Flint knapping

[RobD]

for sharpening a flint, i just put the cock on half, put a finger under the edge of the flint and tap it with a small metal hammer (i keep a small knapping hammer on my shooting bag).  with a few taps the edge will once again become razor sharp.  do this whilst the gun is unloaded and no loose powder is in sparking range.

[Muley]

I bought this. It has a brass hammer i'll use for knapping.

Flinter's Ring of Tools - October Country

[RobD]

OMG!!!  $42 for THAT???  yeesh.

[Muley]

I only have to buy it once.  

[RobD]

truthfully, you didn't need to buy anything.  

for knapping, most anything will do, even just a large bolt/screw.  in fact, you don't need any thing - pull the cock to full, close the frizzen, release the trigger whilst holding the cock and allow it to scrape the frizzen (this is most likely how it was done, circa 18th century).  

any piece of wire will do well for picking the vent (i use a piece of guitar string), a cut off small paint trim brush or toothbrush for cleaning (i prefer a ripped off piece of flannel shirt cloth).  

that's it.

[JStanley]

for sharpening a flint, i just put the cock on half, put a finger under the edge of the flint and tap it with a small metal hammer (i keep a small knapping hammer on my shooting bag).  with a few taps the edge will once again become razor sharp.  do this whilst the gun is unloaded and no loose powder is in sparking range.

I was wondering why the finger under the edge move?

[RobD]

for sharpening a flint, i just put the cock on half, put a finger under the edge of the flint and tap it with a small metal hammer (i keep a small knapping hammer on my shooting bag).  with a few taps the edge will once again become razor sharp.  do this whilst the gun is unloaded and no loose powder is in sparking range.

I was wondering why the finger under the edge move?

braces the fragile flint edge to keep from bopping off large flakes, only want to remove small flakes.

[Muley]

Rob..........2nd post in this thread you said to use a small brass hammer. Now you're saying to use a steel bolt?

[RobD]

just use something hard, doesn't matter what - i just happened to have gotten this li'l chrome plated brass hammer from the father-in-law (dentist).

if the something you use can spark the flint, that's why i put in the caveat about steering clear of loose powder whilst whacking the stone.

speaking of which, a small, kinda egg shaped stone works very well, too, as a "hammer stone" for knapping the gun flint!  

as is 'pressure flaking', where you use something pointed and hard (deer antler tine) to push into the flint edge to flake it.

lotsa good ways to knap a flint edge.

[Muley]

The hammer I bought has the round edge and sharp edge. So, i'm covered and it's brass so no sparks.

I like to keep things simple.

[RobD]

sharpening the gun flint via hammer and pressure ...

[Muley]

I had watched that video. I watched all the knapping videos I could find. This one seemed the easiest and the reason I bought the hammer.

[RobD]

I had watched that video. I watched all the knapping videos I could find. This one seemed the easiest and the reason I bought the hammer.

to each their own, i wouldn't just bang on a gun flint edge without giving it support.

[Muley]

I didn't say I was going to. I was just explaining why I bought the hammer. I assume if they make them that guys must be buying them. I can also just use the edge of the hammer or the rounded part to knap. I'll come up with a system that takes off the smallest amount possible, but sharpens it.

It's not like i'm not listening to you what you recommend. You did say to use a small brass hammer.

[RobD]

I didn't say I was going to. I was just explaining why I bought the hammer. I assume if they make them that guys must be buying them. I can also just use the edge of the hammer or the rounded part to knap. I'll come up with a system that takes off the smallest amount possible, but sharpens it.

i didn't mean you, i meant the guy in the video who's whacking the gun flint edge *hard*.

folks buy lotsa stuff they don't need, it's the american way ... or rather the 20th-21st century way.  people didn't want/need all that krap in the 'olden dayze' of 1950 and back.