And be sure to check the c0ck screw after every two or three shots. A slightly loose flint in the jaws will not spark well.

Track of the wolf sells flint at vg prices. I knap mine the same as the guys told you but I got a piece of round brass at lowes or home depot.

Stan

Yea. How about that. $1.65 ea. Now thats what I was thinking they should have been when I went to get them at my local gun shop. This site is GREAT.

A big THANKS.

Ok guys, I read how you knapp your flints but confused. When you say you hold the nail (punch) at 90* which way are you tapping the edge of the flint? Are you striking it with the rifle on its side and striking the top of the flint toward the barrel (or table), toward the hammer, or toward the frizzen. Maybe a pic or two would help.
Dave you're good at that. Maybe a pic with the nail in position and an arrow indicating the direction of the hammer blows....PLEEEEEEEEEZE

bronco...When I do this, I am holding the rifle in the crook of my arm...The barrel is pointed behind me, the butt is in front...The hammer is at half **** so the flint is on a horzontal plane, parallel to the ground...I hold the nail at a 90 degree angle to the ground or vertical, if that makes sense...The nail is in my left hand, the hammer in my right...

You are simply flaking bits off the face or sharp end of the flint, to do so, you hit straight down...

I set my rifle in my gun rest. Notice just the very edge of the nail is on the edge of the flint. You're not trying to bust off a large flake. If you take to much you will damage the flake.



This is a flint I just napped. Notice just very small flakes off the nose of the flint are removed. But if you rub your finger over that, you'd probably end up with a cut.

I tried it NCHawkeye's way with the thing under my arm, but I kept hitting too far back and breaking the flints. So I just set mine in the gun vice/shooting rest and then again.. very small flakes remove.

By the way, the rifle is on half c0ck and I use my wooden ball starter as my hammer. There are times you will swear you did not remove a thing.. just rub there. And then watch the blood come out.

Thanks Dave - Now I understand. Getting old you know. It must be true that a picture is worth a 1000 words.

And what you said about using your ball starter as the hammer leads me to another idea. You could drill a hole in your starter and put your nail in it so you could knapp the flint in the field if needed.

I know this is an old thread but after a few thumps today, I think it is worth revisting. Ground down nail now in my shooting box.

HA

GRAY WHISKERSTwo things, the flint should not hit the frisson square, it should scrape down it. it sounds like you may have a problem with that.
I Knapp my flints the old why by using a prong of deer antler placing them on a pad and bearing down at a angle on the edge so that it flakes.