Toreus Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Hey guys, I've been seeing a few french-pattern crosspeins around. Can anyone tell me what's the deal with them, or in what situations they'd be used instead of a symmetrical crosspein? Thanks, Toreus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbob Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Hey guys, I've been seeing a few french-pattern crosspeins around. Can anyone tell me what's the deal with them, or in what situations they'd be used instead of a symmetrical crosspein? Thanks, Toreus I've read that they developed during construction of the Eiffel Tower to set rivets that were hard to get at! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisG Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Toreus, do you have a pic of one of these hammers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toreus Posted March 7, 2010 Author Share Posted March 7, 2010 Toreus, do you have a pic of one of these hammers? Good example is: http://www.blacksmithsdepot.com/Templates/cart_templates/cart-detail.php?theLocation=/Resources/Products/Hammers/French_Pattern_Hammer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alec.S Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 I am not sure what the purpose of the peen to be off center is but......i love french pattern hammers (half of my nationality gives me that ) they're great for moving metal alec (the Frenchman!) B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbob Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 Looked again and found the thread :-) thanks for the link ...when I blew it up the date on the last page looks to January 1906. the front shows Est. 1866. it does have a lot old tools...the vise stands like some that were posted here. at this point I don't think we're ever know when or why this pictular hammer style came about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 I seem to recall seeing a picture of the french pattern hammer being used in Diderot's Encyclopedia pushing it back at least to the late 1700's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divermike Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 I got one from Kayne and sons, it's a little over 2 lbs, and I love it, it is my travelling hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted March 9, 2010 Share Posted March 9, 2010 Not the exact same pattern but close - I made this hammer about 15 years ago and use it daily. It started life with a 2-1/2lb head but has lost about 3/16" in length over time. I made it from 1080 steel but drew it on the soft side in the hopes it would not damage an anvil from a missed hit. Subsequently, it slowly mushrooms with use and I grind away the swelling instead of demounting the handle and reforging to shape. I'm hoping I'll wear out before it does so I don't end my career with an 8 oz hammer... :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratel10mm Posted March 9, 2010 Share Posted March 9, 2010 I expect if anyone can offer a definitive answer, it's the staff here: http://www.maison-de-l-outil.com/index.php?page=accueil_anglais Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Turley Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 I suspect that many times a tool's shape develops by happenstance. It the old days, there was lots of regionalism, so that particular shape stayed in France. I have two old beautiful French books which picture tools. In one "l'outil" The Tool, they show a quite old French pattern hammer from a museum. In the other book "le livre de l'outil," they also show the hammer, but a newer one in recent use in the blacksmith shop. I have an old, rusted, "pock marked" hammer of the French style, and it has a rectangular face, slightly rockered. The edges are not radiused. I have not used the hammer; to me, it is an antique. If I were to use it, i think I would radius the edges of the face. http://www.turleyforge.com Granddaddy of Blacksmith Schools Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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