Question about knapping flint edge in the jaws of the cock

[GAHUNTER60]

It can't be good for the sear to beat on the flint edge with a hammer (even a little knapping hammer), when the sear is already supporting the pressure at full cock from the mainspring. I understand that if you use just the hammer, you can relieve the spring pressure with your off hand by holding the cock back while you wail away on the flint edge. But what if you use the notched nail technique? It would take three hands to hold the cock back, hold the nail on the flint edge, and hold the hammer.

It may seem like a trivial question, but these are the types of things I worry about when I lay my head on my pillow, especially considering I broke a sear on my Hawken rifle the day before opening day of deer season last year.

 

[Grenadier1758]

@GAHUNTER60,

I use this technique on my flint locks. If the flint is adjusted so the striking edge of the flint is about 1/16 to 1/8" from the face of the frizzen, I can do a field knapping with the flint in the jaws of the lock. First I open the frizzen. Then the hammer is fully lowered. I close the frizzen so the heel of the frizzen is resting on the top edge of the flint. With firearm pointing in a safe direction, I use my thumb to securely hold the frizzen on the flint and I cock the hammer. Often that will pressure flake the leading edge of the flint. There is no stress on the sear and the sharp edge is aligned with the face of the frizzen. If the edge is too blunt or the flint is too short, then this won't work.

Note: When knapping with the hammer at half cock and using the notched nail, turn screw or brass rod, use very light taps to flake an edge. If a light tap won't produce a flake or using pressure of the heel of the frizzen, then remove the flint and use the pressure flaking technique shown in @Tom A Hawk's video or in the arrowhead video.

Sleep easy.

 

[EC121]

I use light taps with the shaft of the powder measure or back of a knife with the hammer at halfcock. It doesn't bounce. Can't hurt the sear or notch. You only need to remove tiny flakes for a good edge.

 

[Art Caputo]

Done properly with shallow/light taps in the half-cock position the chance of amy sear damage is nil.....IMO. After 30+ years with my Silers snd L&R’s I have experience no issues knapping with the flint mounted in the jaws. Just make absolutely sure the pan is not charged/flash hole plugged.

 

[sawyer04]

I set the hammer half cock and lightly tap on flint edge with very small ball peen hammer. As mentioned earlier hammer doesn't bounce, I have also chipped flakes off flint using the multitool.

 

[hanshi]

I hold the cock back and out of sear contact and with my index finger under the flint edge. I tap with a tiny copper hammer and a row of flakes collects on the finger and verifies the flint is sharpened.

 

[Woody Morgan]

I just pressure flake with a brass punch with the flint still in the lock jaws. KISS.

wm

 

[M. De Land]

It can't be good for the sear to beat on the flint edge with a hammer (even a little knapping hammer), when the sear is already supporting the pressure at full cock from the mainspring. I understand that if you use just the hammer, you can relieve the spring pressure with your off hand by holding the cock back while you wail away on the flint edge. But what if you use the notched nail technique? It would take three hands to hold the cock back, hold the nail on the flint edge, and hold the hammer.

It may seem like a trivial question, but these are the types of things I worry about when I lay my head on my pillow, especially considering I broke a sear on my Hawken rifle the day before opening day of deer season last year.

Do your self a favor ,bring up some videos on how to pressure flake with a copper tool easily made at home, and apply it to tuning up your flint in the cock. In practice you raise the cock and put your off hand finger under the flint edge with a glove on our a pop cycle stick between the flint edge and your finger. Now press inward and down ward with a pointed copper pressure flaking tool and you will pop off a neat little saw tooth row of chips you can barely see. The edge will be uniform and as strong as it can be made. The chip scars leaving little ridges between each one which reinforces the edge and keeps it sharp longer.
The draw back method described above it very hard on the cock arm as it requires lots of pressure and it also adds wear to the frizzen . It also does not put a lasting edge on flint as it removes very little material. The copper tool pressure flaking will make the edge as strong and sharp as it can be made removing very little flint. The edge and flint will last much longer. It also provides much more control over the edge shaping than does beating or nipping on it with a hammer or notching tool.
I'm am convinced after some years of watching even experience folks tuning up their flints that half there flint life is used up with poor sharpening technique.
I made a short video of how this is done but can't seem to get it compressed enough to post on this forum.

 

[Ben Meyer]

The hardest I'll tap is, holding my short starter with my thumb and forefinger and tapping a nail or brass punch with the wooden ball end.

 

[toot]

in the field or at the range I use the back side, edge of a knife. seems to work in a pinch.

