Jump to content
I Forge Iron

why use a rounding hammer...


Alec.S

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 87
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

these videos pf brians are so cool alec - and he puts the hammer to Brilliant effect. hofi says the same kind of thing about his hammer, that there are many surfaces available in the one hammer. brian does a lot of things on his videos that ive never seen they are fascinating arent they? :)brian makes all this stuff look extremely easy and natural and requiring no effort!! he is a magician :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Using copper is a great method to show the effects of the various dies on the hammer face. It gets you to thinking about the faces of other hammers and their use by skilled smiths. Thanks for the
video, very educational.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Wow, just got a chance to try some of these techniques. Fantastic (if somewhat ugly)results! Pointing the bar on the horn, worked great. Fullering the stem so it lays flat across the face of the anvil, brilliant! I couldn't quite get the heart shaped leaf I was going for. I ground and belt sanded a flat face on a too heavy (3.5 lb) boilermakers hammer, it'll have to do for now. Half inch stock has never worked so easy.

post-182-0-87115700-1345500332_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes its a great skill every one should master. There is an other option that is to make fullering hammers at different radius and just swing straight. That is kind the principal of the vertical anvil Brian created. or have dies that can go in your hardie hole also like the 2 tools he uses in hammer making . Its great.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

The rounding hammer is definatelly great to have in your toolset! I made mine with Julien Puy a few weeks ago and I really enjoy using it. The round face allows one to make very clean and smooth products.


Here is my one:

8124789292_d9d7c3edbe_h.jpg


It already serviced me very good making these new chissels for me:

384898_462682173770362_504916752_n.jpg


If you get the chance to make such a hammer or get your hands on one you should definatelly go for it. Although I would not want this to be the only hammer I have. It is great but don´t want to miss a traditional crosspeen hammer on various projects.


- Daniel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

It is the same because Brian and Uri learned this method from Habermann. it is a great video and Alec you have had one heck of a trip and opportunity.


Francis, I have shown this very same use of the rounding hammer long before I got around any other blacksmiths. The first blacksmithing conference that I attended and demonstrated at was in 1998 at Vista, California. I demonstrated the same type of leaf in steel. I never had heard of Hofi or Habermann until 2002 while I was with Tom Clark. I made my first rounding hammer for Alfred Habermann in 2006.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm still trying to get to grips with how I survive as a professional blacksmith without owning the last magic hammer that had people in a froth!

Should I get this "rounding hammer", or wait for the next one?

I'm worried that I might be missing out!

Please help!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What do you mean by "top die", Brian? 

What's a "half hammer faced blow"?

If you are talking about blacksmithing techniques, you can just use the regular terms. No need to take something plain and make it fancy on my account.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fancy? I thought I was being plain.

Top die means your hammer surface, top tool, top die in a power hammer or other device.

Half hammer faced blow over thenear or far side of your anvil is where you strike with your hammer half on and half off the edge of the anvil with your material between.

You can see what I'm talking about in the video.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, be it fancy or plain, if you want to say hammer, say hammer. No need to say "die", that is something else.

So, to answer your questions; when I cut a piece of steel on a hot cut hardy I use a hammer

When I put a set in a piece of iron using the edge of the anvil I also use a hammer.

Why? What do you use? 

Let me guess!

A die?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dan P, the reason I call it a die is because I am trying to communicate the best surface of the hammer to use. So would you please answer my question and tell us what surface of the hammer you would choose to cut a piece of steel on a hot cut hardy. What type of hammer and what surface of that hammer you would choose?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To answer your question again, Brian, I would use the weight and type of hammer appropriate to the job at hand. The surface I use is the obvious one, that being the face of the hammer. As it happens, I almost always use a hot set, rather than a hardy. The way I use the hammer remains the same.

Now, will you tell us why you are asking?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dan P.  I don't understand your confusion in Brian's use of the word "die".  He has used these terms for years as other blacksmith also use them.  You may use the terms you want but I don't understand your insistence on Brian using your terms.  His use of other words like bottom die, top die, rounding die are well within the definition of the word "die".  "The die is a metal block that is used for forming materials". 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...