Hammer Time , What kind of hammers to use

[Dwane Oliver]

New to Forging , almost done with the new shop , and outdoor covered forging area. Got a new to me anvil , 98lb Acme.:1971_dancing_dog:
Need a new hammer now. I used one similar to this at Master Goo's , it was the Beez Kneez. I dont have a $100 + dollars to spend on a hammer though.

The face on the one I used was a bit flatter , but do you all think this would work? I could regrind the face.
In my opinion you dont need a heavy hammer , just a proper one.
If you have something else in mind , please post a picture :biggrin:

 

[EdCaffreyMS]

Hi Dwane!

For starting out, I would encourage you to find a standard cross or straight peen hammer until you learn how to manipulate the hammer. Hammers such as the one you posted a pic of are not what I consider a good choice for beginners. The reason I say that is because they are more difficult to control and direct, which can be very frustrating for a beginner.

For cheap, usable hammers, go to your local second hand store or pawn shop....you can generally find usable hammer heads for a couple of dollars, then go to the hardware store and buy a new handle or two. ALWAYS use ONLY wood handles for your forging hammers! Fiberglass, steel, or other materials will transmit the shock of hammering up your arm, and will quickly wear you out.

Grind/clean up you hammer faces to a mild dome shape, with a finish just as fine as you can make it (all my hammer faces are mirror finished). Of course I would love to recommend one of my hammers to you, but that's not what your looking for right now. The best thing you can do for yourself at this stage is to stick with traditional pattern hammers, and LEARN how the hammer moves the hot steel. Once you get a good grip on hammer control and understand how the motions you make effect how the steel moves, then you'll be able to use just about any hammer design you'd like. Traditional style hammers will make it somewhat easier for you learn.....but the wrong choice in the beginning (like the one pictured) can make things more difficult....and you don't need that.
Before anyone thinks I'm dissing that style of hammer....I'm not. The style of hammer in the picture is an excellent choice for EXPERIENCED forgers. My reasons for NOT recommending it to a beginner is due to how far off center the handle is....while that is a benefit for advanced forgers, it makes the hammer difficult for a beginner to control. The thought pattern often is...."with that weight towards the face, it will hit harder!" In the hands of an experienced person that can be so, but this game is not always about power.....control is paramount when Bladesmithing. If you learn how to control/manipulate the hammer to achieve what you desire, your ahead of the game. Power without control is nothing more than making a mess.

 

[Carey Quinn]

Dwayne, you can get a lot of work done with a 2lb ball pein and a 3lb engineers hammer. As Ed said, slightly dome the heads and polish them well. Just remember, if you dome them too much they will just become big peins and leave big craters that you have to work out. It took me a while to find a balance that I liked.

Carey

 

[Doug Lester]

In the end, you will get a collection of hammers to do different jobs based on the way that you work. I have found that I can move more steel with heavier hammer but not for nearly as long as I can with lighter hammers so, in the end, I can get more work done with a lighter hammer. I do have a 3 1/2" hammer but I generally only use it with my guilotine tool and my spring fuller or when I want to do some serious steel moving. I also find it handy to go to a lighter hammer when I only want to nudge the steel a little. I also tend to favor square or oblong faced hammers with just a gentle crown. I do have a 2lb double faced raising hammer that use when the direction of moving the steel is not as important to me. I has a flat and a higher crowned face but I seldon use the higher crowned face anymore. I used a 4lb hammer for forging at one time but now I only use it to stamp my maker's mark.

Doug Lester

 

[Dwane Oliver]

Thanks for the input fellas , I'm taking all of it into account. When I learn more about forging , I'm sure I will understand where you are coming from.

 

[David]

check out www.blacksmithsdepot.com

they are local for me but will ship anywhere and they seem to have a pretty decent price. i bought the peddinghaus 2000gram hammer and my instructor showed me how to regrind it from a flat edge to one that's convex on both sides so that the hammer blows come up round when you strike and allow you to chase the metal anyway you want depending on if you tilt the hammer one way or another. it does the job.

Wolfjaw tongs are in my opinion the best starter tongs you can get. because they will accommodate both round, square and hexagonal shaped stock. it's what i've been using mostly. and i've already forged one knife and in the process of making some more.

thought i'd re-edit this and add something very useful in being able to work longer without hurting yourself. and that is to look up Hofi's Ergonomic Hammer Method and learn how to do it. It will help you when trying to hand forge high carbon or very thick pieces of steel.