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little squares of the flint, which with very slight trimming
become the finished gun-flints. As a rule, a knapper keeps
his hammer on the move all the time he is at work, whether
he is holding a flake, or picking up a fresh one, or chatting
with a neighbour who has dropped in, much in the same
manner as a grocer's assistant in chopping lump-sugar does
not stop his chopper, even if there be a momentary absence
of sugar under it.
After many weeks of work, a Stake gets driven down
till it touches the Block! From that moment not another
gun-flint can be made, until the Stake be re-packed.
In front of the knapper are a row of receptacles, often
meat-tins, or such like easily obtained appliances suitable
for the purpose, into which are placed, as made, the
different sorts of gun-flints: for it is practically impossible
to sit down and set to work to make any special sort of
gun-flint, as the following description of the various kinds
will show.
Usually, when a knapper starts on a tub of flakes,
he turns out a large variety of gun-flints, depending
upon the size, shape, quality, and colour of the particular
flakes to be worked up. For example, a musket flint is a
good-sized, well-shaped piece from the middle of a good
flake, whereas a common gun flint is a smaller square.
A pistol flint is another still smaller piece, and a pocket-
pistol flint is so diminutive, that specially small flakes are
made to obtain them. Single ridge flints are the result
of a narrow flake without a flat top, and single edge Hints
are caused by a had or accidental fracture spoiling the
flint for anything better. Chalk heel flints are those made
from flakes where the chalk has penetrated, giving white
blotches to the flint, whilst common, grey flints are those
where the chalk staining has equally permeated the black
flint.
Therefore it is possible for the knapper to make a
number of each kind from a single tub of flakes. At the
end of a day's work the flints are counted away into barrels
or casks according to their sorts, and a record is made
upon a piece of paper kept in the head of each barrel, so