Homemade Gunflints

[@d.pierce.6820]

I had a Dixie Gun Works flintlock rifle back in the '60s when I was about 15. The only place I knew where to get gun flints was Dixie, and in those days, mail order only. Since I had no money for them anyway, I walked around, and picked up rocks that had a "flinty" look to them-then I would knock flakes off the rocks with a hammer, and shape the flakes to size with a couple of pliers. My flints had a nice sharp edge, although usually quite thin, so they might not last as long as a "real" gun flint, but they worked well enough, and they were free.

[@thedeerskindiary]

What an awesome story and a way to connect with our past.

[@desertborn7579]

Gets to the “nitty gritty “ of flintlock shooting. Much good information, I learned a great deal. Many thanks!

[@thedeerskindiary]

Ha! Good one. I’m glad you enjoyed it and thank you.

[@TheWoodlandEscape]

Well Anthony, you sure sparked my interest. Have a great weekend at Martins Station.

[@thedeerskindiary]

I got lots of dad jokes!

[@RyanBenek-un7pw]

Great video as always. Just a quick note for someone who is new to flintlocks. Bevel up or down doesn’t matter but you want your flint to strike the frizzen 3/4 of the way up for optimal speed, efficiency and sparks. So what ever places your flint 3/4 way up you want bevel up or down.

[@thedeerskindiary]

Great points.

[@johnnyrook6371]

What a fascinating topic! I just made my very first gun flint and used it last week. It worked although not for very long. This video inspires me to keep trying.

[@thedeerskindiary]

Yes! Keep going!

[@ashleyanderson2859]

As a side note, flint and glass have very similar properties. Although glass has additives in many cases. I believe the green color comes from the presence of seaweed or algie found in the sand that was used. Adding gold,yes gold , produces a red glass. My father worked in a glass house and belonged to the flint and glass workers union. A testiment to their relationships. While they can both be knapped, polished, and ground in the exact same way. It might be that the additives or impurities of the glass affect the ability to spark. Lead was also used in some processes which would greatly reduce it's ability to spark, I would think. Interesting subjuct as always.

[@thedeerskindiary]

I want to try some older, more dense glass. It should, in theory, spark but this one just would not.

[@cetyl2626]

I think I've seen charts where glass is shown as is too "hard" (aka brittle) for use in typical "flint tool" applications.

[@ashleyanderson2859]

@@cetyl2626 interesting, thank you

[@CaptRons18thcentury]

Interesting video, I have been looking for some native flint or chert to try making gunflints with... may try some of the old broken points I have... as always entertaining and informative...

[@thedeerskindiary]

Let us know how they do!

[@johnovanic9560]

Indeed brother here in the Ouachita of Arkansas I have found flints that are biracial napped from black novaculite. They were mixed from musket Flint To pistol. I knew they were Flint's for guns but didn't quite understand the bifacial napping. Thanks for your video and bringing light to my little discoveries

[@thedeerskindiary]

Awesome! Native flints from the Midwest appear more often than in the east but later. I found one from Kansas in my searched.

[@riverrockproductions]

Fascinating! Maybe you could do a video on how you do your research, find primary source references, etc. God bless!

[@thedeerskindiary]

I have often thought about a “behind the scenes” and I will one day for sure. A lot of it honestly is reading a book and then drilling into the footnotes. From there it’s either my library, google books, jstor, or academia.

[@samgamgee2936]

@@thedeerskindiaryRiver Rock makes a good point, HOW to research is rarely brought up. To your point in your reply and what you mentioned in the video is that digging into the other references in a book (footnotes, bibliography) you can follow a line of corroborating intelligence BUT other sources (like your archeological research) may also need to be verified by experimentation. Hats off to you Sir!!! Is there a video on knapping gun flints in the works?

[@markbuckley3661]

Living in Texas, and knowing what flint looks like, I made my own from rocks I find. Use a wet saw , cut them to the right size and knap the striking end. Look for bull gravel, it had flint in it. I get about 50 shots before I, either change it,or resharpen it.

[@thedeerskindiary]

It is helpful to know your rocks. I made one from Home Depot bagged rocks one time.

[@corwinchristensen260]

The important thing about the flint is that the material it's made from is harder than the frizzen so it can shave off metal to make the spark. I do have a frizzen (made from an old file) that works very well with glass, most of my others, however, get results similar to yours. I suspect the final heat treatment left that particular frizzen a bit softer.

[@thedeerskindiary]

Thanks for sharing your experience with the frizzen! That leads to so many more questions.

[@beebob1279]

Very interesting history on the flints

[@thedeerskindiary]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@shoot2win506]

Loved your comparison of flints. Keep up the great videos!!! Take care!

