BP1000b The REAL story about the Hofi Hammer

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BP1000b The REAL story about the Hofi Hammer
by Uri 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 clod 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 clod 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