Oil Flints :

[DuncNZ]

Years ago , when I was on the old Muzzle Loading Mail List , we had a discussion re oil flints .
Some of us had read where oil flints cost more than ordinary flints .
We had quite a discussion with no real satisfaction .
I put a few hundred flints in a glass jar and covered them with lamp oil . Over time I tried these flints .There was no discernable difference between these and ordinary English flints. . I have read again where the subject purchased a hand full of oil flints . This got me thinking back 20 or so years , so I found the jar of flints I left in oil , they were still black and glossy with no chalky areas . The other flints i purchased at the same time were a lighter grey and made a clinking noise when moved about , a number also had chalk spots . I gave these flints an oil bath and they have regained their glossy black - translucent brown look, lost most of the chalk spots and work perfectly .
I read on a post on this Forum where it was recommended to heat flints in a fire as this made them sparkier and easier to nap . I have never heard of this before , so the questions are , How hot? and for how long ?. I know that boulders of freshly mined flint often have water in them , which runs out when struck . I don't believe I made a mistake in oiling my flints , maybe there is more than one way to spark a flint .

 

[necchi]

Years ago , when I was on the old Muzzle Loading Mail List ,

, You just dated your self,, Lord, not many will remember that place!

maybe there is more than one way to spark a flint .

Yes, You can hold the flint and hit it with steel,, or, Hold the steel and hit it with the flint.
Either way, Flint is still a rock. It's content of silica and porous matter content varies even within the same node.
That's what affects the rocks ability to "absorb" any oils, then the reaction of those oils to the rocks mineral content, and oxidation.
Oil, or no oil, doesn't affect the rock hardness.
The "flint" isn't what sparks,, it's the flints hardness ability to "shave" molten sparks from the steel it contacts in friction.
I hope folks understand that, I sometimes get a bit techy,,
But a nicely oiled clean looking sharp flint won't cause spark differently then a dry dirty one from the same node.

 

[FishDFly]

I have also read about folks soaking flints in water, waste of time.

 

[rchas]

I tried it myself, once upon a time. Never noticed any difference in spark or longevity.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Former MLML member here also. The owner/moderator, Kangar believed in soaking flints. I wrote to the geology departments of several universities and the geology department for the state of Arkansas asking about soaking. The universal response was that you would only end up with oily or wet flints. One department said a 500 year soak in water might penetrate to a depth of one micron. I ain't gonna wait. BTW, Kangar kicked me off MLML for contradicting him.

 

[tenngun]

Our local chert is a greasy white color. And you see a lot of white points. On the other hand yup will find some red/gray points around. And when burning leaves or garden debris I’ve found red chert.
Many years ago I was told Indians baked the cheat and that made it easier to work and that’s where the red points come from.
not being a napper I can’t say, but amount other things I was told butdon’t know was oiling the flint nodules made them easier to work. And good flint looks oily so soaking in oil might seem a good idea
???????

 

[Metalshaper]

MLML.. Oh my, how the years have gone by!

Respect Always
Metalshaper/Jonathan
aka, Dagwood

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I have also read about folks soaking flints in water, waste of time.

NAW, I keep mine in a jar of water and I KNOW to go to the fridge when I need more flints. Actually saves time.

YES they ARE in my fridge...

LD

 

[George]

MLML.. Oh my, how the years have gone by!

You got that right. I was the original owner/moderator of MLML and handed it off to Dave Kanger when I left. I always wondered what happened to that group. Does anyone know?

Spence

 

[George]

NAW, I keep mine in a jar of water and I KNOW to go to the fridge when I need more flints. Actually saves time.

YES they ARE in my fridge...

LD

Why?

Spence

 

[springfield art]

Years ago , when I was on the old Muzzle Loading Mail List , we had a discussion re oil flints .
Some of us had read where oil flints cost more than ordinary flints .
We had quite a discussion with no real satisfaction .
I put a few hundred flints in a glass jar and covered them with lamp oil . Over time I tried these flints .There was no discernable difference between these and ordinary English flints. . I have read again where the subject purchased a hand full of oil flints . This got me thinking back 20 or so years , so I found the jar of flints I left in oil , they were still black and glossy with no chalky areas . The other flints i purchased at the same time were a lighter grey and made a clinking noise when moved about , a number also had chalk spots . I gave these flints an oil bath and they have regained their glossy black - translucent brown look, lost most of the chalk spots and work perfectly .
I read on a post on this Forum where it was recommended to heat flints in a fire as this made them sparkier and easier to nap . I have never heard of this before , so the questions are , How hot? and for how long ?. I know that boulders of freshly mined flint often have water in them , which runs out when struck . I don't believe I made a mistake in oiling my flints , maybe there is more than one way to spark a flint .