[@thedeerskindiary]

Thank you!

[@Bill-rc3qd]

Another great video! Thank you. This video, like all your others, really helps lead the "living historian" away from suttler-supplied gear and equipment and deeper into the world of living history. Great stuff.

[@thedeerskindiary]

That’s very humbling and a huge compliment for me.

[@mctrustsnoone3781]

What a great video, I really appreciate your methodology. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.

[@thedeerskindiary]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@DuaneRogers-sh2sl]

Awesome video thanks

[@thedeerskindiary]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@raashes]

I'd be very interested to see Jade flints in action, but the rest of them were very cool! Thank you!

[@thedeerskindiary]

Me too! And thank you.

[@HistorywithG-Hall]

Good video. I read a lot of those Lamar Institute archaeological reports when I was writing my dissertation. The flints recovered at those sites played an important role in my research.

[@thedeerskindiary]

Thanks for sharing that. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of focus that they put into the topic and their enthusiasm was contagious. What was your dissertation in?

[@HistorywithG-Hall]

@@thedeerskindiary I wrote about the Americanization of war in the Colonial South. Basically, I examined how Anglo-Americans in Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia adapted their military tactics to meet the conditions of warfare that were unique to this continent. Those archaeological reports showed that the Colonial Rangers in Georgia and South Carolina (not to be confused with the Highland Rangers stationed in Georgia) were using Indian Trade Guns instead of the Brown Bess Pattern Muskets issued to British troops. This was made evident by examining the types of flints found at those locations and cross referencing with written sources to see what types of troops were stationed there (Colonial or British).

[@emandejnozka1369]

Thanks for the show and tell!😊

[@thedeerskindiary]

Any time!

[@billgraham4127]

Great subject matter.

[@thedeerskindiary]

Thank you

[@robertshuffelen9172]

I was surprised that the glass refused to work at all. But your investigation reminded me of a thought that I had a few years back. I wondered if a old file would work as a "flint " ? And would it be to hard on the hardened face of the frizzen and wear it out to fast ?

[@thedeerskindiary]

Hmm…..maybe? I would think that it would wear out a frizzen quickly and have mixed results. If it wouldn’t work well on a fire steel I bet it wouldn’t here either.

[@KnightlyNerd]

This is really fascinating and especially interesting to me for a key reason - I have a theory that the obsidian blades that lined the edges of the Aztec/mesoamerican swords (called macuahuitl) were more similar to gun flints than prismatic scalpel blades - that is to say, developed to be robust enough to repeatedly strike hard material (i.e. bones and teeth). The bi-facial knapping on those flints would make for a robust edge on an edged weapon like the macuahuitl. With the pre-existing skill and knowledge base for making stone edged tools/weapons being widespread throughout America , the knapping is better put to use making gun flints in the post flintlock era. Thanks for the video.

[@thedeerskindiary]

That’s a fascinating theory and makes sense.

[@bobbyrobinson757]

Very interesting

[@thedeerskindiary]

I think so too!

[@rickgaston7118]

Merci’, for all of your teaching . Rather spot on for accurate information

[@thedeerskindiary]

Thank you very much.

[@jackcook8613]

Good demonstration. Thanks for showing.

[@thedeerskindiary]

Thanks for watching!

[@joshuataft5541]

Got my sub..I am in New England and have loved history.my whole.life ..gladni found your channel

[@thedeerskindiary]

Welcome aboard!

[@Georgiastonewall]

We can learn many things of from our ancestors, they by necessity had to repurpose every thing they could. I imagine something as simple as shirt or other article of clothing being reused until nothing was left

[@thedeerskindiary]

There is a pair of trousers found in a well that suggests just that. There is hardly a scrap of original material on them. The rest are patches.

[@Bayan1905]

My biggest issue I have is I have a heck of a time trying to make flints from larger sizes to where I can use them in a gun.

[@thedeerskindiary]

It is a chore.

[@Bayan1905]

@@thedeerskindiary I've also noticed now, flints are getting scarce and expensive. I see on Track of the Wolf, if you're buying English flints, they're getting pricey and scarce. It wouldn't shock me if like last year we have shortages.

[@cetyl2626]

Wow! I wondered if I could make my own flints from quartz, as I have a lot in my area In SE PA. I've often used it for making fire, but wasn't sure if it would hold up in my flint lock. This is encouraging! Ever consider making your own powder?

[@thedeerskindiary]

Making your own powder is definitely on the list one day. Just to see if I can.

[@carlmcintyre631]

I grew up in SE PA. White Quartz was the most popular stone for Lenape arrowheads. I have a collection. Among the heads n chips (@ a chipping site), you can find white quartz flints. Check plowed fields after a Spring rain.

