Good place for flints?

maltextract

maltextract

Regular
Rating - 100%
6   0   0
Location
Rural Manitoba
any recommendations for where to buy flints? I'm going to be using them for flint and steels, which, at least in Canada were traditionally used with flintlock flints. The only place I saw in Canada was Marstar, and for several reasons I'd like to find a different place, also what is a average price per flint?
 
What is your documentation regarding primary use of flintlock flints for fire starting? It strikes me a flint that size would be somewhat awkward for fire starting and, if not used up, too valuable to be used in such a fashion, if avoidable. Flint shards or even agate or chert would seem to be a more appropriate material. Try a knapping supplier or knapper at a reenactment for shards. They tend to be somewhere between free and dirt cheap.
 
maltextract said:
any recommendations for where to buy flints? I'm going to be using them for flint and steels, which, at least in Canada were traditionally used with flintlock flints. The only place I saw in Canada was Marstar, and for several reasons I'd like to find a different place, also what is a average price per flint?
Click to expand...

I see from your profile that your from Manitoba. If your in the southern part of the province, you should be able to pick some up off the ground without too much trouble, there is a fair bit of flint/chert there
 
Um, if you're in no rush you're welcome to my used flints. Still about 90% of them left when they're too far gone to keep using in a firearm. Maybe just put a WTB up, I'm sure guys that otherwise pitch them out will flood you with them.

I'll tell ya though, I've tried it, and getting sparks by hand from a 3/4x7/8" flint is a pain. I dunno why they'd use a flint made made by a craftsman rather than just a chunk of flint, but I'm no expert. Unless it WAS old flints of course. I also dunno why you just wouldn't use the lock itself to make sparks, since if you have gun flints you presumably already have the perfect device for getting flints to throw sparks.
 
I've been told native glint doesn't work to well, and the use of flintlock flints for use with firesteels is documented by the HBC, makes sense from a marketing and shipping perspective, if you were already importing them for guns. Also for size and weight and most seemed to be used firelock flints. Thanks for the idea of the WTB
 
There are ready made kits sold online with hemp, steel and flint. From personal experience you should learn with a bigger chunk than a gun flint to start off. You will also need to make some char cloth.

I can definitely see that people back then would use gun flints as they probably would light fires all the time, it’s just not a skill that we really develop.
 
maltextract said:
I've been told native glint doesn't work to well, and the use of flintlock flints for use with firesteels is documented by the HBC, makes sense from a marketing and shipping perspective, if you were already importing them for guns. Also for size and weight and most seemed to be used firelock flints. Thanks for the idea of the WTB
Click to expand...

Makes sense I guess, the skills to make them are rare these days, but not in the 1700s, they would have had them by the barrel full.

Lemme check my gun room garbage. I may have a few in there still, I know I just pitched some out. How many do you need?

Edit:

Well, I only found one, but I have another 10 dozen fresh ones to get through. They're smaller rifle flints though, you probably want the biggest you could get which would be the #8 or #9 English flints for the trade pattern muskets or the Brown Bess. That's actually more correct anyway than a flint sized for a European style rifle lock, the bigger flints would have been what were carried by HBC to fit the trade guns. If you have any reenactors in the area with Besses I'm sure someone would have a bunch of used flints. They last about a hundred shots, then they're knapped down to far to keep going, but they'd be plenty fine for your purposes. I'm sure a WTB or even this thread will turn up someone who hoarded their old ones like I used to.
 
Last edited:
^^
Lots near Souris, you can find it in the gravel deposits around there. The stuff that I found there when I went through 20 years ago wasn't good enough for flintknapping, but would have been plenty good enough for someone to use for firemaking with a flint and steel kit. I suspect that you could find it throughout southern Manitoba if you know what it looks like. I would just look in gravel pits for cobbles.
 
Yes, I know there are kits online, I am however a blacksmith, and my quest for suitable flints comes from a request to make fire strikers. I'm going to put up a WTB regarding this, as well as asking some of the people who wanted them in the first place reenactors all. I'd be tempted though tell them to find their own flints but I need one to test the temper of the striking steels so that they achieve optimum sparkiness.
 
maltextract said:
Yes, I know there are kits online, I am however a blacksmith, and my quest for suitable flints comes from a request to make fire strikers. I'm going to put up a WTB regarding this, as well as asking some of the people who wanted them in the first place reenactors all. I'd be tempted though tell them to find their own flints but I need one to test the temper of the striking steels so that they achieve optimum sparkiness.
Click to expand...

God, when I lived in England the flint was everywhere. Literally every rock in the field was flint and I spent a lot of time knapping. I considered bringing a container load home because I'm sure incouldnhave made a profit. The darker the flint the better it strikes a spark by the way but if you're making flint strikers I'd suggest that anynsparking Rock should work as a tester.
 
maltextract said:
Yes, I know there are kits online, I am however a blacksmith, and my quest for suitable flints comes from a request to make fire strikers. I'm going to put up a WTB regarding this, as well as asking some of the people who wanted them in the first place reenactors all. I'd be tempted though tell them to find their own flints but I need one to test the temper of the striking steels so that they achieve optimum sparkiness.
Click to expand...

Selling a striker without a flint isn't the way to go... Contact john lord in the uk. He'll ship you some nice shards for a small fee.
 
maltextract said:
Yes, I know there are kits online, I am however a blacksmith, and my quest for suitable flints comes from a request to make fire strikers. I'm going to put up a WTB regarding this, as well as asking some of the people who wanted them in the first place reenactors all. I'd be tempted though tell them to find their own flints but I need one to test the temper of the striking steels so that they achieve optimum sparkiness.
Click to expand...

Both Crazy Crow Trading Post and Track of the Wolf sell English flint shards. Both great to deal with and fast shipping.
 
I have a box with 10 or more flint/chert chunks that you can play with. They are much larger than musket flints and should be what you need. Send me your mailing info and I can send them to you- can calculate postage with your Postal code and that will be your cost if you wish. Cheers, Bill
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom