hammers for forging?

[strahd71]

i was looking today at black smithing hammers. what hammers do you guys find the most useful for doing blades. trying to figure out the top 2 or 3 to buy.

thanks

jake

 

[PIndelicato]

I've been using a 3 lb. rounding hammer, which is what I used in a blacksmithing class I took, but there may be better choices. I have (but haven't bothered to use yet) a cross pien which I think a lot of people use for blades. Some also just use a 3 lb. sledge, although that wouldn't be as versatile as other forging hammers.

 

[JasonSCarter]

I use a 3 lb cross peen, a 2 pound engineer, a 3 pound drilling and a 24 oz cross pien that is also the order i use the most. I also have a 8 pound maul I use for hot cuts until I make a cutter to fit my hardy hole.

Jason

 

[bjalongi]

I have an assortment of hammers. The most common hammer that I use is a 2lb sledge that I dressed considerably. In fact, all of my hammers are dressed. I have many hours into the initial prep of my hammers: shortening and reshaping the handles, dressing the faces.

My next hammer will probably be a 2lb Swedish hammer that I hope will replace my sledge.

 

[Will Leavitt]

I use a 4# cross pien, 3# cross pien, 1# flatter and of course my wooden hammer and whompin stick

 

[strahd71]

thanks guys for the info it helps alot.

jake

 

[Salem Straub]

Japanese style forging hammers are great for hammer control and are built specifically with bladesmithing in mind. Search here on bladeforums for threads about them, some guys like Sam Salvati or Daniel Prentice right here in these forums make nice ones. A cross pein is my favorite western style hammer for blades. It allows one to control which direction the metal is being drawn out when needed.

 

[Lynnwood]

I use one Ed made for drawing and have nothing but good to say about it.
http://www.caffreyknives.net

 

[69_knives]

This is my main hammer:

It is fully dressed with one side domed for pushing metal around and the other side flatter but the sharp corners rounded off for smoothing stuff out, especially when using the cross pien which is my other hammer that I use the most. The cross pien is for stretching metal out like when you want to turn a 1/4" x 3/4" x 2.5" into a 1/8" x 3/4" x 5" handle tang.

 

[Ed Caffrey]

I would discourage anyone from using a fiberglass handle in a forging hammer....its very hard on your arm. A fiberglass handle transmits the shock right up the handle and into your hand/arm.....you will become very tired, very quickly.
If your new to forging, my advice is to work with a fairly light weight hammer, no more than 2 1/2lbs. Accuracy and control are the most important factors....if you can't handle the weight of the hammer, your blows are going to be off, and the ability to manipulate the hammer is out the window. Although I do make/sell forging hammers, my recommendation for starting out is to go to a local "junk" store or pawn shop, and find either an old cross peen, or a double faced hammer and if it doesn't have a good hanlde, go to a hardware store and purchase a hickory handle for it.

Your likely going to have reface the hammer......you want it to have a domed face, and the smoother/cleaner the face, the better.

 

[Steven Kelly]

Since Ed has chimed in here and refuses to "toot his own horn" !!
I'll do it for him.
I use a couple of hammers that Ed builds. They are forged from 4140 and they are the most comfortable hammers I have ever picked up. He puts a great polish on the faces and makes a split handle for them so that nearly all of the shock is absorbed before it gets to your wrist.
I highly recommend checking them out on his website...

 

[69_knives]

I would discourage anyone from using a fiberglass handle in a forging hammer....its very hard on your arm. A fiberglass handle transmits the shock right up the handle and into your hand/arm.....you will become very tired, very quickly.

Now this is interesting. Probably why my hand is sore after forging.:grumpy:

 

[ryan9977]

does anybody have a picture of a new hammer next to one that's face was ground before using?.....everyone talks about smooting it out before using it but i've never seen a picof one.....ryan

 

[Steve Hayden]

The hammers I currently use all came from HF in Albuquerque. They range from 2# to 4#. I have modified two of the 2#ers with the belt grinder, one crown vertically to lengthen with and one horizontally to widen steel. These have wooden handles.
I also have two 2 1/2# with short fiberglass handles-I hadn't noticed that they are much harder to use. The different handle length may have something to do with that. These are what geologists callcrack hammers for samopling hard rock.

The one that tires me out and tends to make me hit too hard is a 4# with a wooden handle. I only use it to smash out Mill Balls and A2 round bars,switching to smaller hammers as the stock gets flat.

 

[Todd Robbins]

I use a 4.4 lb Pedinghaus cross pein that I reground the face on for heavy forging. I've got a real old 2 lb. cross pein I use the most, and I do most all of my detail work with a 16 oz. ball pein.

Todd

 

[nc_cooter]

My favorite hammer is a 3# cross pien made by Uri Hofi in Israel.

 

[strahd71]

thanks guys i appreciate all the good advice.

jake