Interesting flea market find

[CHUDs]

I went to the flea market today and found these obsidian flake tools. The owner didn’t know anything about them but sold them for $1 a piece to me. They have dirt in them. Uniface and maybe had been a larger, single piece at one point but I’ve never seen anything like them before. Anyone? I can take more pics once my phone charges up.

 

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[arrow86]

Appear to be gun flints atleast to me anyways , not sure how to tell if they are older or newer ones. I found a French one last year made from honey flint.
Here’s one I found

 

[CHUDs]

Seems so! Thank you!

 

[flinthunter]

Gun flint was my first thought too, but CHUDs describes them as being obsidian, which should rule them out as gun flints.

 

[joshuaream]

English flint gunflints are made from black flint, it can look like heavily patinated obsidian but is less translucent and a bit more brown.

 

[CHUDs]

It's likely flint, just appeared like obsidian to an unknowing eye!

 

[quito]

it doesn't look like obsidian to me.

 

[Charl]

Especially in this particular image, it pretty much screams gunflint. They will be somewhat younger then gunspalls, but same ideas as how they were used. As joshuaream observed, more likely to be English Flint....

 

[CHUDs]

Very cool. I've never seen one before. Would these be used in modern black powder rifles or potentially older?

 

[arrow86]

Very cool. I've never seen one before. Would these be used in modern black powder rifles or potentially older?

Origanlly intended for older pistols it was an upgrade over the matchlock system they started using them around 1660 the one I found I believe is from 1690-1700 it’s when the property I hunt was home to the first court house in the county with folks coming by boat .Im sure you could use them on replica guns which is why I’m not sure how to date the ones you have as they are still made and can be ordered online .... too bad the seller didn’t know more about them

 

[CHUDs]

Thanks for the info...lm learning something new everyday!

 

[Ponchosportal]

Obsidian and flint are both SiO2 and both microcrystalline ...... essentially the same thing.

 

[rock]

I find flints in the fields sometimes where I look. Whats real cool is to look at the Native American flints they dont look like any of the nice square ones. Good saves

 

[Charl]

Obsidian and flint are both SiO2 and both microcrystalline ...... essentially the same thing.

These are European made gun flints, and hence would not be made of obsidian. They used European Flint....

 

[CHUDs]

They definitely caught my eye rock...I hadn't seen a gunflint before...I just wish I knew if they were old or not. They've got some dirt ground into them but that doesn't really mean much...

 

[Ponchosportal]

These are European made gun flints, and hence would not be made of obsidian. They used European Flint....

Didn't say the flints were obsidian; I said they were SiO2; All flint is SiO2. All obsidian is SiO2.

 

[Ponchosportal]

These are European made gun flints, and hence would not be made of obsidian. They used European Flint....

Obsidian is volcanic and occurs in Europe as well as most of the world. All obsidian is volcanic and composed of SiO2. Flint is also SiO2 and primarily occurs in sedimentary units. Both are microcrystalline quartz.

Hopes this helps your understanding. Sorry for the double post.
Good Luck
Poncho

 

[trdking]

Strike one on a file and you will know immediately if it is flint!

 

[Ponchosportal]

The type of rock most commonly used in fire starting is flint or any type of rock in the flint family, such as quartz, chert, obsidian, agate or jasper.

Actually, a spark from steel can be created with any material with a hardness of at least 5.5 to 6.5 as when struck shavings are liberated from the steel exposing iron to oxygen and producing the spark.
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