Sledge Hammers!

It appears to have 2 different face orientations, one square to the haft and one square to the radius of the swing. Which do you prefer? I like square to the haft.
 
Square_peg said:
It appears to have 2 different face orientations, one square to the haft and one square to the radius of the swing. Which do you prefer? I like square to the haft.
Click to expand...

Thats interesting.
I am pretty sure it result of QC fault rather than design.
At least I never seen or known of drillhammers advertised as such. I wonder if a guy using would notice a difference or their brain to arm interface automatically compensate then be none the wiser.
 
I think you'd notice the difference. I would. When driving a stake the radial alignment is awkward. It's hard 'push' the stake. What I mean is, you're not just pounding a stake in, you're driving it. The implication is that someone is steering. With slight adjustments to your blow you push the stake the way you want it to go. The closed hang of a radial alignment makes that more difficult. You can pull but you can't push well with a closed hang sledge.

It's the same driving nails. Every blow is 'driving' the nail not just pounding it in. You not only make adjustments with the angle of the blow but you put sudden twists in the hammer face just at the moment of contact. I equate it to putting English on the cue ball with your cue stick.

Your not just pounding in stakes. You're driving them. You have to steer. And in blacksmithing you're not just flattening steel. You're moving it were you want it to go. Many subtle movements go into it as I'm sure you are aware.
 
I'd even go so far as to say that one face looks square to the swing, and one face looks more closed than that. What kind of wood is that?
 
Square_peg said:
It appears to have 2 different face orientations, one square to the haft and one square to the radius of the swing. Which do you prefer? I like square to the haft.
Click to expand...

Good that you noticed this Peg! Interesting to find two types of hammer faces on one object. Most of the drilling hammers that have been shown on this forum feature entirely one or the other type faces. Rather than trying to get all wordy I figure (since the handles are intentionally short on these) that the off-square face is set up for wrist action striking whereas the square face is for forearm swings. I've never used an angled face hammer and I would think this would lead to glancing blows or bent spikes under normal circumstances.
 
Some great hammers in this thread, I have well over a hundred :rolleyes: will have to get some pics taken.

Picked this up recently & makes me smile, it's like a caricature of a claw hammer :)

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All I can say is it's old, Spanish & would have had a round section slip through handle which means it is going to be the easiest re-handle ever! (Claw hammers are still available to buy new here with round slip through handles).

Maybe the thread title should be changed as every type of hammer is turning up?
 
Little something, something I did for a friend. 3lb mini sledge plumb on hickory handle with inlaid 45 Winchester Colt shell .
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Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk
 
Young & old, around 100 years separate these keying hammers.

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The larger one is a relatively modern 10lb insulated "Whitehouse/Jafco" (1980s?) while the older one that would've had a longer shaft was made somewhere around 1860-90ish in Sheffield branded "Easterbrook Allcard" weighing 3.5lb.
It would have been called a "Platelayers" hammer this side of the pond.
 
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