Saw cut and English flints

[George Wyman]

I have never used a english flint. The saw cuts are readily available locally and I buy them as needed. I noticed that TOTW has a great selection of the english flints. Can someone tell me about them. Especially how they compare to the saw cut variety.

 

[roundball]

I have never used a english flint. The saw cuts are readily available locally and I buy them as needed. I noticed that TOTW has a great selection of the english flints. Can someone tell me about them. Especially how they compare to the saw cut variety.

My opinion is:

Black English Flints are significantly cheaper;
They have long flint life;
They are easy to knapp a fresh edge;
They are "the real deal" if choosing to use a flintlock;

IMO, the whole point in deciding to use a flint lock over a cap lock is to experience the actual form of ignition used back then...and that was using actual hand knapped flints.

 

[OTHERN]

AGREED!!!!!! :agree: :agree:

 

[Bill Bryan]

I've tried both and been happier with the knapped English flints. The saw cut flints don't work as well in my rifle and not at all in my kentucky pistol.

 

[SCATTERSHOT]

The knapped flints are sharper, and provide a good shower of sparks, IMO. A lot of guys like the sawcuts, but I'm not one of 'em. As mentioned above, you can re sharpen (knap) a new edge on an English flint in seconds.

Get the English flints, you won't be sorry. Sometimes if you ask nicely, Track will try and give you what your rifle likes. Flat, thin, fat, short, etc. Don't know if they still do this, but it's worth a try.

 

[JackAubrey]

Having used both I must agree w/ all the posts.I prefer the English flints aswell.

 

[Stumpkiller]

One thing I've noticed in dry firings with three different flints (Sawn Agate, Milled German and Knapped English), the English flints are the only ones that produce sparks which "pop" and seperate after hitting the pan. They seem generally livelier. I take this to mean they are hotter.

 

[cayugad]

I've shot three cut agate flints and was more then pleased with the way they held up. When I bought my Lyman Trade Rifle it came with a cut agate. I would hate to guess how many shots I got off that agate.

Once I learn to really knapp black english flints, perhaps I will like them better. I use the Black English flints because of the cost. Although if I saw a deal on the cut agate I would not hesitate to buy them up.

 

[Wart]

I'm in agreement as to the English flints :thumbsup:

 

[Birddog6]

You might check with October Country on the Tom Fuller English Flints. They usually have a sale every year & you can get them for about $ 75. a hundred for the 3/4" ones or something like that. I usually get a bag or two every year when this occurs.

:thumbsup:

 

[MikeChapin]

My favorite is, as much as I hate to say it, clear french, followed by black english then sawed agate.

All three types work well in both pistols and rifles. The french flints are great but at $3 a pop they are a little much. The only times I have ever used them is when I got them in locks. L&R used to pack them with their locks.

I use English flints because the price is reasonable and they do a great job. I rarely use the cut flint/agate because the price is higher and the older ones used to be rough on frizzens. Don't know about the newer ones.

--Mike

 

[trent/OH]

I find the knapped flints to be MUCH easier to hold securely in the jaws than sawn agates.

 

[oldarmy]

I will jump in,
I work for Norton co. We own more natural novcaulite rock then anyone in the world. We own half the state of Arkansas it seems. :hmm:
We quarry and cut tons of stone just to get a few pounds that are good enought to sell as whet stones -the worlds best Hard Arkansas-
:imo:
We throw away the smaller pieces because-well they are too small-.
This includes black hard arkansas.
When I first became interested in shooting flintlocks I bought a T/C Hawken and it had a saw cut flint. Not knowing any better I bought some from Dixie Gunworks and when I saw what it was. Arkansas novaculite.The light bulb when off in my head and I though we throw away small pieces of this all the time.
Cut an angle on the scrap pieces and we have a nice little side line business.
Unfortantly our costs are too high to make them. We provide benfits to the employees and it drives the cost up.
You can buy the english flints cheaper then we can make the sawed novaculite in this country. :curse:
I do however have a free supply of all the sawed "flints" I could ever use.
I use both, the English and the sawed and get good service out of both.
If you could get the cost of the sawed novaculite down to the same as the english flints I think more people would use them.
Anyway
It's nice to have an alternative if the flint nappers ever go on strike

 

[Tumblernotch]

I never had any luck with sawed flints and haven't used any in years. Black English is the way to go. (You've probably gathered that by now...see above.)

I obtained some original Rev.War amber French flints several years ago,(dug up from a depot site in PA), and much to the horror of a collector/fellow shooter, used several of them, both musket and rifle size. They didn't spark near as good as the English.

Could it be because they were over 200 years old? :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Could it be because they were over 200 years old?

Relatively speaking, they're 450 million years old. The fresh edge might have been worn down a bit from their "recent" re-burial. ::

 

[Tumblernotch]

"I say, I say, it's a joke, Son!" :crackup:

Actually, they were in new condition when I got'em. Supposedly they were in the remains of the kegs they were packed in. They did lose their edge quicker than the English and don't knap quite as well. Still, they're usable. I'm not going to use any more of the "new" ones though. ::

 

[oldarmy]

If saw cut flints were as cheap as English flints would you use them?
The ones I had cut are the hardest Black Novaculite we have ever cut and they just as black and semi-translucent as the Tom Fullers flints

 

[roundball]

If saw cut flints were as cheap as English flints would you use them?
The ones I had cut are the hardest Black Novaculite we have ever cut and they just as black and semi-translucent as the Tom Fullers flints

No.

To me, the whole point of getting into Flintlocks is to accept the challenge of the Flint lock technology, and the flints that were used as part of that technology...either English or French...not modern sawed flints.

:imo:

 

[arilar]

Just received today a package from Tom Fuller, England, containing 200 flints for my musket and rifle. So, then you know what I am gonna use in close future.
Regards,
ARILAR :: :thumbsup:

 

[Runner]

I am using cut stone flints because I have the tools to cut my own. I am using Mo. chert that is so tough it takes twice as long to cut as most agate. After sharpening, I have very good success with them. For hunting use, I can remove the flint, sharpen it, replace it, and know that it will spark well on the first strike. I just bought some tools to start trying to knap some out of the same material. For period correct activities, knapped is the way to go.