Where to find quality flints, possible bags, powder horns

[54ball]

To get you started I recommend a simple haversack and a $20 dollar horn.

The haversack covers a large period of time and you can decide later what you want in a fine shooting pouch. It's not too much trouble to line one or add a pocket. After you get or make your nice pouch, the haversack can be...well a haversack to carry other stuff.

A $20.00 dollar horn will carry powder as well as a $200 dollar horn. Take the high gloss off with some sandpaper or scotchbrite, seal the cracks with bees wax and your good to go. Then research and decide what you want on your more expensive horn. You never can have too many horns. So, it's not waste. A simple piece of wool tape makes a nice period horn strap.

A flint wallet is a must, it csan hold spare flints, picks, worms, ball screw and a turn screw screwdriver or Pickering tool that properly fits your screws especially the jaw screw.

Do the research especially if you are interested in a particular period.
I do Alabama Creek War of 1813-14.

 

[omarick1948]

A $20.00 dollar horn will carry powder as well as a $200 dollar horn. Take the high gloss off with some sandpaper or scotchbrite, seal the cracks with bees wax and your good to go.

I love this sound advice!........ :rotf:

Sorry 54!

 

[54ball]

Then research and decide what you want on your more expensive horn.

As you know horns can be very period and region specific. Also horns can be very expensive. I'm suggesting a simple way for a newcomer to hold his powder until he decides on exactly what he wants to purchase and or make. IMHO it's better to do research and decide, exactly what he wants, if he is interested in a particular region or time.

If he knows exactly what he wants now, so be it, that's good for him. I would hate for him to spend big money on a custom horn now, only to decide later it does not fit what he wants to do.

BTW I had to seal my $100 dollar horn with beeswax.

 

[Billnpatti]

This is my favorite source for good quality items at a reasonable price. www.trackofthewolf.com They have a pretty nice horn at an extremely reasonable price http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/76/1/HORN-AH and a nice bag at an attractive price http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/423/1/BAG-CANADA There are several others, too such as www.dixiegunworks.com and others . Do not overlook the items for sale on this forum.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Jack and the others have given some great examples of places to get your gear.

Places to avoid would be the big box Chinese importers and knockoff sellers like, Cabelas, Bass pro, Wal-mart, etc.

The cheaply made, import, close-out, overstock merchandise carried by them will only bring you trouble.

Cabelas?? They sell Pedersoli. You just wait till Alden sees this. :stir: op:

:haha: My point was ...Caveat emptor!

 

[Billnpatti]

And last but not least, here are some flints. I prefer the English flints, they just seem to last longer than American flints and are usually less expensive than the French flints.
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Search.aspx?search=flints

 

[hoochiepapa]

I made my horn and it didn't need sealing.

 

[erock1980]

My advice is to use a bunch of cheap cobbled together stuff until you have a taste for what you really need and want. Try your hand at making a few things too. Go to your local shoots, there's always someone there who makes either bags, or horns or tools or all of the above. And there's probably a lot of guys who have the same stuff they bought when they were you, getting dusty in the closet that they would love to see someone else using, like their first bag or horn. What I wouldn't do is spend an intermediate amount of money on gear because unless you spend a bit more, you will probably outgrow it or change your tastes. As with most things, I have found with muzzleloading you go in with preconceived ideas that a little time dispels. I'm guessing that you can probably relate this to another hobby or activity or whatever and you know what I'm talking about.

For the various sundry items that are pretty impossible for the average person to come up with on their own or make, like flints and jags etc., a bunch of online retailers were mentioned above.

Good Luck!

 

[Dean2]

Welcome to the great hobby of Black powder shooting. Don't let a bunch of these answers scare you off, it really isn't nearly as complicated as many make it sound. Half the fun of this sport is the endless variety of bags, horns, flask and other accessories a guy can make or buy.

My first shooting bag was a re-purposed leather western style purse my wife was going to throw out. I still have it and most would never know it started out as a ladies purse. My first powder flask came from a pair of cheap brass powder flasks I picked up used. The second one was my shot flask for the smooth bore.

Over the years I have added more bags and different horns, flask etc, but that first set is still in use too. The guys gave you lots of great places to shop and the bags and horns available in the classifieds are hard to beat. In fact Cuttfingers will make anything you want to order if there isn't something that strikes your fancy in the ads.

All the best, hope you get as much fun out of the hobby as we have.

 

[Darto]

Don't forget to youtube gaze at absolutely everything you can think of. Something there will call your name!

 

[FishDFly]

Yep and good advice.

 

[Mad Irish Jack]

Do what I and many have done. Find local shoots and rendezvous events and attend them. You don't need to participate. Just tell them why you are there. It's to learn and aquire information so that you have the ability to make the right decisions for yourself. You WILL be able to make new friends at these places. If your here, you have the tool to find out info. Take the time to do it, and then it'll be right.

 

[M. De Land]

Make your own and you will have what you want.
I have to buy or beg for my flint nodes and spawls for arrow points but now there is no end to the good gun flints I have all over the place.
I particularly like the Koy-kuk heat treated flint from Oklahoma for gun flints as well as arrow points.
It really knapps easily and the gun flints spark every bit as well as the English I 've been buying from ToTW.
Seems to me that it is tougher than the English flint as well and does not fracture as much.