Hammer weight Epiphany!

Patrice Lemée

Patrice Lemée

Joined
Aug 13, 2002
Messages
5,703
I mainly forge small knives, well for now anyway. I use a smaller hammer, maybe 1.5 lbs.
Today there was a sale at the local hardware store and I picked up a cheap 4 pounder, nothing fancy.
Tried it tonight, WOW! I am never going back to the smaller one. Of course I chocked a little bit my grip, no need to use the full length of the handle.

Just thought I'd share.

Patrice
 
I was told when i picked up a larger hammer to use the full length of the handle as it actually uses less energy. and in the end if you force yourself you will get good accuracy compared to choking up on the handle
 
I understand the principle JT but at 4 lbs and almost 18" handle, that's way too much force for what I need.

Patrice
 
Isn't it amazing how easily and deeply the steel moves with a decent weight hammer?

my 4 1/2 pound straight pein hammer gives beautiful finesse as well as deep movement when I want it.

I have a 3 kilo straight pein i use for breaking dowm big stuff, but I almost never need it anymore

-Page
 
I know what you mean, Patrice. I like my 4 pounders but one day I used my 3 pounder for half the day and didn't even realize (they look almost identical). It did seem like I had gained a little bit of control when I had the 3 pounder. Just food for thought, I'd recommend getting a 3#'er too. I'd also recommend changing any fibreglass handles to hickory.
 
I hear that. Personally I like a 3# for profile shape and rough forging the bevels, after that though I switch to a 1# since it gives me better control and doesn't force the scale in as deep.

Page I'm pretty sure you qualify as an organic power hammer with that 3 kilo hammer. ;)
 
It's a simple sledge Sam. At 12$ I'll pick up a few more tomorrow so I can modify them. (What shape do you prefer? straight pein like Page?)

Patrice
 
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Dan, I thought you were going to hit us with, "I use a 150 pound hammer!"

damascusprocess004.jpg
 
Patrice Lemée;7441418 said:
Yes I can. I chock about half way down the handle.

Patrice
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Patrice Lemée;7441481 said:
I understand the principle JT but at 4 lbs and almost 18" handle, that's way too much force for what I need.

Patrice
Click to expand...





Patrice, try going to the rear of the handle and letting the weight of the hammer do the work. You will find that you actually gain better control of the hammer with less effort in the swing.
I did carpenter work for years before I was forced to retire. With a heavy hammer such as we used to use for framing day in and day out, you let the hammer do more of the work.
The control of the weight comes with time and use. But the once you master the control you will find that you are just lifting the weight and the weight is doing the work for you.
I will grant you that most of the time you do not really need that much weight but you will find the project that it comes in handy for.
 
I have a couple of 4lb'ers. One with really flat faces for, umm flattening and one with round faces for moving metal fast. I like them for big stock and rough forging but I find with a 3lb hammer I can get much better control and angle the face so its hitting the bevels prefectly flush.

I dont really use cross peins, I just tilt the hammer and hit with the edge so it pushes steel rather than spreads it.

I find if I think about how im hammering when im doing it I make mistakes but If I just do what feels natural I do fine. I was a carpentor, cabinet maker and labourer before I started bladesmithing so im was farely used to using a hammer before I started and as such I only choke up on the handle when doing delicate work and little light taps.

Jamie
 
Hello:

I have been trying to tell folks this for years..use as heavy a hammer as you can and let the hammer do the work..I have been using a 8# hammer now for close to 20 years and I do not get tired out a bit and I am well on the downhill side of 100.....(I can still outwork a man twice my age too!! or something like that)...Until someone tries this for themselves they don't seem to believe me very often but once they do...they are converted...

4 pounds is a decent weieght for most stuff..I still use hammers as light as 1 pound (mostly for forging out bronze guards) but most of my work..ie, heavy drawing, forming and all..I use my 8# then down to my 6 and then 4 as the work thins.

It is a lot easier on you as well...


NVHammerHead
 
One thing that I have noticed when I hold further back is that I use my wrist and forearm a LOT more to lift the hammer. When I choke up on the handle I get a lot more done with much less stress on my wrist and forearm.

Perhaps I am wrong in my thinking but I keep hearing about the rebound. My homemade anvil has what I would call 'pretty good' rebound. If I hold the very end of the handle with thumb and forefinger and let the hammer swing and dead drop on the anvil it lifts more than 50% of the height.

So, in my thinking, when you are striking the hot steel, the anvil should be a solid immovable backing and the hammers energy should be absorbed by the hot steel as it squishes out. This is what I experience but I've heard people talk about the rebound lifting the hammer as well, is there something I should be doing differently?
 
I use and assortment of different sized hammers for different tasks. My main go to hammer is 1000g (2.2lbs) and my heavy mover is 1500g (3.3lbs) I use a 500g (1.1lbs) to do light forging. I don't think much about where I hold it... my hand will find the sweetspot based on rebound and required force...

Rick

IMG_0031-1.jpg
 
I hold the hammer from the front for heavy ones to lift up, then I slide my grip to back when I'm hitting. This way I pull the weight up with less effort and give more impact on hit... I hope this means something... It is something about the rhythm, it becomes a natural movement when you get used to this kind of swing...

Emre
 
69_knives said:
One thing that I have noticed when I hold further back is that I use my wrist and forearm a LOT more to lift the hammer. When I choke up on the handle I get a lot more done with much less stress on my wrist and forearm.
Click to expand...

That's right.

Choke up for control,... (choke back for more power and force).

If the handle's too long for what you are doing, you can cut the handle off shorter.
18 inches is way too long for a 4 pound hammer.

Don't hold the handle hard and stiff. Let it pivot in your hand from your thumb and index finger.
 
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With lighter hammers you end up swinging harder, losing control, and they just bounce off. With heavier hammers, it's mostly just the weight of the hammer plus your arm, and a dead solid blow. Let the weight of the hammer do the work, rather than swinging it harder.

I use mostly 3-4 pound hammers with handles from about 12-14 inches. With "solo" forging you really need to stand as close as possible to the anvil. Long handles don't help with this. This isn't carpentry. The further back you have to stand from the anvil, the more stress and strain to the wrist, elbow, back etc...

Long handles on heavy sledge hammers are nice for pure force, if you are standing back and striking for someone else with both hands.
 
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