repair. If you have a dremel yo7 might be able to notch/score and break the too large ones.

What is a yo7 ?

 

[Grenadier1758]

Considering the 7 is just above the "u" on the key board, it yo7 is most likely "you" or it may be an escaped Dremel that got out of the safe.

 

[smoothshooter]

Considering the 7 is just above the "u" on the key board, it yo7 is most likely "you" or it may be an escaped Dremel that got out of the safe.

Ok.

 

[DuncNZ]

What or who is IMA ? These abbreviations are quite vexing for those of us who don't speak American or those new to the game .
Nibbling flints with pliers is one way to shorten the flints , it is what was done in the old days , Don't use a Dremel , the old time flint knappers in England had noticeably shorter lives than those from the same village who did not knap flint .
I purchased 5 flints flints ,which came from the Earl of Abergaveny which sank in about 1808 , from Dixie, and won the National Musket champs using one .

 

[Eric Krewson]

https://www.ima-usa.com/

 

[Surfinator58]

International military antiques I think they're in New Jersey I ordered 2 lb of them and I found most were usable there are many napping and maintenance videos on Flint on YouTube

 

[DuncNZ]

https://www.ima-usa.com/

Thanks for that ,The flints look like a good buy for someone who can re knap them . I looked through their catalogue and see various firearms selling for up to 5 times I have sold comparable firearms for , although that was 12-30 years ago .

 

[R Ellis]

I'll sure try the Dremel. Thanks for the reply. Most are "classic" - well made, dark greasy-looking musket flints. I've put a few on my gun show table but not much interest. I figure they were possibly made in England, travelled to Nepal, then to the U.S.A. many years ago. Interesting bit of history if nothing else.

Your comment about the gun show table . I was at gun show in Birmingham Al a couple months ago and someone had some for $1 each and I purchased some just wondering was it you

 

[sheriff john]

Your comment about the gun show table . I was at gun show in Birmingham Al a couple months ago and someone had some for $1 each and I purchased some just wondering was it you

Weren't me. Out of the bag o'flints, I've sold two. Not one of my best investments, but I have a lifetime supply for the one gun I own that uses musket flints.

 

[ord sgt]

Here is a picture of the flints that I received from IMA. The row on the left consists of the unusable flints.

 

[flintlock lover.]

I'll sure try the Dremel. Thanks for the reply. Most are "classic" - well made, dark greasy-looking musket flints. I've put a few on my gun show table but not much interest. I figure they were possibly made in England, travelled to Nepal, then to the U.S.A. many years ago. Interesting bit of history if nothing else.

There is a very useful video on YouTube showing how to make/remake gun flints using simple, easy to craft tools.
Basically scrap metal, an upright two foot long, 12 inch diameter log and a broken/ cut file.
Haven't bought more than a dozen gun flints since using the info. Way easier than I expected.

 

[deerstalkert]

it takes me 3 minutes to knap a flint from striking a blade to finish. if i can do it anyone can learn to do it. just be prepared to go through a lot of chert to get a usable flint.

 

[azmntman]

FWIW I ordered some and was most happy. Have yet to try any in my flintlocks but asked for hand picked and got what look like all usable and more than half very close to size. I just think its cool as hell to think several hundred years ago over accross the pond some guy sat in front of a bucket and whacked all these or me. I love history! Whet he look like?, do for a loving?, what kinda day was it when he formed mine? What the clouds look like that day? Cant wait for a time machine. HA

 

[m4banger]

What or who is IMA ? These abbreviations are quite vexing for those of us who don't speak American or those new to the game .
Nibbling flints with pliers is one way to shorten the flints , it is what was done in the old days , Don't use a Dremel , the old time flint knappers in England had noticeably shorter lives than those from the same village who did not knap flint .
I purchased 5 flints flints ,which came from the Earl of Abergaveny which sank in about 1808 , from Dixie, and won the National Musket champs using one .

The abbreviations drive me nuts also, having been in the military where they used them all the time you would think I could figure them out but I can’t either. Taking a few seconds longer in writing a response would make it a lot easier for us.