Making Flints !

[Tom A Hawk]

Eric, I know you don’t need anymore projects, but…

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The dark colored ones in the case came from flint picked up at the rock pile fishing area below Wilson Dam..

The original heads were found in the St. Florian local area as well..

I’m sure you’re already aware of these areas..

Nice work Hatchet - Jack …. Thought you were froze too a tree…..

Very nice. I have not yet mastered fluting. Maybe this summer. Would like to make a nice Clovis.

 

[Limpin'frog]

At the Stone Tool Meet at Letchworth State Park; Ken and Eric showed us how they made gun flints.. Eric also said Indiana horn stone was very hard on the lithic scale.. ideal for gunflints... Here are two vids from Ken... these guys rock !!!!........ thom

 

[smo]

Very nice. I have not yet mastered fluting. Maybe this summer. Would like to make a nice Clovis.

All but the original ones were made by a Friend of mine that lives in Virginia..

 

[Rock Home Isle]

For Christmas this year, I bought myself and each of my grandkids a rock-hammer…plan is to walk river bottoms ridges and geological locations to explore our state this coming summer looking for sources of flint, agate, jasper, etc…for making our own flints for our flintlocks.

The kids always have various pebbles, rocks, bits of wood and other debris that they find while running around outside, so they already have an eye for finding appealing rocks. I just need to find some samples, show them what we’re looking for…and turn them loose on our little explorations.

They love those rock-hammers. I have had to put them away and hide them. The kids are constantly outside wacking every rock they can find. Neighbor lady came over shortly after Christmas to have a chat. Seems the kids did a number on her rock garden…so yeah, there’s that…

 

[Rifleman1776]

Very good job. And take pride because you are doing it yerself.

 

[Coinneach]

So I just got back from a trip down the south-east of South Australia with my better half Jessica for a bit of RnR after resigning from my job of 26 years.
One of the coolest things we found down there was TONNES of flint rock. Everywhere. In piles. So of course,100kg of it came home,and I've just spent the last 3 hours teaching myself how to make gun flints. They're ugly and not made the way they're meant to be,but they sure as hell work ! I'm stoked !

I'm a South Aussie living in SE Qld now, read somewhere that there were natural Flint deposits near Mt Gambier, is that where you sourced them ?

 

[James Dietz]

I have always wanted to try this! The farthest I have gone is light knapping to sharpen while in the jaw at a shoot.

 

[Bigpete]

I'm a South Aussie living in SE Qld now, read somewhere that there were natural Flint deposits near Mt Gambier, is that where you sourced them ?

Maybe

 

[Oldbear63]

Aren't you/we supposed to heat treat the flint before flaking?

 

[Gordoncourtney]

View attachment 124648Oh boy! Now you’ve went and done it!
Be warned, it’s addictive.

You have to watch the wife steals my flint chippings for her flowerpots

 

[Bigpete]

Aren't you/we supposed to heat treat the flint before flaking?

No

 

[Bigpete]

You have to watch the wife steals my flint chippings for her flowerpots

Hmmm,I've been wondering what to do with the waste....

 

[toot]

Last summer learning to make gun flints with a knapping hammer and stake.
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thank you it / they came out just great!! I mean it!. nothing wrong with it. I have store bought ones that are not as good!

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Aren't you/we supposed to heat treat the flint before flaking?

a lot of flints are aided by heat treatment but not all of them...get some sample materials and knap the flint, then heat treat the the materials and then knap it and see if there is improvement in the quality. That's going to be my approach until I get some real experience under my belt, but I like to tinker so not a problem.

The people that can just pick up a rock and turn it into a utensil...amaze me.

 

[deerstalkert]

heat treating isn't needed and sometimes isn't desired for lock flints. if you are going to make points or knives it helps in running long flakes across to mid point or midline of your work. it also can make it easier to overshoot your flake.

 

[DuncNZ]

If you are really interested in making gunflints the way they they were made , then you need this book ; "The Manufacture of Gunflints" By Sydney B J Skertchly , 1879 .
This book covers the flint making business in Brandon England and the French Flint manufactory . This book is available in several different titles, as this is a reprint and has been republished by different companies . If you search these search engines: Alibris , or Abebooks or BookFinder.com , or even Amazon you will find various copies at various prices . I find it interesting reading with lots of well done drawings of tools and techniques , and some ancient history thrown in for good measure . For example this is Abebooks :On the manufacture of gun-flints the methods of excavating for flint, the age of palaeolithic man 1879 by Sydney B. J. Skertchly: New Softcover (2017) | Gyan Books Pvt. Ltd.

 

[Coot]

Thanks for the info. I just ordered a like new hardbound copy for $15!

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

You can get it free on Google:

On the Manufacture of Gun-flints, Sydney Barber Josiah Skertchly.
https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=zX4VAQAAIAAJ
There is also this free book on Kindle:

Gun-flints And How to Make Them" by GJ Kelly.

https://a.co/8qNEJZI

 

[Rifleman1776]

Aren't you/we supposed to heat treat the flint before flaking?

believing that heat treating improves flint is about as real as believing in unicorns. Pure myth.

 

[DuncNZ]

A heat treated flint knife is the best thing to skin a Unicorn with ,