[@jeffs5093]

That was an awesome video, thank you

[@thedeerskindiary]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@30CalCoreLokt]

😅​@@thedeerskindiary

[@speedandstyletony]

Watching this after Townsend's livestream where you were the guest.

[@thedeerskindiary]

I hope you enjoy!

[@chadsparks3010]

I’m in central Oregon and we have a lot of obsidian. I have been curious if it would work for gunflints.

[@thedeerskindiary]

Me too. I have actually never even tried it with a fire steel so I don’t know.

[@IvanIvanoIvanovich]

Obsidian is on the same hardness scale as steel itself and a lot more brittle. It will shatter pretty spectacularly on the first go around even if it sparks. Be safe if you try it!

[@AecernArchaeology]

You might be interested to know that there is another archaeological case of green bottle glass knapped into a gunflint. I found one while doing archaeological work at a Napoleonic fort in England. I don't think it was for gunflint making practice, as they were made commercially at the time. I wondered though if it was the equivalent of a dummy round for flintlock drill practice. As you've found out it won't strike a spark, so you could do the full drill without expending powder, or endangering anyone. I'd be interested in your thoughts.

[@AecernArchaeology]

Oh, and the glass gunflint I found was made in the European style, not bifacially reduced.

[@thedeerskindiary]

Well this is fascinating now. Obviously there was value to them on some level. I thought about the dummy flint idea also. In the report summary I read the archeologist from the Lamar Institute states that glass gunflints were a topic until themselves. I may see if I can find his contact info.

[@carlmcintyre631]

Me too. Please don't take my comment as too negative. You do great work. ...Just a point of discussion. Flintlocks have a longer history than cartridge guns. Tools that are unreliable are rarely so sucessful.

[@thedeerskindiary]

Those are all great points and perspectives. No negativity taken at all! It’s how we learn and share.

[@cristianpopescu78]

Very interessting!

[@thedeerskindiary]

Glad you think so!

[@Hidetannerslife]

Do you think their would be a difference in sparking capability between soda-lime glass & borosilicate glass? Natives in the Great Lakes would crush glass beads made from soda- lime glass into powder & heat them up into a liquid state and make their own beads.

[@thedeerskindiary]

That’s a great question and honestly I don’t know the answer. I may try obsidian just to see how that does.

[@bobthomas4514]

Next question, how many shots do you get out of each "flint" type (except glass) ??

[@thedeerskindiary]

It depends a lot on the flint. The quartz was pretty flaky so it hasn’t held up quite as well. The chert has been okay but dulls quickly. The French and British I get dozens of shots each.

[@johnndavis7647]

The British army expected 40 shots from a flint.

[@Hidetannerslife]

Would you talk about your striped coat please. Date, pattern, construction? Thank you

[@thedeerskindiary]

It is based on a workman’s style jacket. It’s isn’t a reproduction of a specific jacket but more of a common workman’s style.

[@2gpowell]

Howdy, really This was a really great educational video! By the way, I like the neckerchief been thinking of making one for my persona. Have a couple a large section of cotton/linen laying around Mind sharing approx. dimensions?

[@thedeerskindiary]

This one is a Linsey one from Burnley and Trowbridge. I’ll have to measure it for you.

[@2gpowell]

@@thedeerskindiary That would be kind thank you!

[@peteswepston9280]

Excellent video. From my experience, English and French flint is superior to the local chert here in Oklahoma. I wonder if the greater amounts of European gunflints in the archaeological digs are because of increased availability, better quality, or the Natives gradually losing their flint knapping skills through an increased reliance on European goods ? Just some thoughts, thank you for a thought provoking channel !

[@thedeerskindiary]

Thanks for the kind words. I suspect that imported flints were in great abundance and easy to get but I think that changes during the Rev war and the farther west you went.

[@tjj1171]

I got a flintlock but it didnt come with a flint. I found just a plain quartz rock and smashed it up with a rock and then use a pail, hammer and pliars on a goodish piece and it seems to work just fine. I do still want real flint but still, quartz works!

[@thedeerskindiary]

Awesome! Watch for uneven wear on your frizzen as time goes on.

[@tjj1171]

@@thedeerskindiary Thanks, unfortunately another risk I didnt see was too short stones and fiddling with it caused the top jaw screw to whack the frizzen a few times, and belt the bolt. Now I have to replace it aaarg haha

[@karlharrelson1091]

I have some green glass bottle fragments collected from colonial sites. It's probably a different composition than modern glass. I can ship you some if you're interested.

[@thedeerskindiary]

I thought about that. The density may have something to do with it. I would love to try it out but don’t want to destroy a relic!

