hand sledge handle, how long?

[Job R]

i bought a 8 lb sledge with no handle. gonna fix that, but how long should it be? im 6ft 4, but the handle i purchased seems to long. whats the rule? thanks Job

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

I always try to make it such that with the head resting on the anvil, the handle reaches all the way to my hands.

[fciron]

No real rule. Use it, trim it. Use it some more, trim it some more. Repeat until perfect.

Then cut off a little bit more, use colorful language and start over.

I use my dirty hand-prints as a guide to what part of the handle I actually hold.

[jimbob]

mine are cut for 24" overall I bought a new one a while back from ACE Hardware it said it was a short hadle I put it on a 14 lb straight pein its 26 overall just about right

[bruce wilcock]

for a single striker doing little more that giving the smith use of both his hands punching, slitting ,side setting ,and flatting ,any length that suits will do ,when you start to need to move iron and both are working 24 in is as short as you can go to give both some room to work ,double strikers no less than 30 in ,and to work well as a team 3 men and more 36 ins is a good length the main thing with teams is to have all hammers same length and weight so they can all handle the hammer well and not get on top of each other, , the heat keeps you back and 5lb hammer on a 38ins shaft is the tool for welding .The hammer used on youtube, Bruce wilcock striker forging tongs, has a 30 ins shaft ,and the hammers used to forge weld a small anchor on Bruce Wilcock youtube have 38 ins shafts and the hammers used to forge the anchor have 30 ins shafts sorry i dont know the way to make a link , but they will give you some idea of the reasoning behind the shaft length used

[Job R]

alright thanks guys. the main reason i ask is i dont like the grain of the handle in the last 6 inches on the working end, and would like to get rid of that first. we sahll see what i come up with.

[Frank Turley]

For an 8 pound sledge and for double striking and top-tool work, we ususally cut the store bought ones down to between 21" and 24". We don't do much team striking, and we strike continental style; ie., if you're right handed, both right and left hand are toward the right side of your body, the right hand nearest the hammer head. There is such a thing as a full around swing with both hands at the end of the haft, but we don't use it too often in my shop.



http://www.turleyforge.com Granddaddy of Blacksmith Schools

[thingmaker3]

I always try to make it such that with the head resting on the anvil, the handle reaches all the way to my hands.

Feh. A true Jedi need no handle. Move the head with you mind!

But since I'm no Jedi, I like a cubit plus two spans. Or two cubits minus a palm. You choose.