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BP1002 Hofi Hammer Technique - The Swing
by Uri Hofi
Photos by Johannes Angele
Many blacksmith think that to forge down or to hit the steel is the moment u need the power which is NOT !!! right.The moment u need the power is when u raise the hammer.The style and length of the handle, the place and the way u hold it in the Hofi system solve that problem and keeps the hand undameged.
The hammer is an constructed as an balanced ergonomic hammer.
Why balanced?
The construction is designed that when you tilt the hammer and we all ways tilt the hammer( to moove more mass and faster) it will stay the way you want it without having a rotational move and by then you do not loose forging power and there is no effect what so ever on the wrist and again you protect it.
Shows it and I will explain:
When you hold the hammer loose first of all u do not waste power on holding the hammer,with the limited power we have every bit is importent.SO HOW WE RAISE THE HAMMER? When we swing the hammer down to forge with full speed the moment it is all most hitting the steel we loose the grip on the handle, the hammer is aimed, the speed is there, the hammer do not need us any more we LET IT GO them we do not disturb it to bounce up from the reaction!
There is always reaction to the action we use it to help us raise the hammer first with the wrist by that we shorten the distance between the hammer and the shoulder shortening the liverage to half and then using half of the power to raise the hammer.
Now the hammer is up and we start the forging down.To get maximum work we need to exelerate to maximum speed (we all know the second law of motion of newton, Work is equal to the mass times the volocity squared, divided by 2. YOU CAN SEE IT ON THE PHOTOS). How do we exelerat?
We use the 4 joints the shoulder-power, the elbow--power + more speed the wrist--speed and the last is the loose grip on the handle. (Remmember that when we raised the hammer it came first now it comes last) the heavier hammer we can swing in the higher speed the v is in square we get much more forging power and we move more mass..
Holding the hammer another view.
Tilting the hammer while forging.
Using the edge of the anvil and hammer to move the mass faster.
Hope every thing is clear. Uri Hofi
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