Hammer Faces and Dressing

Rick Marchand

Rick Marchand

Donkey on the Edge
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Jan 6, 2005
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What do you think?

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Okay, now that I got that horrible joke out of the way. What type of faces are you blademiths putting on your hammers or are you bothering to at all?

Like many, I use an assortment of hammers for different jobs, so maybe we should just focus on the one or two hammers you grab for the most frequently. I use my 2.2lb and 3.3lb French hammers for the majority of my work. The faces have a slight domed shape and the edges are radiused. I often use the edges of the hammer face as a fuller when moving metal so I don't want the rad too small. I have much room for improvement with my technique and am currently incorporating the Hofi method.... which seems to be a worthwhile, ergonomic way.

What about you guys?(Those who still use handheld hammers... lol.)

Rick

Here are my collection of hammers.... each has its own job...
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and my two most frequently used metal movers...
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Hey Kentucky, gotta agree with that, mines from Sweden and has a great feel in the hand.
 
You guys are just jealous because French hammers make better lovers.
 
LOL, in all seriousness I like to keep my hammer faces smooth with a slightly chamfered edge..A smooth face produces smooth work. I dont use my good forging hammers to drive chisels, hot cuts and drifts with either..I have a seperate hammer for that..Im pretty picky about my forging hammers..
 
Thanks, Mr Tucky. Good advice. I too, have dedicated hammers for punches, chisels and anything that has me hitting cold metal on metal. I also have a large hardwood "thumper" baton that I use for straightening stuff that I don't want to mark up.
 
I have bunch of hammers but do probably 95% of my forging with just three. Like you I have a 3# Peddinghaus french style hammer that sees a lot of use. I like to keep the face on this hammer relatively flat, only ever so slightly rounded because I use its mass, not shape to move metal. For drawing out bevels I like to use my 2# swedish style hammer, which I gave a more pronounced curvature. And finally, for those little love taps towards the end of the forging process - knocking those uppity high spots back into submission, refining the edge, etc. I use a beautiful old 1.5# iron city straight peen hammer. I just love the way this hammer swings. I keep the face slightly rounded and always polished. I'll try to take a picture tonight...
 
By the way, Rick, the other day while driving home from Montreal (took my wife to see Prince play at the bell center :D) I saw a huge billboard with your last name on it. Apparently you must be pretty popular up around them parts.
 
I also use a wooden maul for straightening..usually over a stump.Though my straightening stump finally burned out to bad and I need to replace it..You will ruin a nice twisted piece of stock in a hurry hitting with a hammer over an anvil..
Now of course blades i straighten on a good flat anvil face..
 
Rick Marchand said:
You guys are just jealous because French hammers make better lovers.
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Yeah if you can keep them around when the action gets hot! I have a hammer from Sammyville, NJ. I am not qualified to comment any further.
 
Sam is SUPPOSED to be making me a hammer or two..... If he ever makes good on that promise, I will gladly "surrender" the Frenchies.

Rick
 
Rick Marchand said:
Sam is SUPPOSED to be making me a hammer or two..... If he ever makes good on that promise, I will gladly "surrender" the Frenchies.

Rick
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Sam's a hammer tease. He made forty or so of those other hammers w/o making you one?
Too much time in Quebec leaves you loving the frenchies!
 
Lol @ your pic :)
I have a 3 lb princess auto cross pein that I use, it has a slightly domed face and rounded edges.. I polish it with a worn 400 on my 1x42" to a mirror.. but it doesn't stay that way as my father sometimes uses it as any old sledge hammer.. so it's fairly dinged up usually. It's not too big a pity because my anvil face is pretty messed up too.
 
I have a 5$ sledge from Harbor Freight w/ a shaky head:o. Ive only just started forging, only been at it about 3 weeks now. How big of a difference do high quality hammers make? Is it like once you use a good or great hammer you will never go back?
 
Any hammer made of decent steel and heat treated properly can be a good hammer. The rest is just a matter of what feels right in your hand and what you can do with it. :)

You should probably tighten up that head though ;)
 
Dave Behrens said:
I have a 5$ sledge from Harbor Freight w/ a shaky head:o. Ive only just started forging, only been at it about 3 weeks now. How big of a difference do high quality hammers make? Is it like once you use a good or great hammer you will never go back?
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Yes, as Wulf points out, good steel and HT go a long way, but the most important thing is FEEL. You can do almost anything with a hammer you have control of.
 
Wulf said:
. The rest is just a matter of what feels right in your hand and what you can do with it. :)

You should probably tighten up that head though ;)
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So many "that's what she said" opportunities in this thread, it's not even funny(actually, it IS funny; that's the whole point) :D
 
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