Napping your flint

[WALT53]

Just curious as to what everyone uses to nap their flints with. Pictures would be nice.thankyou in advance. Walt

 

[Phil Coffins]

93C8C739-68EB-4E70-A212-340E33E6E649 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

 

[Tom A Hawk]

For retouching gun flints I like a little copper rod set in a handle. Search flint knapping tools pressure flaker.

 

[CapPopper]

I have a little brass rod I bent a loop in the end of and filed a birds mouth in the other end I use for pressure flaking.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

My flints stay awake all the time, no naps required.

 

[Uncle Miltie]

I use this, patterned after an English flint knapping tool many years ago.

 

[Bushfire]

I use whatever I have on hand but typically I have a small flathead screw driver and tap it with my pliers.

 

[WALT53]

I use this, patterned after an English flint knapping tool many years ago.

Could you please tell me the dimensions of the tool as it looks to be about 1/4 x1/2” by the picture

 

[Uncle Miltie]

The steel part is 2" long by 1/2" x 1/2" square. Overall length is 4".

 

[FishDFly]

Are you considering selling any?

I would be interested.

 

[Uncle Miltie]

Are you considering selling any?

I would be interested.

No, it was made by a fellow in 1970. It works great and would not be hard to make. The sharp corners make nice little chips in the edge of the flint with very little effort.

 

[Fly103]

For the 2 years I have been shooting flintlocks I have always struggled with knapping my flints well, usually end up doing more damage than good. A week or so ago I was watching a video where the shooter was knapping between shots and he made mention that he always places his finger under the bottom of the edge of the flint while tapping with his little brass hammer. I tried it myself last time out and was amazed at how easily it flacked and how much control I had. For tapping, I just use the spine of my patch knife or my turnscrew, no need to carry an extra tool.

Chris

 

[Bushfire]

For the 2 years I have been shooting flintlocks I have always struggled with knapping my flints well, usually end up doing more damage than good. A week or so ago I was watching a video where the shooter was knapping between shots and he made mention that he always places his finger under the bottom of the edge of the flint while tapping with his little brass hammer. I tried it myself last time out and was amazed at how easily it flacked and how much control I had. For tapping, I just use the spine of my patch knife or my turnscrew, no need to carry an extra tool.

Chris

That's a great way to cut yourself too. Flint shards are sharp!

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I use the back edge of my pocketknife blade.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

I use this, patterned after an English flint knapping tool many years ago.

So explain to me how this works please ... It just looks like a piece of 1/2 inch square, with a screwdriver tip peened into the side of the square stock, and the whole thing mounted in a handle. I can easily make that as I have all that metal on hand. Does it work like hammer, using the screwdriver tip to knap the flint ??
Ohio Rusty ><>

 

[wilded]

copper nail and leather pad

 

[Cruzatte]

That's a great way to cut yourself too. Flint shards are sharp!

Yes, flint shards are sharp. One way to avoid cutting yourself is to resist bashing the flint like you're John Henry beating that steam drill. Small, light taps do the job.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

This isn't rocket science.

 

[Uncle Miltie]

So explain to me how this works please ... It just looks like a piece of 1/2 inch square, with a screwdriver tip peened into the side of the square stock, and the whole thing mounted in a handle. I can easily make that as I have all that metal on hand. Does it work like hammer, using the screwdriver tip to knap the flint ??
Ohio Rusty ><>

The screwdriver is threaded into square metal part. The piece is heavy, but not used as a hammer. The handle is loosely held between the thumb and index finger and bounced along the edge of the fint: the weight of the tool does the work, and the edge of the square makes nice small chips on the edge of the flint. The screw driver is used to tighten the jaw screw, and is not used to knap the flint. This tool was made in 1970. I am the second user and have used it the past 30 years, and have found nothing better. I hope you make one to use: you will like it.

 

[FishDFly]

No, it was made by a fellow in 1970. It works great and would not be hard to make. The sharp corners make nice little chips in the edge of the flint with very little effort.

Thanks, always looking for unique things to give away at our local prize shoot.