The Mad Monk on Black Powder

[John Boy]

Bill Knight, aka The Mad Monk or Dutch Bill, the most knowledgeable person in the US about black powder.

He compiled and made available these selected detailed articles from his personal files ... to be found no where else

* Black Powder Manufacture in 9 Parts:
* Goex
* Imported Black Powders
* Smokey Substitutes

http://www.laflinandrand.com/page3.htm

[zardoz]

Thanks for the link. I downloaded most of it, and have learned a whole lot of new things. I shoot Goex in my front stuffers and cap revolvers, and only use Swiss in my Sharps cartridges. I've also dabbled in making my own black powder, just to see if I could get usable product from off the shelf stump remover, pharmacy sulfur, and homemade charcoal (yes, it went bang).

[GhostHawk]

Thanks for posting!

[SharpsShooter]

There's a lot of good information there. Thanks for posting that. I read what he had to say about go X cartridge. It's all I've used for quite a number of years. I encountered a good deal on quite a bit of it several years ago and it will probably last me several years more.

SS

[Prs61109]

John Boy,

Thanks for this link... very interesting info for a new BP shooter like me.

[JWFilips]

Bill never liked the folks at Goex ( A personal thing, I believe) Think it may have colored many of his writings on their powders. He a great guy though.

What you really want to find are his research papers on 18th century gun finishes (I have a hand bound personal copy …don't think he made up very many) Wish he had got those published!

[Don McDowell]

Unless he's updated this stuff most of the info there is nearly 10 years old, lots of things have happened/changed since he wrote those..

[waksupi]

Bill never liked the folks at Goex ( A personal thing, I believe) Think it may have colored many of his writings on their powders. He a great guy though.

What you really want to find are his research papers on 18th century gun finishes (I have a hand bound personal copy …don't think he made up very many) Wish he had got those published!

That, I would really like to see! Any idea where to start looking?

[JWFilips]

I wish I could tell you. Bill & I became friends back at the first Dixon's Gunmakers Fair. He was an analytical Chemist and I loved the way his mind worked ..we would sit for hours & talk every Year at the show. He often would poke fun at me being Goex's "poster boy" ....since my studio had the Goex account when they were located in Moosic PA. Being a flintlock builder & shooter I posed for a few of their ads in the late 80's early 90's ( No He did not like those folks because he had a run in with them when he started asking too many questions.) He knew that I was far more interested in his research concerning 18th century Staining & Finishing methods ( I always swayed his conversations to the later) Sometime in the early 90's at one of the Gunmaker fairs he presented me all his research paper concerning early staining and finishing techniques in a hand bound book of 8 1/2 x11 sheets. I treasured this then as I do today. I aways feel he would have done far better publishing this material then his BP & Steel Quality research. Partial because I feel the former was from the heart where as the later was steeped in controversy ( & if you know, Bill he loves that area!)

[prs]

I always enjoyed Bill's e-talks with us over on the old Frontier site. Thanks guys for posting the site for his information and for giving a personal point of view.

prs

[cajun shooter]

Bill Knight was a mentor of mine as he provided information about the powder that I had used since 1970 but really knew nothing of it's history or details. He sent me a CD about 6 years ago that contains all of the info that John Boy provided. It's very true that the info is dated but it still may provide a newbie with the actual facts about BP and not all the wives tales that are out there.
The last time I had a conversation with Bill, he was really big into riding bicycles with a group that take 50 mile rides as a warm up. He is also big into the front stuffers, and I don't think he will ever delve as deep into the BP field as he once did.
John Boy may have spoken with him lately and may have an update. Later Fairshake

[Kenny Wasserburger]

Bill is a great fellow, he gave tons of information and insight to BP and how it was made. Pity most of his testing was confined to muzzle loaders, and the information he painstakingly aquired, did not always carry over to cartridge rifles. I sent him an email on several lots of elephant I was about out of my favorite lot. He advised me to buy a specific lot as it in his tests was real close to my favorite lot. I bought the 50# max I could buy in a single time, the powder was much slower and fouled much worse and was quite dry. I emailed him to warn him about it, and advised him to buy a single shot to do testing with as the data did not always transfer well. He did the BP world a great service, with his testing.
His strained relations with Goex was mostly confined to Mick Farninger's father. Near the end he sort of made peace with Mick, I visted with Mick often via email, and one wonderful evening in Vegas and that years Shot Show as I was attending via Goex. The new Olde Eynsford would make him proud.

Mick died a short time after a liver transplant, a few short years ago, he and Don McD I counted among my friends.

KW.

[JWFilips]

Mick's Death was a shock Should have gone to the University facility but went to General in LA ....Very sad! Mick & his Dad were great friends of mine... His Dad was most close to me because he was the traditionalist & Like me we were two peas in a pod...Mick Liked to push the envelope of modern -In Lines: Something I had trouble with! I did the last campaign for them with "American Made" Bill K had an issue with my photo.... the flag being "SoftFocus" (amazing what one can read into a photo!!!)

Anyway Anita is in charge now & she is a Great person... Goex is strong and a good representitive of the old Dupont Line ( sorry Bill ...where ever you are!)
Elephant just reaped the rewards of the burning down of the Rain Forests!!! Nasty Hydrosopic stuff! (JMHO & With much Testing) Hey I get a chance to speak Too!

[Kenny Wasserburger]

JW, I bet you have a lot of neat stuff to share about those old days.

KW

[JWFilips]

JW, I bet you have a lot of neat stuff to share about those old days.

KW

Well, I guess much: But I'm Old and Tired and now some how addicted to this "darn Cast boolit" site!
I Have a good young apprentice that is leaning the old ways ...Comes over once a week.....Guess I have more to teach him then I have "days"! But I will do my best!
I learned a Lot ..because I listened...I gained a lot because I took it to heart & practice: But I'm always trying to learn more as I go. Met alot of friends Met alot of foes but at this point they are all equals , all had their opinions all had their differences... All are now compatriots in my world vision ..all are now dear friends!

[Kenny Wasserburger]

JW, in that post I think there lies a lesson. A dang good one, some of us have yet to reach your place. I would like to someday get there, I doubt I will live long enough. I really admire you, I hope you will Share with us from time to time.
KW

[prs]

Elephant just reaped the rewards of the burning down of the Rain Forests!!! Nasty Hydrosopic stuff! (JMHO & With much Testing) Hey I get a chance to speak Too!

Ha! And all this time I thought it was rendered from zoo poo. ;-)


Well, I guess much: But I'm Old and Tired and now some how addicted to this "darn Cast boolit" site!
I Have a good young apprentice that is leaning the old ways ...Comes over once a week.....Guess I have more to teach him then I have "days"! But I will do my best!
I learned a Lot ..because I listened...I gained a lot because I took it to heart & practice: But I'm always trying to learn more as I go. Met alot of friends Met alot of foes but at this point they are all equals , all had their opinions all had their differences... All are now compatriots in my world vision ..all are now dear friends!

Excellent writing and philosophy! I often think I have more yet to learn than days to learn. Will keep my ears open none the less.

prs