Texas Flint

[wjgonzalez]

Hello all,

I went hunting in the Texas Hill Country, and there was a stream bed that was filled with flint. I picked up a few pounds of it. I tried a piece in my flintlock, and it sparks well. Now what do I do? I do not see myself knapping the flint, looks like too big a chore. But I thought cutting it might work. What do I need? I assume a diamond stone cutting blade. What kind of saw?

Thanks,
Bill Gonzalez

 

[BillinOregon]

Bill: Can't offer advice on how to proceed, but I brought some of that lovely Texas Hill Country flint back with me in my luggage when I visited my daughter at Baylor last spring. It sure is pretty stuff, and hard to leave just sitting there along a creek or road.

 

[kbuck]

Pedernales chert? Famous among flint knappers. Makes good looking points for traditional arrows. I found a core about the diameter of a basketball that had been flaked all around. Wonderful stuff to knap.

 

[tg]

You might be surprised at how easy and fast a spaull can be made from a hunk of flint and often you can get 3-4 usable sides this is done by just hitting one side at the edge at the correct angle to make a piece drop from the bottom which will be thin and roundish and may requiere only a little pressure flaking to fit the lock, I could show you in less time than it took me to type this, any basic knapping books with illustrations should get you going very quickly on making spauls it is about the simplest flint tool to make

 

[C Barker]

I found the easiest way to make flints is to give Rich Pierce a phone call! :rotf:

 

[tg]

"I found the easiest way to make flints is to give Rich Pierce a phone call!'

You got a good point there, I found that I do not cut myself nearly as much when using the "call Rich method" either, his are a lot nicer than mine as well.

 

[BillinOregon]

Bill, Rich posts here. You might send him a PM.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I found the easiest way to make flints is to give Rich Pierce a phone call! :rotf:

Amen to that. I have tried knapping flints and only ended up with a pile of chips and cut fingers. Takes a certain knack and lots of practice.

 

[jamesthomas]

Speaking of Mr. Pierce, I just recieved 2 dozen very fine flints from him. It was a 3 week wait but well worth it. :thumbsup: :hatsoff:.

 

[wjgonzalez]

Thanks for all your suggestions. Maybe I'll try my hand at learning to knap. I tried using a regular flat head hammer, and managed to make a useable flint (lots of sparks, and durable). Somebody I shoot at the range with suggested a ball peen hammer.

 

[wjgonzalez]

That's what I thought. This flint was all over the place, the stream bed was filled with it. It is smooth, and durable in a flintlock, lasts and lasts.

 

[wjgonzalez]

I think what I need is a lapidary saw, the kind craftsmen use to make those pretty, polished geodes you sometimes see at craft shows.