 

[McClura]

I have been shooting flintlocks 44 years and have yet to damage or break a sear, hammer, or any other part on my Cochran, L&R and Siler locks freshening the flint edge with the back of a small patch knife or my little brass hammer with screw driver shaft. 99% of the time I freshen the edge of the flint while on half cock. That would be thousands of rounds in competition over the 44 years and hunting all over the country. All of my locks are set up with the flint held in the jaws with very thin sheet lead and the flat part of the flint up to where I can very lightly tap the edge of the flint towards the pan to remove very small flakes of flint to increase spark. I have never taken a flint out of the jaws of the lock to sharpen the edge. I may be lucky, I guess. I have been lucky enough and thought ahead back in the late 70's when you could get very good English or German black/gray flints by the thousand in whatever size you wanted cheap. A few very good friends that I shot with and hunted with had several different brand of locks so each of us bought a thousand flint, each getting a different size for the type of locks we had and divided up the flints. These English black/gray flints only need the lightest tap or pressure to flake them for a new edge. I still have plenty of the ones I bought then and over the years have won a bunch in blanket shoots and have kept them under lock and key. I do help others that shoot flintlocks at matches, showing them how to sharpen the flint and adjust them according to what type of lock they have and even given them some good flints and told them to put those saw cut, square tile looking flints in a box or bag and save when they cannot get anymore good flints.
GAHunter60, don't fret the small stuff. Enjoy shooting and playing with your new rifle and others if you have them.
Mike

 

[ord sgt]

Once I lose the edge on the flint, I will take a hand forged turnscrew and lightly tap along the top edge of the flint. It will knock small chips off, good enough to get the shot off. I may take the time to remove the flint and flip it over and place back into the jaw. This will usually give new life to the dull edge.
Before going out on a hunting trip, start with a new, sharp flint.

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

I hold the cock back and out of sear contact and with my index finger under the flint edge. I tap with a tiny copper hammer and a row of flakes collects on the finger and verifies the flint is sharpened.

It is a rare day indeed when my processes agree with those of hanshi, but this is the method I was taught to sharpen a flint on the trail, don't tap down on the top of the flint, tap back along the leading edge of the flint, the 'ol guy that taught it to me started building muzzle loaders in the late fifties. It's your call but I believe in the K.I.S.S method and this process embodies that philosophy.

 

[hanshi]

It is a rare day indeed when my processes agree with those of hanshi, but this is the method I was taught to sharpen a flint on the trail, don't tap down on the top of the flint, tap back along the leading edge of the flint, the 'ol guy that taught it to me started building muzzle loaders in the late fifties. It's your call but I believe in the K.I.S.S method and this process embodies that philosophy.

Uuuuhhh...If you agree with me better keep it a secret, the guys in the white coats that are after me may start looking your way.

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

Ha, figured it's been me all along

 

[M. De Land]

It can't be good for the sear to beat on the flint edge with a hammer (even a little knapping hammer), when the sear is already supporting the pressure at full cock from the mainspring. I understand that if you use just the hammer, you can relieve the spring pressure with your off hand by holding the cock back while you wail away on the flint edge. But what if you use the notched nail technique? It would take three hands to hold the cock back, hold the nail on the flint edge, and hold the hammer.

It may seem like a trivial question, but these are the types of things I worry about when I lay my head on my pillow, especially considering I broke a sear on my Hawken rifle the day before opening day of deer season last year.

Pressure flaking is a better mouse trap all the way around for edge control in flint sharpening but where it shines the most is at the corners where the flint is most susceptible to fracture. The reason for this is the supporting finger under the edge resisting the inward and downward forces. This finger under the edge support is not physically possible with a percussion or nipping tool. This is also the reason that the cock arm is relieved of stress as the pressure is against the finger support not the cock arm, sear or tumbler bearing alone.

 

[Woody Morgan]

When using pressure flaking it's more technique than a particular tool. Just about anything can be used.

wm

 

[tenngun]

Done properly with shallow/light taps in the half-cock position the chance of amy sear damage is nil.....IMO. After 30+ years with my Silers snd L&R’s I have experience no issues knapping with the flint mounted in the jaws. Just make absolutely sure the pan is not charged/flash hole plugged.

I also grasp the lock, resting the cock right at the base of my thumb my forefinger across the front of the cock my retouching gamer used by my left hand with very gentle taps.

 

[M. De Land]

When using pressure flaking it's more technique than a particular tool. Just about anything can be used.

wm

True, a sharp deer antler works well too but I have found a pointed copper or soft steel nail tool is the easiest to use.

 

[toot]

has any one ever used the sawn agate flints, that have two beveled edges? and are they extra hard on the frizzen?