Jobsmart Cross Peen

[yaktelcom]

Has anyone heard of a Jobsmart Hammers from Tractor Supply. I bought one today for $10. We will see. Made in China. ACK>>>just saw that.

[Marksnagel]

Haven't heard of a Jobsmart hammer. The $10 sounds good but having just been burned by inferior saw blades that were made in China, I'll pass. I didn't see the made in China till it failed. "ACK" was not the sound that came out of my mouth . Let me know how it works for you. We have a Tractor supply opening up here in a week or two and I am looking forward to checking it out.

Mark<><

[jw223]

Just watch the head.I have a 2 pounder made in China, and the head flew off after about 6 or 7 swings. There wasn't a wedge holding into the handle, just a piece of smooth flat metal about an 1/8 thick, triangle shaped, but smooth on the sides. It also had an epoxy/thick paint covering the end of the handle at the head, so I didn't notice the handle slipping. Plus, it was a new hammer. After I re-handled it, I have had NO problems with it. I actually like the weight for lighter work. Of course, I'm just a weekend warrior, not a full time smith. If you are planning on using it full time, I guess only time will tell how it holds up. For ten bucks, it was probably worth a try. The jobsmart vice grips are ok to. they have held up pretty well, and I don't feel bad if I burn them up with a torch, or cover them with spatter.
JW-

[yaktelcom]

Thanks guys. I will see with use. TS is the only place I have found one. Next time I'm in there I'll ask for a catalog or something.

[yaktelcom]

Mine is a 3 pounder. do you think putting a wedge in it will help?

[maddog]

My first forging hammer was a chinese 2lb double faced sledge. It was fine until the handle snapped just below the the head. Since then I have used a lot of cheap chinese hammers of different kinds. Always a problem with the handle, either it loosens or breaks. Sometimes they can be rewedged and glued.

To me its no big deal to make a handle for a hammer. But if you want to avoid dealing with that, spend the $25 and get a nice forging hammer from one of the BS Supply houses. Sheesh, for a hand tool that is central to your work and is used constantly, it doesnt make sense to go cheap unless you really are strapped.

[thingmaker3]

My experience with Chinese hammers is similar to other folk here. Heads are okay, but handles suck and/or are mounted improperly.

I forget who said it, but any Chinese hammer should be considered a kit - some re-assembly required.

So, add your standard shop rate for making and mounting a new handle to the price of the "inexpensive" hammer for total price. ;)

[yaktelcom]

My first forging hammer was a chinese 2lb double faced sledge. It was fine until the handle snapped just below the the head. Since then I have used a lot of cheap chinese hammers of different kinds. Always a problem with the handle, either it loosens or breaks. Sometimes they can be rewedged and glued.

To me its no big deal to make a handle for a hammer. But if you want to avoid dealing with that, spend the $25 and get a nice forging hammer from one of the BS Supply houses. Sheesh, for a hand tool that is central to your work and is used constantly, it doesnt make sense to go cheap unless you really are strapped.

There is no BS shop close by and this is the first hammer I have come across in my town. I live in Alabama and I found an association for BS and there is a map of the chapters around the state and guess what...I live in a big vacant area of the map.

Maybe this one will last long enough to make my own even if I have to re handle it.

Oh yeah I can see why they snap below handle looks skimpy.

Doug

[Dodge]

Has anyone heard of a Jobsmart Hammers from Tractor Supply. I bought one today for $10. We will see. Made in China. ACK>>>just saw that.

"Jobsmart" is probably as about as "western" sounding as the ad tech asigned to that product could come up with. Loosely translated, it means "Hey! Unsuspecting round-eye. Don't look at the "Made in China"; Just buy it because it sounds "American" and it's cheap! It is a common practice. Another is to combine common well known American names and trademarks that don't sound as un-American. Remember Packard Bell computers? Not Chinese but nothing to do with Hewlett Packard Bell or any other American company. Another example was the first CNC drill I trained on; Johnford. Sounds nice and American, huh? Nice machine but 100% Chinese :D

[maddog]

There is no BS shop close by and this is the first hammer I have come across in my town. I live in Alabama and I found an association for BS and there is a map of the chapters around the state and guess what...I live in a big vacant area of the map.

Me too. I don't think there is a BS supply house in my state. I buy online.

Kayne & Son Hammers


I just think a blacksmith's hammer is too important to be chosen by what's available in the local hardware store. There are very few good quality hand tools of any kind to be found in a hardware store today. Often it doesnt matter much but this is a forging hammer.

Just my opinion and as, I said, I don't know your budget. I have known times when $25 was hard to come by.

[yaktelcom]

I agree maddog. It may for several reasons at this moment. One finance play a part. The situation we are in. We are temporarily down to one vehicle. and believe it or not we have been having problems with our postal service. I can't seem to get our mail or things ordered. We have had to go the the post office 3 times now to do paperwork saying we still live, where we have lived for 11 yrs. Very frustrating. I also trying save some money to get a new/used truck. 3500 chevy crew flatbed. I need a truck and big enough to hold my family. I have 5 children: 1 wife 2 boys(one with a w. chair) and 2 girls.

All that being said, may be why I am frugaling and being a "Chesapeake" beginning BS. Its all good. My son is excited about our new found anvil and hobby, he says we need another anvil already and we have only ping tested the one we have. Don't you just love it with kids.

[yaktelcom]

BTW thanks for the link. I will bookmark that one.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Ummmmm why buy new? Check garage sales, flea markets, thrift stores, pawn shops, craigslist,and ask neighbors if they have any old hammers that they want to get rid of. Hammers are one of those items that are usually dirt cheap because no one really thinks about them much. I used to find just the heads in buckets, and boxes at the flea market.

