got some flint but...

at the weekent i was in Lincolnshire and from and area i picked some flint up the bits are about 3 inches in diameter, from the field several nice authentic items were found along with a few nice cores, - today i tried to knap the flint i had but it is real hard and seems to fracture rather than knap - i wonder if i am doing it wrong or maybe the flint is just not good,

Flint that's been exposed to weather can just crack or crumble.

i think this might be the problem as its from the plough layer so no doubt its had hard weathering.

When I get flint out of the Thames some can be very hard because the weathered exterior toughens up but when you break it it's fine inside. However a high percentage is full of frost cracks from freezing and unfreezing again and again at the bottom of a river over millions of years. Some times it will just have one of two weaknesses and once cracked along these lines the rest is fine, with others one hit and the whole nodule literally shatters in you hands like you've hit a pain of glass with a hammer. The only thing you can do with bad flint is let the crack run themselves out and see what you are left with.

had an hour today all i did was turn nice lumps into smaller lumps - the flint was shattering and breaking in lumps, i guess i need some good material - oh and i now have a few cuts for my efforts lol.

Barnacle next time your in Worcestershire, let me know and I'll give you some flint.

Native wrote:Barnacle next time your in Worcestershire, let me know and I'll give you some flint.

Thanking you, as soon as i know i am in the area i will be pleased to take you up on the offer, Thanks steve.

If ever your in suffolk give me the heads up I`ve plenty. Mostly reclaimed from builbings (about a ton) but you can sort through it. There some nice stuff in there. Its just me who make it look bad and smashes it up.

Ahh the joys of weathered flint. I metal detect along the East Coast of Scotland, and you get a lot of flint in the fields from when it was used as ballast in the ships.

A few exotic looking pieces have been handed to me by fellow detectorists, but sadly, they are all well knackered with little hints of potential fracture lines.

You just know that the first hit you do will reduce it to unwieldy little lumps.

Yes been there and usualy follow through and destroy my hand.

When flint knapping always remember the golden rule.

The pink bits are yours.

cool I`ll try and keep that in mind.