Knapped vs saw cut flints?

[pepperbelly]

What is the performance difference between the saw cut and the knapped flints?

Jim

 

[Wes/Tex]

Put simply:

Knapped = good spark
Sawn = good luck

 

[pepperbelly]

That makes the choice easy.
Why the difference in reliability though. I have to admit ignorance, but I thought flint was flint, and that all flint sparked.

Jim

 

[Wes/Tex]

The slope of the sawn flints is too steep and the edge is too thick to cut well. There's also the problem with the denseness of the stone.

 

[roundball]

The slope of the sawn flints is too steep and the edge is too thick to cut well. There's also the problem with the denseness of the stone.

Plus they really don't respond well to knapping like a regular black english flint...have to use something like a belt sander, or a file, etc.

 

[Robert Egler]

I know I'm in the minority here, :surrender: but I have no problems with the sawn flints myself. Spark every time until the edge gets too beat up, maybe 50 or more shots. That's about the same I get from knapped flints.

I think it might depend on your gun, but mine works fine with the sawn flints. A lot of people do seem to have trouble with them, though.

There’s also the “bevel up or down” issue that comes up every once in a while here. For my particular gun the sawn flints work fine bevel down, but not well bevel up.

Just my two cents worth.

 

[boar]

They work good in my Blue Ridge, it eats up the knapped ones. You can sharpen them with a missy wheel(jewelers). Or a diamond file. I got address for missy wheels from Roundball. Dilly

 

[sniper68]

The slope of the sawn flints is too steep and the edge is too thick to cut well. There's also the problem with the denseness of the stone.

Dead on! Its hard to change the slope. I've done some and they seem to last forever, providing you keep them sharp. They are not self knapping. This is best done with an XX course FLAT diamond stone. DMT makes a 4"(#4xxc) one that works the best, although any diamond wheel or stone can be made to work. Several things that are important cocerning cut flints are, accurate alignment with the frizzen and when they need to be sharpened, like a knife blade, BOTH sides(top & bottom).