Then when you get some experience make a hammer.

My buddy bought some ball peen hammers at HF years ago. They were quickly named flying head hammers after one of the heads decided to come of in mid swing. :o

[evfreek]

I would keep an eye on the handle of any cheap hammer. Someone warned me about the cheap Harbor Freight engineer's hammer, and I heeded the warning. The handle came loose, and I shaved it with a drawknife and rehandled using a decent wedge. It worked out just great. I also shaved off a piece of the hammer to test it. It was good steel, about 1070, and had a good temper. Hard, but it did not shatter when I notched it and hit it. I agree. Those Chinese hammers are not ready to use out of the box and have to be watched very carefully.

But, for a balanced viewpoint, I bought a good ol' American cross pein at a garage sale for 2 bucks. Its face was all chewed up and it required a lot of grinding. I also rehandled it, but it had one of those ridiculous undersized eyes. Anyone who knows vintage hammers will know about this problem. A lot of them just have tiny little eyes. Maybe wood was stronger or smiths were weaker, or this hammer was intended for a special purpose. Recently, I talked with a master smith who specialized in vintage tools. He told me that most beginners handle their hammers incorrectly. They see these Hofi or Tom Clark or various other modern hammers with huge eyes, and get a thick handle. Invariably, this handle has to be shaved too narrow, and gets a weak spot right outside the head. Impact causes the handle to break at this point. It is just a case of improperly mixed technologies. He has a strong arm and knows how to whip the hammer hard. The secret is to use a long thin whippy handle without a sharp thickness transition at the head. The handle is narrow coming out, and gradually widens when it reaches the grip. This keeps the weak spot from appearing, and allows the hammer to whip and flex to take up the shock. He makes all his own handles, and loves vintage tools. He has had no trouble. His advice: keep the Hofi handle on the Hofi hammer.

Oh by the way, I did have an accident with this hammer. Fortunately nobody was struck by the flying head. It was OK for years until a smith who I visited showed me a photo sequence of how to hammer. He forced me to raise my arm higher than I ever imagined possible, and send it down with accuracy. This really improved my smithing. Shortly afterward, the accident occurred.

So the moral was that there is no best technology, there is only appropriate technology.

[yaktelcom]

I just looked and this hammer has some kind of wedge in it.???? circly one anyway.

[Ian]

That'll be a tube wedge. Using tube or pipe instead of a traditional triangular wedge is more popular for some reason these days. I believe the theory behind it is that a piece of pipe forces the wood in the eye out in all directions as opposed to just two. It supposedly makes a more secure fixing.
I have both types of wedges in my hammers, my Swedish hammer has a round tube wedge, my old farriers turning hammer has a triangular wedge. IMO if the traditional wedge is done right there's no reason the head should be any less secure than using a bit of tubing.

[David Einhorn]

I have an assortment of hammers. My favorite ones are the hammers made by Hofi. I sometimes use the Swedish hammers if I need to get into a corner. I have two Craftsmen hammers that I have had for more years than I would care to admit, which seem almost indestructable. I also have an assortment of flea-market cross-peen and flea-market ball-peen hammers for when I need to bang on cold stuff. I would humbly suggest getting a flea-market hammer or Craftsman if money is short, rather than a Chinese hammer. If you have arm or shoulder injuries then I would recommend Hofi hammers.

[Timothy Miller]

Say what you will about craftsman tools but the hammers are top notch. The handles they use are top quality and the heads are good steel. The price is reasonable too. I have some of their ball peens they last forever. http://www.craftsman.com/shc/s/p_10155_12602_00938262000P?vName=Hand+Tools&cName=Hammers+%26+Striking+Tools&sName=Hammers+%26+Mallets&prdNo=10&blockNo=10&blockType=L10

[ThomasPowers]

I'd certainly advise you to try out a bunch of fleamarket hammers before you spent big bucks on a "name" hammer.

Find out what you like, what works for you and have handles you are not afraid to take a rasp to to figure out what's the best
for you.

My first hammer was a 2# double jack and it's still on my hammer rack and still used on a regular basis---it;s my warm up hammer before I switch to a 1.5 kg swedish crosspeen...(also bought used at a conference). It's on it's third handle, not too bad for 30 years at the anvil!

[Bentiron1946]

A few years ago I got given three HF 3# "sledge" hammer heads, all with handles broken off, all near new too. They use some kind of fast growing tropical "hardwood" for the handles. The heads are OK like said, the problem is the handle. I put on some "seconds" hickory handles and they have seen real hard service with my contractor neighbor the last couple of years without any handle problems, no head problems either.
I still use my $1 Japan cross peen hammer after thirty years, not much now, but after I put a new handle on it there wasn't a problem. It's kind of hard to mess up a head, the ones that are bad sure show it quick with chips around the edge or cracks at the hole. I got a couple of old silversmith heads that need new handles, nothing wrong with the heads.
I have a hard time paying big bucks for a hammer when so many just need a new handle :blink:

[wolfshieldrx]

The way my dad taught me to make a handle was to SPLIT the billet along the grain. This makes the handle much stronger because there is little or no cross-grain to shear. The problem with most handles I see today is they are lathe turned with little or no regard for grain direction. Around here, hickory is the traditional choice. Even a skinny split and shaved handle takes a lot to break it. bart

[yaktelcom]

Well I have used this hammer for 2 days and it seems to be fine no evidence of wriggling loose. I chuckled every time I checked during the time I was using it.

BTW I am hammer a set of tongs and I have made the bit too short, so I won't be able to use it with piece perpendicular to the tongs.

Doug