[@earlshaner4441]

Good evening from Syracuse NY brother and thank you for sharing this information from History

[@thedeerskindiary]

Thank you!

[@karlharrelson1091]

Second comment! As usual, you've 'rocked' it again!

[@earlshaner4441]

You are welcome my friend and everyone that I shared your video and loved your video

[@earlshaner4441]

Thank you my friend

[@YakubibnEsau]

Who made you rifle? It’s beautiful!

[@thedeerskindiary]

Thank you! I did. It’s a Kibler kit and the wood is done with aqua fortis and boiled linseed oil. The metal was left bright and had patined.

[@YakubibnEsau]

@@thedeerskindiary thank you for your answer. You did a great job!

[@stephencarmichael5156]

A book called Penobscot Man by Speck gives a detailed account of the flint cash at Mt. Kineo. Moosehead Lake was on the water travel ways.

[@pamtnman1515]

I just want to find some big chunks of flint. I live in central Pennsylvania with lots of limestone quarries. But tough to find chunks of flint.

[@thedeerskindiary]

Chert (what is often called flint) is often found near limestone so keep looking! Creeks are often a good starting point.

[@pamtnman1515]

@@thedeerskindiary I grew up in dairy country. In a limestone valley. We had flint nodules lying everywhere. I don’t see them any more

[@Snarlacc]

"Green glass" could be volcanic glass (green obsidian) or a different kind of glass. There are some kinds of glass that are harder than others.

[@thedeerskindiary]

I’ll be on the lookout for green volcanic glass now lol.

[@SirFrederick]

well that was interesting. Might need to start calling my flintlock a chertlock or quartzlock

[@thedeerskindiary]

lol. I had the same thoughts.

[@carlmcintyre631]

BTW, Merry Christmas, friend.

[@thedeerskindiary]

Merry Christmas!!

[@noapologizes2018]

Great information, and a great history lesson. I realize there were match lock muskets but the advent of the Flintlock was a game changer for two hundred years. Flints were standard equipment for the firearm, just as powder and ball.

[@thedeerskindiary]

Great points!

[@winterhorse290]

Make since. I use road gravel to chip mine out. They do work better than “ store bought “ flints. I guess I,m using the same stone that they did.

[@thedeerskindiary]

Do you know what kind?

[@winterhorse290]

@@thedeerskindiary as long as they have a glassy look, they seem to work fine. I have over a 100 shots on the one I,m using now on a Northwest trade gun.

[@randyburleson8273]

Kentucky horn stone makes good ones

[@thedeerskindiary]

I think I have some. I know I have some Tennessee horn stone. I will try one out. .

[@randyburleson8273]

@@thedeerskindiary ....paleoman52 on youtube has an excellent video on gunflints and even shows how to build a simple jig.....worth looking at if still available.

[@craigcook1571]

In other words our forefathers were guilty of using arrowheads in a manner not specified by the manufacturers. Shame on them! 😂

[@mctrustsnoone3781]

😂😂😂

[@thedeerskindiary]

California would make them post a warning lol.

[@conifergreen2]

And the Arrowheads were made from rock that was never meant to be attached to wooden rods

[@joshuataft5541]

Using arrow heads I woukdnt even think would work or spark. But I guess if it'd flint. It's flint

[@thedeerskindiary]

Seems to work out okay.

[@LuisFernando-xh7zg]

Aste una prueba. Con el mueye del rastrillo . Aver si te tira chispa puede ser que falte un poco más de preción . Mi saludos amigo

[@thedeerskindiary]

Gracias! I will try it the next time I get a chance. Welcome aboard!

[@carlmcintyre631]

Great video. Good information. Totally disagree with past expectation of 100% ignition. Modern factory locks and cut flints are a far cry from well made locks n flints of yester-year. I shoot a custom PA rifle and a custom Trade rifle. I get near 100% ignition, because I owe quality, buy properly sized hand knapped flints and am tedious about their alingment and care. We shoot mzzldrs for fun. They shot for life. They expected more.

[@thedeerskindiary]

I can see your point and maybe you are correct. My only comparison are modern tools.

[@leonardzydowicz3480]

Never heard of glass.Very good video. Not many people know this crap.

[@thedeerskindiary]

We would be great at parties I guess 😂

[@neanderthalnonsense]

Great video. I made a few videos on gunflint manufacturing. However not as nicely edited as yours lol. If you are interested check them out.

[@thedeerskindiary]

I will! Thank you.

[@DonnaChassie]

When You say 'The Eighteenth century;, you really mean the seventeen hundreds, not the eighteen hundreds!

[@thedeerskindiary]

That is correct!

[@pamtnman1515]

Jibe, not jive.

[@thedeerskindiary]

Right!