Flints 'strike off' tiny particles of steel, which of course ignite the powder. The steel particles are what's inflamed. I don't see any point to "oiling" the flints.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Why?

Spence

So I can find them easier.... started out as a test of the wives' tale..., just kept them there. been 25 years now... use some, buy more, .... change the water...

LD

 

[springfield art]

MLML.. Oh my, how the years have gone by!

Respect Always
Metalshaper/Jonathan
aka, Dagwood

There's a business near me named after the owner; Bumstead. So it's a real-world name, too! I love the cartoon.

 

[smoothshooter]

Our local chert is a greasy white color. And you see a lot of white points. On the other hand yup will find some red/gray points around. And when burning leaves or garden debris I’ve found red chert.
Many years ago I was told Indians baked the cheat and that made it easier to work and that’s where the red points come from.
not being a napper I can’t say, but amount other things I was told butdon’t know was oiling the flint nodules made them easier to work. And good flint looks oily so soaking in oil might seem a good idea
???????

I have read and been told by a very accomplished arrowhead collector and researcher years ago that the Indians were known to heat chert in a campfire to make it fracture more predictably. The process gave them a slightly pinkish color. I have found lots of those pink flakes in small areas a few feet across in a couple of places that would have been good campsites, mixed in with broken and intact heads /blades that were sometimes pink, sometimes dark gray or white.

 

[Metalshaper]

"what happened to the old MLML??"

Spence,

it dissolved and the became the Campfire ashes forum..if not mistaken? That one has been fading for years. < just looked and it appears it's gone >

Respect Always
Metalshaper/Jonathan

 

[smoothshooter]

I have read and been told by a very accomplished arrowhead collector and researcher years ago that the Indians were known to heat chert in a campfire to make it fracture more predictably. The process gave them a slightly pinkish color. I have found lots of those pink flakes in small areas a few feet across in a couple of places that would have been good campsites, mixed in with broken and intact heads /blades that were sometimes pink, sometimes dark gray or white.

 

[DuncNZ]

I have read and been told by a very accomplished arrowhead collector and researcher years ago that the Indians were known to heat chert in a campfire to make it fracture more predictably. The process gave them a slightly pinkish color. I have found lots of those pink flakes in small areas a few feet across in a couple of places that would have been good campsites, mixed in with broken and intact heads /blades that were sometimes pink, sometimes dark gray or white.

I suspect that all oil does is make the surface darker and feel smoother ,I do know when I got a shipment from Track some flints were blacker and felt greasy compared to the others . I wonder at heating flints to make them easier to work because that could make them easier to snap . And sharpening ordinary flints is a doddle . The question still remains .Why were old timers willing to pay more for selected oil flints if there is no difference ?.

Back to MLML I dropped out when the format changed and my computer at the time was not fast enough . Now I am on optic fiber it is super fast . There were some really knowledgeable and clever people on that list , Dutch Schultz and Bob Roller, Spence 10 and more . I became a member just when I was getting serious about ML shooting and got some seriously good advice . Which is why I used my MLML name on this forum .
Funny thing ,A while back I was in a Rock Shop in the middle of nowhere In the North Island of New Zealand , and I was talking to the owner about the flint he had for sale . He virtually gave me a lecture on flint knapping and pulled out a photocopy of his source material which was an article on flint knapping by Spence 10 .

 

[deerstalkert]

I heat treat Burlington Chert which is white and comes from MO.
a correct process makes the stone smoother and it flakes more predictably.
i heat treated one node without spalling it,( breaking it apart), and it about took my toaster oven apart when the trapped water pocket turned to steam.
several times i have spalled a nodule and had it wet my pants with trapped water.
have never messed with oil. doesn't make any sense to me.
good treated Burlington makes great lock flints, but the best i have made from North American chert is Georgetown.
it is about between English Black and French Amber. it knaps well without heat treating.
the one in my SMR is at 45 shots and the one in my TC Hawken is at about 60.

 

[LongWalker]

I've wondered how many former MLML members were here. I've noted a couple, but it has been a long time and I've never been good with names. . . .

 

[Grenadier1758]

I used a different user name on the MLML.