Flint, Part 2

Photo: Creative Commons, 2.0, public domain

Flint has been used by humans to make stone tools for at least two million years, according to an article in the February 2000 issue of “Journal of Archaeological Science.” The very brittle nature of flint causes it to break into sharp-edged pieces. Early people recognized this property of flint and learned how to fashion it into knife blades, projectile points, scrapers, axes, drills, and other sharp tools.

They developed a method of striking a piece of flint to produce a sharp edge known as flintknapping. Through trial, error, and practice they became highly-skilled craftsmen who could manufacture tools with a few quick blows.

Another important property of flint is its ability to generate sparks of hot material when it is struck against steel. This property allows flint to be used as a fire-starter. Skilled people can use a piece of flint, a piece of steel, and a little tinder to quickly start a fire. Early firearms, such as the flintlocks used by the men of the Corps, had a piece of flint attached to a spring-loaded hammer that was released when the trigger was pulled. The hammer struck a piece of steel known as a "frizzen" to create a shower of sparks that ignited a small pan of gunpowder. This then touched off the primary charge which exploded to propel the ball down the barrel.