What does your napping tool for your flintlock look like?

[Oil Derek]

I cannot find the tutorial I did on flintknapping....OD:  can you post the link here?  I'll restore all the images then.

Taylor, here is the link and your lucky #13 post. However, I did find the fotos embedded in another (maybe original) post. ***I just fixed the photos*** Dennis

Thanks, OD Out.

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=5590.msg52680#msg52680

[Fyrstyk]

My-Flinter: that might just be the neatest napping tool I've seen. Hope you don't mind if the "Muskrat" pilfers your idea?

Dixie Gun Works sells a knapper just like the one KY-Flinter is showing.

[Ky-Flinter]

Yeah, it's not my idea.  A friend made it and gave it to me.  I wasn't aware Dixie offered them.  They are very simple to make.

-Ron

[Hungry Horse]

 While examining an old bullet mold I was donating to the local museum, I discovered that one side of the bag mold had considerable impact damage. After re-examining it under magnification I became convinced that it had been used as a knapping tool for a flintlock. Have any of you found similar evidence of this?

  Hungry Horse

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Thanks for the link.  I removed the photobucket mess and replaced all the pics with uncorrupted ones from my files.

[Oil Derek]

Thanks for the link.  I removed the photobucket mess and replaced all the pics with uncorrupted ones from my files.

Thanks Taylor and Dennis ... perfect now!

[Hungry Horse]

 Well, I don’t have a picture of my napping tool, but, it just a 1/2” piece of mild steel square stock dressed off to a cross pean on one end and left square on the other, with a 1/4” bolt threaded into it for a handle. I did make an antler tine handle to cover the bolt shank. I know it bigger than most, and iron instead of brass, or copper, but it works great, and I don’t have to reshape it all the time. After trying to get many modern flintlocks to shoot that had mild steel, or iron frizzens I figured it wasn’t likely my mild steel hammer was going to set anything off.

  Hungry Horse

[Mike from OK]

While examining an old bullet mold I was donating to the local museum, I discovered that one side of the bag mold had considerable impact damage. After re-examining it under magnification I became convinced that it had been used as a knapping tool for a flintlock. Have any of you found similar evidence of this?

  Hungry Horse

That's pretty interesting.

If it was in fact used to knap the flint then that means it was probably carried afield in the bag... by one shooter anyway.

Mike

[smokinbuck]

Anything not brass is dangerous to knap with unless the gun is unloaded. I have a bunch of old brass hinge pins that I use. Small, light and acts like a hammer. You can also file the long end into a screw driver.

[rich pierce]

I think nobody has shown this type yet. It’s a brass or bronze bolt, the kind that sometimes comes with furniture you assemble at home.

I swipe the threads down and across the edge. It takes micro flakes across the edge of the flint. For a stubborn “shiner” I use the notched tip to punch downward when rapped with anything handy. It doubles as a tumbler punch.

[Bob Roller]

On my 58 caliber flintlock rifle I knapped the flint with the back side of a Case
folding hunting knife.Worked fine.I still have it but not the gun.
Bob Roller

[smylee grouch]

Great idea Rich, a multi task tool.

[davec2]

When I first made up my "Gunner's Mate" tool, I specifically planned for the handle of the vent pick to be used for knapping a flint.  With the assembled tool held like a little hammer, it worked great but you had to use very light taps to keep from knocking off too much of the flint edge.  Then after reading of some others using just a short length of brass rod, I took the "T" handle off the Gunner's Mate and bounced the handle of the vent pick on the flint edge. It works very well. 

With just the "T" handle, and not the whole "hammer" arrangement, it is easier not to overdo the knapping and knock off too much of the edge.  But if you need heavier blows for a particular flint, the hammer arrangement works great as well.

The fully assembled tool used as a knapping hammer:



Just the "T" handle portion used as a lighter knapping tool:

[Eric Krewson]

I made a copper flaker like one would knap arrowheads with, it works well.

[Bob McBride]

This is turning out to be a really informative thread for posterity.

[John SMOthermon]

I know an Older than me Gentlemen that uses a kitchen butter knife,

He uses the blade edge and lightly taps it across the flints edge.

I e used my pocket knife and hunting knife in the same manner.. in Pinch.
 
I Forgot my flint wallet....😠

[Dennis Glazener]

I feel like I have been a real neophyte, in my 18 years of shooting flintlocks I have never knapped a flint. Most of my shooting has been using a Chambers Siler which easily goes 40 shots without knapping,or a Chambers late Ketland which goes even longer without knapping. I save the old ones thinking I might knapp them later but have never gotten around to it.

Now I have had other locks that would  quit firing after 10-15 shots and if I had known how to Knapp them I would have tried but most were early on with me using flintlocks.

Maybe I should learn how to knapp those flints. I have a pile of worn out ones around here somewhere.
Dennis

[John SMOthermon]

I usually don’t have too knap my flints, unless it starts wearing uneven from twisting in the jaws.

I usually start with a new flint before shooting in competition, but always klatch it a couple of times tosee if it’s going too shatter.

I’ve saved all my old ones too, I take a Dremel tool with the green grinding rock and rework the edge.

With proper Safety.equipment of coarse.

[Chemman]

Wow what a bunch of  great replies, thanks guys.

 I took a brass rod and used my watchmakers lathe to create a shoulder to flake small chips with the ball of a ball starter.   It worked very good but the flint I think is not so good quality.  It looks like Chert.

[Darkhorse]

When "just shootin" I use my flints up until it's just a nub. When it gets too short I shim it with a sliver of wood. I have several pieces of brass of different sizes for various requirements for napping gunflints.
As for a loaded rifle and a dull flint that should be avoided. I never let my flint get to the condition that if it doesn't spark once, it will the second time. After that shot it is napped again and I start all over. Wiping the edge of the flint and frizzen face with alcohol removes oil and fouling and sometimes allows a dull flint to cut just enough to spark and fire the weapon. If you just can't make it spark and shoot then stick a toothpick in the touch hole before trying to sharpen  a dull flint.
For hunting I pick a good flint and nap it like a razor, it's good all season for deer and turkey. After season I remove it and store it with other hunting flints for next season.
Given time I like a fairly short piece of 3/8"  round brass with a couple of steps ground into the end. I support the flint in the cock with a finger and holding the brass with other fingers of the supporting hand I tap the brass with a small hammer until the edge suits me. Doing it this way can be a little awkward until you get the hang of it.

[Top Jaw]

 I like the simplicity of some of these tools and how they wouldn’t take up much room in your bag. Or better yet, the dual purpose options.  Here are two that I have. The one on the right with the screwdriver blade I picked up in a trade sometime back. The one on the left is an original I bought at an auction.  Both have non-sparking brass heads.  The original also has a brass handle.

[Marcruger]

I can attest that David Crisalli's Gunners Mate works great as a knapping hammer.  I also have one of the standard screwdriver/hammer combo tools in my range box.  God Bless,  Marc

[Molly]

How about this one.








Must confess, we are really getting cabin fever!!

[smylee grouch]

Molly, that looks like a high production model. 

[Molly]

Yep, you can nap a bolder with it!!