Sharpen Flint?

[Nazgul58]

I usually just replace the flint when necessary. Then when home use a diamond plate with water to get a flat edge and correct angle.
Doesn't take long to sharpen a handful of them. Can remove an excessive hump on them also.

Don

 

[French Colonial]

Another vote for a brass rod with a notch filed in it, works great and does not remove as much material as a hammer or back of the knife sometimes does shortening the flints life.

For years I used the back of my belt knife and while that works, I sometimes hit the wrong spot and either removed material from an unintended spot or removed to much.

 

[0for]

Have a look here. This is how I do it

Great video! Thank you

 

[Rifleman1776]

Good video. He uses more tools than I find I need. His method is, IMHO, a bit over complexicated but it works. I think, carefully watching this vid he shows well why flintlock shooting is both frustrating and fun. Us crazies enjoy overcoming the frustrating bit to shoot well with old style rock crushers.

 

[SciAggie]

I usually just replace the flint when necessary. Then when home use a diamond plate with water to get a flat edge and correct angle.
Doesn't take long to sharpen a handful of them. Can remove an excessive hump on them also.

Don

How would something like a diamond flattening stone work? Then I could also use it to keep my whetstones nice and flat too. They are not too expensive.

 

[Rifleman1776]

How would something like a diamond flattening stone work? Then I could also use it to keep my whetstones nice and flat too. They are not too expensive.View attachment 170926

It would work but also very labor intensive. A powered diamond tool much more better and easier.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

Another trick I've used is this: Dump the priming, plug the touch hole with a feather, a toothpick or some other object. Pull the cock to half cock. Secure the butt under your arm against the shooting side of your body. Place your index finger of your non dominant hand under the flint. With your dominant hand gently tap the flint's edge with the spine of you knife. Be sure to dump the tiny flint chips from the pan before repriming.

Ha ha. You should have said make sure it’s on safe lock 2 years ago the flint came down on my finger , add to that it was an original 1910 lock. I was being so careful too it hurt so much I think I cried a bit. 2 hours later I was ready to shoot again.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

Er 1810 Ipone 8 thinks it knows better

 

[TDM]

I also have a diamond blade rock/tile saw. Mainly use it for cutting Agates, but don’t use much any more. But it make fast work of shaping and re-shaping flint. But unless you’ve got a pile of flints to work it’s not necessary.

 

[beardedhorse]

As a flint knapper I have copper wire and antler knapping tools. Brass hammer knapping tools are part of a turn screw and touch hole pick set. On agate and other sawn flints using a diamond grind stone can resharpen them. Gunther Stifter of Germany used to sell them and there are some being made in the U.S., (Arkansas ?) today. Some French flints were knapped with four bevels so by rotating the gunflint you have 3 extra fresh edges to keep your lock running. These are harder to knap than single and two bevelled gunflints. I try to get as many dull and unusable gunflints to put into a box and paper wrapper to simulate mass quanitities of gunflints for traders.

 

[tenngun]

Late eighteenth century England built a lock with a whole Rube Goldberg set up on it. Every time you cocked the gun it changed the angle of the vice slightly. I’ve only seen a drawing and I bet in use it was too fragile, but it was a neat set up.
Supposedly it could make flints useable till they were too small to reach the frizzen

 

[beyu]

Good video. He uses more tools than I find I need. His method is, IMHO, a bit over complexicated but it works. I think, carefully watching this vid he shows well why flintlock shooting is both frustrating and fun. Us crazies enjoy overcoming the frustrating bit to shoot well with old style rock crushers.

That is almost exactly as I do it too.

One caution that I am sure you all know about. After knapping the flint, be sure to use your brush to sweep away any flint chips from the priming pan before putting in your priming powder. You don't want any bits of flint flying up into your face and maybe even your eyes when you fire. Of course, you should be wearing safety glasses anyway...

 

[French Colonial]

HC/PC safety glasses, I will just leave that right there.