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Author Topic: Somewhat off topic question about flint and chert.  (Read 3933 times)

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Offline Ncsnipe

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Somewhat off topic question about flint and chert.
« on: January 25, 2010, 10:28:12 am »
Will all the flints and cherts spark when struck against steel? The reason I'm asking is that I like to share primative knowledge with a group of kids I work with at church. This is one of the reasons I want to learn knapping. Thanks for any info offered.
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Offline jamie

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Re: Somewhat off topic question about flint and chert.
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2010, 10:29:55 am »
quick answer is no. dont know why.
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"Man is a tool-using animal. Without tools he is nothing, with tools he is all."

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Offline aaron

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Re: Somewhat off topic question about flint and chert.
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2010, 01:04:52 pm »
i think most do, but some better than others- harder ones work better than softer ones. flint must cut the steel to make a spark, so softer ones don't spark much and the rock gets dull quick. you need a nice sharp and squarish edge. Getting the right steel helps too.
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Ilwaco, Washington, USA
"Good wood makes great bows, but bad wood makes great bowyers"

Offline DanaM

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Re: Somewhat off topic question about flint and chert.
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2010, 01:08:26 pm »
Quartzite will strike a nice spark
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Offline caveman2533

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Re: Somewhat off topic question about flint and chert.
« Reply #4 on: February 07, 2010, 07:57:40 pm »
Obsidian will throw a spark but will not hold an edge for long.
steve
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Offline billy

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Re: Somewhat off topic question about flint and chert.
« Reply #5 on: February 10, 2010, 06:58:52 am »
yes, flint, quartz, and obsidian will ALL throw sparks from steel, as they are all rocks with high silica content. I have done it.   However, you must have the right kind of steel.  Hard, tool-grade modern steel is too hard for most attempts at making sparks for a flint/steel fire.  You must have a softer steel so the flint can shave off minute particles of metal when the two are struck together.  These softer metals also have a lower "flash point", which means the sparks will flash at a lower temperature (the same way soft woods burn at lower temperatures than hard woods).  If you already have the steel strikers made specifically for flint/steel fire-making, then just take any flint/quartz you can get your hands on and start making sparks. 
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Marietta, Georgia

Offline Swamp Bow

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Re: Somewhat off topic question about flint and chert.
« Reply #6 on: February 10, 2010, 11:26:04 am »
Easy way to tell about the steel is to hold it to a grinder.  If you get only a few short, orange colored sparks then it is not ideal.  How ever if you get many long, forking, bright yellow or white sparks it is a nice high carbon steel.  Now a question about heat treatment for strikers.  Is it better to have the steel hardened or annealed?

Swamp
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From the middle of a swamp in SW Florida.

Offline billy

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Re: Somewhat off topic question about flint and chert.
« Reply #7 on: February 10, 2010, 01:19:25 pm »
i believe annealed is better...it's softer and works better for flint and steel fire lighting.
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Marietta, Georgia

Offline Swamp Bow

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Re: Somewhat off topic question about flint and chert.
« Reply #8 on: February 10, 2010, 04:29:25 pm »
That's what my intuition said.

Swamp
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Offline II BYRDS

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Re: Somewhat off topic question about flint and chert.
« Reply #9 on: February 12, 2010, 05:00:35 pm »
I shoot flintlock smoke poles and the hardness of the frizzen well will determine what kind of spark you will get. so like fire starters used for starting fires, diffrent strikers through diffrent amounts of sparks. to answer your question is yes, depending hardness of the striker on what kind of spark you get.
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