The Hofi Hammer - - The REAL story

[Hofi]

I want to clarify some subject in this discussion and tell a story.


There is ''no'' ''Czech hammer'' a ''Czech hammer'' is not existing in the Czech republic. The Molnar the Biehal the Josef Muck the Habermann every one of this long time blacksmith families that all of them I know and visited and with all of them with very good relationship are forging with d i f f e r e n t hammer .the hammer that people here and in the us are referring to as the ''Czech hammer'' is the Hofi hammer. It is not a modification of the Habermann hammer (that was invented and forged first by his grandfather). The ''Hofi hammer ''is completely different hammer” and if one looks at the hammer one can see that the design is completely different the balance the handle the longer pien the radiuses and the grinding. The story of the ''Czech'' hammer started when George Dixon in his book on Francis Whitaker the late in the paragraph of hammers. He put a drawing of the Hofi hammer and called it Czech.

In three places in the states the ''Hofi'' hammer is forged

1 At the Ozark School by Mr. Tom Clark that I was teaching at the school for 5 years and Mr. Clark visited my shop in Israel 4 times and I taught him how to forge the Hofi hammer. Tsur Sadan that is now teaching at the Ozark was my student for 4 years at my smithy.

2 The BigBlu by Mr. Dean Curfman that also paid twice a visit to my smithy in Israel twice special to learn how to forge the Hofi hammer and to grind it and also to learn about the quick change system for the air hammer die and about forging other tools that he sells now. The air hammer school is also my idea and I was teaching there the '' free form air hammer system''. Mr. Dean Curfmann also took three classes with me at the Ozark and in NY.

3 Doug Merkel that took also three classes with me two at the Ozark and one at the air hammer BigBlu school.

Now Thomas Dean the story of kissing the hammer.

10 years ago I was invited by BABA to participate in forging elements for the '' niddle'' a huge sculpture the is now located in Newcastle on the side walk along the river. The meeting was in France in doarnane on the brest bay a beautiful fishermen harbor on the channel in brest bay the other side of England. 54 blacksmith from Europe and England took part in the forging meeting.

A young man by the name of Claude was following me like a shadow all the time where ever I moved he was there. After three days he dared to ask me: Mr. Hofi how come you are forging with one hammer only and do it easier and faster then all the others? I with my sense of humor answered him very earnest, clod when you enter the smithy in the morning first thing I do is standing opposite to the anvil take the hammer and kiss it then go around the anvil and kiss again when you do it 7 times the hammer will forge alone.

Next morning he came to me and said Mr. Hofi I tried it and it did not help.

A month later Claude came to me to my smithy in Israel and stayed 1-1/2 years. Now he is married, has two kids, an he is teaching the Hofi system in France.

This story I am telling every where I teach and also kiss the hammer daily.

Sorry for the long story but I think it is nice
Hofi






The Hofi Hammer Cast Hammer vs Forged Hammer

To my opinion the cast is better then the forged. The deference is small. An amateur will not fill the difference.

The 6150 steel of the cast is a better steel then the c45. The cast is more balanced because casting on a mold I could arrange the steel in a better and more balanced form and there for more ergonomic. I myself forge today mainly with the cast hammer. There is a belief that the forged because the grain re-organizing is better then the cast. Not any more !!

To day with the lost wax system that the air is leaving the mold from all around the mold and not only from the air outlet the grain dispersion in the cast is better. Even in the industry many parts that were forge are cast today. And it is very interesting also that more and more I sell more cast hammers then forged. The people loves them.
Hofi

[R Funk]

Hofi,

Thanks for clarifying the Hofi Hammer and its history!

Do you have a picture or can post a link for the type of hammers Habermanns used?

I would like to see one to help me better understand the hammer they used.

Also do you have any information on the Haberman Anvil?

Thanks again!

[RainsFire]

I get it!! thankyou for clearing that up Hofi.
cool story too.

[irnsrgn]

I think this is the habermann hammer.

This is the Hofi Hammer

[FabienC.]

hello guys!
two pictures........

[Sandalphon]

Hofi,

Todah Rabbah Ve sipur metzuyan!

it is nice to finally see the difference!

Also, Will the cast hammer be as flaw free with a small at home foundry as with your more indultrialized setup, if I were to try one myself?

[Valentin]

To bad to be on a forging forum and like a casted item instead of a forged one... But hey who can beat the fact's... It;s cheaper, it;s easyer to make ,it;s balanced, it's better !

[Glenn]

Valentin, does this also apply to other tools such as anvils? (grin)

I imagine it would be difficult to find a hand forged anvil. I know Bruce Wilcock makes them, and I am sure there are others, but not many.

[Hofi]

Hello Valentin
I m now in a process of a design of a more BALANCED and ERGONOMIC hammer
again it will be ''CAST'' casat of two metals higher specifig gravity and because smaller
and much more ballanced.
I AM LOOKING FOR THE FUETUER !! the same like the reinessance people did in their
time 4-500 years ago , they have instantly addopted every new technique .
If tig or mig welder would have been invented in their time they would use it immidietly
Hofi

[Valentin]

Originally Posted by Glenn

Valentin, does this also apply to other tools such as anvils? (grin)

I imagine it would be difficult to find a hand forged anvil. I know Bruce Wilcox makes them, and I am sure there are others, but not many.

Don't you not treasure more the forged one instead on the serial cast ones (anvil) ?
There are 2 things that give value to any item... It's usefulness and the process involved into making it...
I know there are only a handfull of people that know the diference betwen let's say a hammer that's CNC cut or forged out. Can u beat the perfection of the CNC ? no... but can the CNC copy the mistakes / character that the tired blacksmith does ? So what if we got all the new tools and tehnology... they are greate for mass production and low cost. Just my opinion. I do use cast elements in my work i also used CNC cut or punched pressed elements but i have to admit that there are people that know the diference betwen a rivet and an electric weld and they are still going for a rivet. I guess the choise is it's customer's and i know most of my customers are looking at the low cost solution.

The 3 hammers forged that i got from Richard now all sit with prinde in a frame on my showroom wall but i whoud never put a cast one there...not that i don't use cast hammers in my shop i use them and i can;t feel a difference betwen the cast/forged one... The only diference is in my mind. I am sorry Hoffi if u think i do not agree with you or the use of new tehnology that;s not the thing , i know that u are a very skilfull blacksmith and full of knolage and you are willing to share that knolage and i apreciate that. I am just pointing out my opinion as it is.