Flinters Emergency flint

[jimrbto]

A looooonnnng time ago (1967) while on TDY in Utah I got a weekend break while waiting for equipment to arrive from Germany, so decided to hunt some rabbits for a change in eating fare. After a good mornings hunt I ate lunch and was almost asleep when a sound aroused me, looking up I saw a young Native American looking down at me with a wide grin on his face. He was hunting also. I invited him to sit for coffee and we chatted for quite a while. He was carrying the oldest beat up flinter I had ever seen, I am sure it was an original. During our talk I noticed an item on a thong around his neck, I asked him about it and he told me it was his emergency flint. REALY unusual, it was a piece of hickory(?) with a few holes drilled in it to accept lighter flints which were glued in place almost like "Bubba" teeth. He said he would use it only if he had a flint problem that could not be resolved and that it did spark very well. I haven't thought about this since then until I was looking at a fire starter and got to wondering if anyone here had ever tried anything like this?
Jim

 

[ky_man]

Try your post on http://muzzleloadingforum.com

 

[jimrbto]

Why? Flinters don't use black powder?

 

[dwave]

No, Flinters use black P especially since the subs are harder to light. I don't have a rock-lock myself, but the idea sounds very interesting. I would have to say to give it a try, you never know, you might get a new idea that would work great.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

With the attack on personal smoking, you might want to stock up on the flints for fluid lighters, eh? Sounds like a good idea if the British flints dry up.

LD

 

[jimrbto]

Well back then to call the local Native Americans "dirt poor" would have been a great compliment because most were waayyy below that. The weapon this kid was carrying was a lot more than a "fun gun" it probably meant the difference in a good meal or going hungry. In any case, the cock on his did not contain flint but looked to be more of a local material that was hand knapped.

I am not a flinter and haven't been since my teen years so was wondering if any of you had heard of or tried something like this. I was thinking that instead of lighter flints that one of those fire starting rods could be used. They seem to be much softer than flint and throw a good shower of sparks with little effort. Thus my thought that something like this would be handy if for some reason your lock was not throwing good sparks due to worn frizen or lack of or a damaged flint with NO chance to replace it right away.

 

[RON in PA]

This rings a bell, I remember seeing an ink drawing in a magazine that showed you how to make a flint with lighter flints, probably 1960s vintage.

 

[sundance44s]

I was shooting my flintlock last weekend at a club here ,, one of the new guys was haveing trouble with his flintlock ..I said maybe you should switch to zippo lighter flints ..my zippo lights off every time ...hahaha .

 

[.44walkersabot]

Well, I carry a Zippo to, and even when it's supposed to be right and ready to go, sometimes I'll flick and flick and flick before I get a flame. The damn rabbit would be over in the next county somewhere if it dosen't work any better at igniting the powder than it does in lighting that Zippo wick...Okay...

 

[Roswell 1847]

Not sure but I think lighter flints are, or at least used to be, a synthetic form of Iron Pyrite.
The Wheel lock guns used Iron Pyrite instead of flints and I've seen antique flint locks or Miquelet (perhaps Snaphaunces can't remember offhand) cocks which were equiped with Pyrites rather than flints.

They sell Fools Gold Pyrites at some souvenier stores. I tried some once as a fire starter but these fake nugets fracture too easily. It might require a solid crystal of the stuff.

PS Walker44
Clean the wheel, if that doesn't correct the problem Zippo replaces any worn part of any of their lighters no matter how old for free.

 

[jimrbto]

I guess the only way to see if this works is for me to invest in a flintlock and try different things out. As good an excuse as any to get a new kit/gun.