Working flint?

[pepperbelly]

I have some time this weekend so I will try working the flint nodule I have to see if it can be used for gun flints.
Someone here mentioned that it's still in it's matrix. It's a flint nodule I picked up and is still rocky looking on the outside.
I can guess I need to hit it with a big hammer to get it to where I can do something with it, but do I hit it on the side or on the end? It looks sort of like a potato right now.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[paulvallandigham]

A big Iron or steel hammer head will only shatter the nodule into shards and pieces. Read up on flintknapping before you hit your first flint nodule. If you will google " Flintknapping " you will learn lots of information.

 

[Rod Lassey]

Rich Pierce, who posts here now and again, had an excellent article on gunflint knapping in On the Trail magazine a couple of issues back.[url] http://www.ottmagazine.com/[/url]

Rod

 

[uncrichie]

Pepperbelly, I know exactly what your trying to find out. I also have 5 nodules closely resembling potatoes. I cannot find any info for that first crack or whatever you want to call it. All the sites I have been to start off with smaller pieces already broken from the original nodule. I'll be watching this thread to see if anyone comes up with that magic info. Uncrichie.

 

[sniper68]

Google up YouTube and type in "basic flint knapping". They have a bunch of knapping videos. One is knocking chunks off of a large nodule. Worth looking at.
sniper