Pressure flaking top or bottom?

[Riggerjon]

Is it best to pressure flake from the top side of the flint or the bottom side or does it not make any difference? I haven't seen any preference and usually see it done from the top with the flint installed in jaws of the **** but wondered if it might last longer if I took it out and flaked it from the bottom side. Anyone have a strong preference either way?

 

[Grimord]

I'm all thumbs when trying to knap my flints. I have since started using a diamond file to dress my flints. It doesn't remove as much flint when sharpening, and the flints last longer. Not PC, but it gets the job done. Flints are starting to get expensive, so I can't afford to mess them up by trying to knap them.

 

[Banjoman]

I take mine out of the jaws to pressure flake the flint. I have better control of the flint that way. I’ve done it both ways, just depends on the flint. Sometimes it will make a sharper edge from the top and sometimes from the bottom. Just my .02 cents.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Is it best to pressure flake from the top side of the flint or the bottom side or does it not make any difference? I haven't seen any preference and usually see it done from the top with the flint installed in jaws of the **** but wondered if it might last longer if I took it out and flaked it from the bottom side. Anyone have a strong preference either way?

You can do either, but it is easier to take flakes off the flat side and take it out of the jaws. You want to come up from beneath the edge of the flint and pry the flakes off. This results in a finer edge such as the flint originally had. Driving off a flake in a downward angle while the flint is in the **** can be done as an quick expedient method while in the field, however this results is a more blunt edge and reduced flint life.

Please see my video here.

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/extending-flint-life.112689/

 

[Riggerjon]

Got it. The video explained it very well. Thanks