Worked glass, or a lucky break?
- Thread starter GTK96
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Sure looks like a gun flint made from black glass. Quick thought: Sold or traded as a counterfeit? For what reason, who knows but if so, would have been dangerous to do. It will be interesting to see what others have to say about this find. I like your find.
NC field hunter
Silver Member
Im pretty sure you have two gun flints. The glass is strange. I think it is worked. I have old gun flints that natives worked down identical to the glass piece you have. I have also found that same color glass on contact sites.
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From what I am reading the flint will be from 3/8 up to 1 1/8th at Dixie Gun Works.
At thttp://www.onagocag.com/gunflnt.html they talk about using knappers cherts to set off black powder ?
As they stated it sure looks like smoke pole flint.
At thttp://www.onagocag.com/gunflnt.html they talk about using knappers cherts to set off black powder ?
As they stated it sure looks like smoke pole flint.
NC field hunter
Silver Member
Ok, I'm not sure. I have been looking for the glass similar to yours for literally hours now. I didn't find the piece I wanted, but I found what I believe to be the same type of glass.(if yours is even glass)
The blue piece came from the same site. Here are gun flints found there. The one that is singled out has knapping done to it by natives.
This one as well
I'm not sure glass of obsidian will create a spark? Seems to me the two of those would shatter. Figured since I looked for that glass so long, I'd show you what else I found in my glove box.
My apologies for the lengthy post. I hope I helped or at least gave you a few more ideas of what you may have!
The blue piece came from the same site. Here are gun flints found there. The one that is singled out has knapping done to it by natives.
This one as well
I'm not sure glass of obsidian will create a spark? Seems to me the two of those would shatter. Figured since I looked for that glass so long, I'd show you what else I found in my glove box.
My apologies for the lengthy post. I hope I helped or at least gave you a few more ideas of what you may have!
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How can you tell that piece has been "worked" by Natives NC.? They look like gunflint That has been used up... each time a side would get flat it was turned and re-clamped in the cock... finaly tossed.
Last edited:
NC field hunter
Silver Member
GatorBoy said:
First of all, I was told that the two of them were worked. The man that told me this is a knowledgable person. I really do not know how to word what I'm about to say, so bear with me. Normal wear on a flint Is a long channel like scar. Normal wear on the flints I have seen looks nothing like secondary flaking done by natives. This is one of those pieces you would have to have in hand. You would see it then I'm sure.
NC field hunter
Silver Member
The glass that I posted isn't worked to my knowing, just chipped by time.
Jon Stewart
Bronze Member
NC that larger piece of glass looking material looks like foundry slag.
I am not sure that glass will work for gunflints and most of the stuff in the first bunch of photos looks like a form of glass. I have some gunflints that were made out of late 1800's English flint that was used for ship ballast and dumped when they arrived in America and my true English flint looks more like dacite than obsidian. Not an expert but have had a little contact with the English flint.
I make self bows on thursday nights with a bunch of re-enactors who are hard core smoke pole shooters and I will talk with them about it.
I am not sure that glass will work for gunflints and most of the stuff in the first bunch of photos looks like a form of glass. I have some gunflints that were made out of late 1800's English flint that was used for ship ballast and dumped when they arrived in America and my true English flint looks more like dacite than obsidian. Not an expert but have had a little contact with the English flint.
I make self bows on thursday nights with a bunch of re-enactors who are hard core smoke pole shooters and I will talk with them about it.
NC field hunter
Silver Member
Jon Stewart said:
Thanks for the reply. What is foundry slag? I posted that glass for the original poster to look at. His piece looks like a glass or obsidian gun flint. I just do not think those glass elements will create a spark. That's my logic, and no one else's. I haven't researched it at all, because I haven't had the need to. Well... Until now. I have some English flints as well as French. As you said, the grey English flints just aren't like the pieces that the OP posted. The blue glass I posted only to show imperfection in the glass. Didn't want any one thinking I posted modern glass. I hate to hijack this fellas thread, but thanks for the info.
NC field hunter
Silver Member
GatorBoy said:
I have never found but one flint the size of the the ones you have. I'm not sure why. I think most of mine are spent and possibly intended for flint lock pistols.
animoosh
Jr. Member
The gunflint shaped glass is more than likely an end scraper utilized for the scraping of hides. I have found similar objects on contact period sites up here in Manitoba. The natives quickly realized that very good scrapers (and projectile points) could be easily fashioned from bottle glass and wasted little time putting this into practice. Bottle glass will not spark in a flintlock mechanism.
