Another use for a wayward Damascus billet

Ed Caffrey

Ed Caffrey

Joined
Jul 23, 1999
Messages
1,409
I've been toying around with an idea for a while now, and a couple of weeks ago I had a Damascus billet that wasn't going the way I wanted....so true to what I tell folks....I didn't make a mistake...but an opportunity to excel. I had a BIG twist billet that wasn't coming out like I wanted, so I decided that it was time to make some Damascus Angle Peen Hammers!

Here's the first of 3 that I got out of the resulting billet....

Damascushammer1.jpg


Damascushammer2.jpg


Damascushammer3.jpg
Damascushammer4.jpg


Damascushammer5.jpg


Damascushammer6.jpg


Damascushammer7.jpg


Damascushammer8.jpg


As it turned out, I made 8 big bars of twist, low layer count, and twisted 4 clockwise, and 4 counter-clockwise. I made the overall billet by 9-waying, and since I only had 8 bars of twist, I used a piece of 1080 and placed it at the center/core to complete the billet. (thats the plain steel you see in the peen end photo) Before welding it up, it weighed in at 22lbs, and was 4"x4"X8". I welding it up, drew it out to 1 1/2" square, annealed it, and then built hammers out of it.

Now I personally think that this is something that every respectable Bladesmith NEEDS! :lol

I already have a hammer of my own, made from "Fossil Damascus", but I couldn't help but make myself another small "Double Jack" out of part of this billet. I'm gona put this one, as well as the next one up for sale, and if they don't sell, will likely take them to the Blade Show and see what happens. By the way, it's a 2.5lb right handed angle peen, with my standard split hickory handle....and a touch of carving/texturing. It's been fully heat treated, and is a completely usable forging hammer.
 
Ed, that is over the top, buddy.
You could have taken about a dozen or more photos and still not see the whole thing!
Really beautiful.
You know you're gonna be stuck making those now, don't you?
 
Oh wow Ed, that's beautiful. What a neat hammer. I love it when a pattern looks organic like wood, and man that is some fine damascus.
 
Beautiful work all the way around there, Ed.

I really like that.:thumbup:
 
Since I am not a respectable Bladesmith I have no need for a new hammer, but that hammer is sooo pretty I wish I could afford one just to have.
That is craftsmanship!
Great Work.

Dave
 
wow thats by far the prettiest hammer ive ever seen! i have yet to forge a knife beings that i do stock removal only as of this time but forging or not id buy that hammer. damn nice! next you should forge a matching pair of tongs haha
 
I agree - that's the prettiest hammer *I've* ever seen too.

How much are you hoping to get for it/them?
 
With all the effort and material involved, I doubt that these are going to be a "standard item" for me. There will be this one, and another that is ready to grind for now. The cost on this one is $400 plus shipping/insurance.
 
That is the coolest hammer I've ever seen - I am trying to think of ANY reason to justify buying. Just gorgeous.
 
Ed... I've never seen a hammer handle "relieved" like that before. What is the purpose? extra rebound/spring? what?

A hammer with cool factor X10... I like it!

regards, m
 
WOW!!! That is the coolest hammer I have ever seen. Great job!!


If you don't mind me asking? How do you do the texturing on the handle?
 
Many years ago, Wayne Goddard showed me, and suggested that I try "splitting" my hammer handles like that. What I have found is that it absorbs much of the shock, that would otherwise go up my arm, it also adds a bit of "snap" to each blow, making the hammer hit as if where heavier than it is. One final benefit that I have noticed over the years is that I almost never break a hammer handle if it's split like that.

The texturing on the handle was accomplished with a GRS rotary tool...it's a 400,000 rpm air grinder, that uses 1/16" shank burrs. Where a dremel will grab and sometimes skip because of the torque, you can literally write your name with this tool, in just about any material (depending on the burr you use) without any grabbing or skipping. I use a colored pencil to draw what I want to carve/texture, then outline it with a round burr, then do the texturing as individual "touches" with a small round burr.
 
I'm not even sure what to say, that's more beautiful than any hammer has a right to be. I think I would be afraid to use it. I do like looking at it though! When are you going to make a PW anvil to go with it?:eek:

Funny, capenters have a joke about 300$ hammers (when someone is using their nail gun to beat a board into place)...makes me want a damascus framing hammer.
 
Absolutely gorgeous! I think I would still have to have a beat up ole ugly hammer to forge and then this one to look at and hold for inspiration. Great job Ed!
Kevin
 
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