Dura Flints ?

[Willyp]

Any one here ever used these? Is this company still around?

[JeffinNZ]

It that the white ceramic type flints? If so I have one. It works OK but I have a heck of a job keeping it in the jaws. Very slippery.

[Willyp]

I think that is it.

[stubshaft]

I haven't seen any in the last 10 years. They worked pretty good and outlasted the agate flints that I've used. IIRC - They recommended using a diamond file to resharpen and that kinda turned me off.

[waksupi]

I think those were another that really chews up a frizzen.

[Marvin S]

Think it was different from the white saw cut types. Was supposed to be able to sharpen with diamond tools.

[Hang Fire]

When it looks like getting low on sparkers, every few years I start going to rock shows and buying up all the presawed agate scrap can find for cheap.

I have a diamond wet saw and cut up the presawed slabs to size and edge for my different rocklocks. When afield I carry a diamond impregnated sharpner to keep edges touched up and get very long sparker life.

i sometimes cut up native chert to make sawed flints too, but good native chert without flaws is hard to find..

[Boerrancher]

... but good native chert without flaws is hard to find..

I am an avid arrowhead/artifact hunter, and I save every broken chert/flint point and large clean flake I can find, especially those from the Archaic period on that have most likely heat treated. These flakes and pieces make awesome gun flints when worked down to the proper shape and size. The original inhabitants of North America knew how and where to find good stone. There are a few parts of the country that I would describe as lithic poor areas, but chert is one of the most prominent stones on the planet.

Best wishes,

Joe

[rexherring]

My late good friend had trouble with his flints until I napped him a few from the local Knife River flint found in North Dakota. That stuff is great if you can find any that the owners will let go of. I was raised on a farm and used to find it in the fields after plowing along with a few good arrow points.

[Boerrancher]

I would love to get my hands on some good chunks of knife river flint. It makes some lovely knife blades and spear points. I am sure it would make good gun flints as well. I save the flakes of my best flint for gun flints. I have found that Novaculite also makes an excellent flint. It reminds me of a good English flint.

Best wishes,

Joe