flints

[The Texan]

newby to flintlock what size flint to use is goverened by what?

[smylee grouch]

Jaw size and depth mostly.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

First parameter is width of frizzen.  The flint ideally should be the same width.  Second is distance from tip of flint in the jaws to the frizzen at half cock...should be some clearance... about 1/8" clearance is normal.  If you have a choice, choose flints that are flat on the top rather than peaked, and about 3/16" thick.  In my rifles, I get faster ignition with the flint installed bevel up rather than bevel down, especially in big locks.
English black flints work just as well as French amber flints, in my experience, though I use both.
Knapping flints:  if your lock misfires, it is likely that there is a spot on the flint that is too dull to strike a spark, and is just pushing the frizzen out of the way without sparking.  Find that spot and remove it by knapping, supporting the bottom of the flint with your index finger as you strike down and toward the butt with your knapping hammer.   I use a 2" x 3/8" square length of copper installed as a "T" across the end of my turn screw.  As your flint wears from shooting and knapping to restore the edge, it will become shorter, and it will be necessary to loosen your top jaw screw and move the flint forward.  Sometimes it's good to support the back edge of the flint in the jaws of the cock with a small twig.

[TDM]

Take a look at Track of the Wolfs flint page, there’s good information here to give you perspective on the different sizes.

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/141/1

[smylee grouch]

Good black English or French amber knapped  flints is what I prefer. I never had any luck with those sawed flints. 4 times as expensive, dulled faster and often  broke.

[The Texan]

Thanks for the info

[TDM]

As you acquire more guns and lock sizes so will the need for more proper flint sizes.

[Jeff Murray]

If you have a chance to buy them at Friendship or some other gathering, go through them and select the ones that look to be the best fit for your lock and have a nice long taper the cutting edge.  The blunt tapers don't knap that well.  Buy several so you don't run out suddenly.

[MuskratMike]

I try to never pass up a good supply of flints if the quality and price are right. Here are some of my 3/4x7/8 probably one of the most popular sizes I use. I have a can like this for most of the other sizes plus a tin full in my shooting box and 3 or 4 in each flint wallet. Guess I am good for a little while longer.

[Don Steele]

I just ordered 3 dozen. At the price good flints bring these days, I’ll be digging out my Diamond file set to keep’em going. It’s a little more work but they definitely hold up better than traditional knapping.
This is one I used a Diamond file on, exclusively. As it shortened I put a small piece of leather behind it to keep everything tight in the cock.

[recurve]

or you can make your own from USA chert





one friend has 173 shots and shot the nationals with the same chert flint