Hammer and Tongs help!

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rachet197

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Jul 16, 2011
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In the next month I am building and purchasing a forge, anvil, steel, more kydex stuff;), and more.
However I would look a little stupid without a hammer and tongs, so here I come to my question what are some good affordable tongs and hammers.
How many hammers do I need or any specific types of tongs.

I want all of my tong and hammer purchasing to be under $80.00:o.

THX in advance!
BTW once I start knifemaking I will be posting pics!
 
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I started with a cheap cross pein hammer from Home Depot for $15 bucks. Added a pair of wolfjaw tongs from Craigslist for $20 and was forging away....

If you want to keep it under $80 flea markets, Craigslist are your best bet.

Good luck!
 
Brian Ayres said:
I started with a cheap cross pein hammer from Home Depot for $15 bucks. Added a pair of wolfjaw tongs from Craigslist for $20 and was forging away....

If you want to keep it under $80 flea markets, Craigslist are your best bet.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Yeah craigslist has nothing in my area!
but flea markets are a good idea.
thx man!
 
Centaur Forge sells a cheap rounding hammer for around $25. Blacksmith Depot sells a cheap Swedish style (square head & long cross peen) hammer for $20. Both will need the faces and edges ground smooth.

Not sure what wolf tong to recommend. I use bolt tongs (1/4", 1/2, 3/4") as much as anything. You can often rework tongs to hold the shape you want, especially flat ones. Jeremy at Polar Pear forge sells water jet cut blanks in pairs for either flat ($10) or bolt/box ($12) as I recall. Maybe get one of each set, fire up your forge and make them into what you want.

You can get deals on eBay, but since it's sight unseen, you have a good chance of having something land at your door that isn't quite what you had thought/hoped for.
 
Wolf jaws are OK, but I far recommend a 1/4" "U" box, or my favorite, the "Z" box. Bolt tongs are pretty universal, and everyone should have a pair or two eventually.
You also want a cheap pair of "pick up" tongs for putting things in and out of the forge. A pair of HF super size needle nose pliers will work in a pinch.

Hammers - A 2# or 3# straight peen and a stranded 2.5# blacksmiths cross peen. Later you will decide what others you need.....or want.

A warning - Hammers and tongs are made with cocaine in the steel. After you use them once, you find an irresistible urge to get more,....and more...and more.
 
yeah I'd like to get a lot of tongs but I'm on a fairly tight budget, and I am really only going to be working with flat or a little round stock.
So, wolfjaw tongs would work pretty good for that right? I'm looking at the OC Wolf Jaw Tongs from blacksmithsdepot.com, or any experience with centaur tongs?

Also I picked up a decent slightly rusted cross peen hammer 3-4 lb. in need of a new handle, but what other hammers will I need?
 
Hopefully someone who has used those tongs can give you some accurate feedback as to what size stock range it can hold.

I never cared for that approach too much as the variable stock size works mostly when the stock is held perpendicular to the tongs, not as much in the parallel direction. Working perpendicular to the tongs comes in handy for a few things like holding stock upright on the anvil to hit down on one end to upset the other end, but not so much (for me) when drawing out, etc. I prefer the stock to run out the tong end in the same direction as the reigns as an extension of the tongs. It's more ergonomic for my tong arm (upper arm and elbow to be at the side of my body rather than flapping my elbow out extended away. Easier on my wrist too.

What do you want to forge out? What type(s) of knives? In other words, what will you be using for your blade steel stock? Starting out for now, if you could settle on a basic stock size and shape (bar or rod) you might be able to get bolt or box tongs that would work for that size stock and keep quite busy for sometime. Knowing that would probably help in deciding on what size wolf jaw tongs would work best for you too.

If you want, You might be able to dispense with pickup tongs for now by using a rake-like poker to push and pull short stock pieces in and out of the forge with. Oh, what type forge will you be using? The rake approach works well in a gas forge, if your using coal then pickup tongs would probably be handier.

I use a rounding hammer quite a bit.
 
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Phil Dwyer said:
Hopefully someone who has used those tongs can give you some accurate feedback as to what size stock range it can hold.

I never cared for that approach too much as the variable stock size works mostly when the stock is held perpendicular to the tongs, not as much in the parallel direction. Working perpendicular to the tongs comes in handy for a few things like holding stock upright on the anvil to hit down on one end to upset the other end, but not so much (for me) when drawing out, etc. I prefer the stock to run out the tong end in the same direction as the reigns as an extension of the tongs. It's more ergonomic for my tong arm (upper arm and elbow to be at the side of my body rather than flapping my elbow out extended away. Easier on my wrist too.

What do you want to forge out? What type(s) of knives? In other words, what will you be using for your blade steel stock? Starting out for now, if you could settle on a basic stock size and shape (bar or rod) you might be able to get bolt or box tongs that would work for that size stock and keep quite busy for sometime. Knowing that would probably help in deciding on what size wolf jaw tongs would work best for you too.
Click to expand...

I'm going to be using a brake drum forge, steel from Aldo (NJsteelbaron.com) mostly 3/16 maybe some 1/4.
 
If I only had one pair of tongs for forging with flat stock, I would get a pair of 1/4" "U" box or "Z" box tongs.
The advantage of a "Z" box is that you are not limited to holding the end of the bar/blade, but can grasp the bar/blade at any point.

What Phil says is good advise,too. If the steel comes out the tongs and is in effect an extension of the tongs....and the tongs are an extension of your arm,...... then you will have more control and less transfered energy to your arm.
Holding the blade at 90° to the tongs ( as with Wolf jaws) will send a lot of shock to your wrist, and is far harder to precisely control. Wolfies have their uses, but would not be my number one tong choice...especially if there isn't a number two.

Learning to make your own tongs is fun and keeps costs down. You can start with round or square stock and go from scratch. Polar Bear Forge sells tong kits where the basic tong is pre cut, and you forge the reins as you want and shape the tips. This can allow you to make a specific use tongs for less than $10. If you aren't quite up to shaping the tips to make special shapes ( "U","Z" ,etc.) you can weld the steel on the ends. For the price of two pre-made tongs you can get six tong kits. These aren't the way to get started, but a good way to increase your tong rack.
 
I am going to buy wolf tongs and another pair of tongs.
Still don't quite know what hammers to get though.......
I do have one cross peen hammer.
but I was wondering what hammers do you use and why?
 
Ball pein hammers move steel in all directions, like ripples in a pond from a rock. A cross pein moves steel in two directions parallel to the face. A cross pein with a 2.5# to 3# weight is fairly common. What type of anvil do you have, or are considering?


-Xander
 
You can get a GREAT pair of tongs and an awesome hammer for about $90+ shipping from GS Blacksmith Tongs. He hand makes everything and his work is second to none.
 
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