Knapping the flint.

[3 stinky dogs]

I orderd the sawn flints that they sell at cabella's for my flint gun and I guess it works good,I can shoot about 10 or 11 times and then I move it up for a few more shots.I read that you can det more shots by knapping the flint with the handle of a pair of plier's.I have tried to do this but all's I am doing is wrecking the flint.Whats is the secret to getting the most out of your flints ?

 

[weirdjack]

I've tried cut flints, they don't seem to work as well for me in most cases as English knapped flints. When it stops sparking well, you just look for the spot on the edge that is dull, then tap/flake that one spot off. Sometimes it might be more than one dull spot....but rarely does the whole edge need knapping to restore the sparks.
I usually get 15+ shots from my .50 rifle before I might need to sharpen the edge by flaking off a dull spot. I usually get 90+ shots from each flint in this gun. Adjusted in the jaws a couple times as it gets shorter.
I get 30+ shots from my Charleville musket before anything might need sharpening. It's a bruiser of a lock and seems to spark regardless. The current flint has over 80 shots on it and plenty of life left. The flint it replaced had 140+ shots on it....and I only replaced it because it had broken into two pieces and by that time was only about 3/8" long! Still sparked up a storm though. I have a photo of that flint around here somewhere...down to the nubs it was! That musket is my favorite "plinking gun", because it just shoots and shoots and shoots...with no muss no fuss.
Jack

 

[2172]

Three S.D...the handle of a pair of pliers is probably too heavy a tool...I started with one of those little tools,(a nail with a notch cut in it, resting on the flint edge) and was happy with that for a while. As I learned through doing and watching, I began to just use the back edge of my patch knife, tapping lightly...I get in the range of 40 shots from a flint...Hank

 

[Jon in MI]

everyone must have to go through this. I knew I had to knapp the flint but didn't have a clue how to. Bought one of those small hammer/axe knapping tools from TOW. Was using the hammer end a few months ago trying to ge the flint flat and sharp across the front and grumbling cuss it was not working when and oldtimer(read older and wiser) said can I show you something? And he shows me to use the axe like side. It doesn't need to be flat, in fact a rough face makes a better spark. So I tried it and sure enough I haven't had to change a flint since. :m2c:

Jon

 

[boar]

Three S.D. If those are the man-made flints go to wally-world and geta diamond file about 5.oo here it will sharpen then I just did one today .It has a groove in it to sharpen fishhooks I yust used this on edge of flint to sharpen it work great. Dilly