The hammer myth or legend

[Francis Trez Cole]

I have been studying hammers and hammering techniques for some time now and some of the information I have found is very eye opening. Let us start with the type of hammers blacksmiths use. What is a hammer? It is a shaped lump on steel on the end of a wooden stick that you hit metal with, in its simplest form. The shape of that lump varies in style from region to region, as well as personal style to ones vision of the work to be done and the desired outcome of the work. The debate will go on for years which type is best I am sure of that. The purpose of this article is to look at the hammers on the market what it does and how it is used to move metal in our job. The effects it has on the metal and each and every one of us in the field.

I am sure there will be those who like their hammer better than another hammers on the market, good for you if it works for you that is great. This will help new blacksmiths find a lot of information on hammers in one place so you can make up your own mind how best to invest their money to give them the best hammer for their dollar.

So what do you expect to do with your hammer? Move metal to a desired shape. Looking at the shape of hammers faces they are only two types flat or rounded.

There are many variations and combinations of these hammers faces. A German style, rounding hammer, cross peen, straight peen, Ball peen, Swedish style, French style, Dutch style, Japanese style, Scythe style, and Hofi style just to name a few. All have a flat and or round face to the hammer. The flat face of the hammer is to make smooth and flat marks on the metals surface the rounded part is designed to move the metal in a radiating shape or in a straight line to help move metal faster in a given direction. The blacksmith must choose the hammer which best meets their needs.

Lets look at the Japanese style hammer first why to get it out of the way I feel its design is a shape of function it has a lot of mass on a short curved handle. Why well that is simple look at a samurai sword and the shape of the blade it is faceted those facets run the length of the blade. As the blade smith works the shape of the blade the angle of the hammer falls on is in alignment to the blades facets. In the same shape is a dog face hammer used by file makers for the same reason he is always cutting on an angle.

So those are the exceptions now let us look at the rest of the hammers you can only hit a hammer 5 ways flat, toe edge, heal edge, right side edge and left side edge. The reason to hit a hammer on its toe the edge away from you is to move metal towards you. The heal of the face will move metal away from you and the right and left side edge will move the metal to the sides. The flat strike will clean up any strike marks and make the metal smooth. I see this as the Habermann method although other have claimed it as their own. The real question is where did they get the enlightenment to think of this.

What happens when you hit a piece of metal, at the right temperature, on an anvil, with a hammer. The force of the hammer comes in contact with the metal and it has to spread it absorbs some of the impact. Then it gets to the point where it will not move any more. The hammer then has to recoil helping the hammer back up into the striking position. Managing this motion is the goal to get the most amount of work with the least amount of energy expended. This is where Newton's II law comes into play. The handle length needs to be the same length lets say 14inches. If you could swing a 50 pound hammer at 10 feet per second you archive 500foot pounds of force and if you could swing a 2 pound hammer 250 feet per second it is lighter so you can move it faster you would create the same amount of force. A 50 pound hammer has a much larger face so the impact mark would cover more metal where the 2 pound hammer has a smaller face would make a deeper mark in the same metal. By no means do I want you to swing a 50 pound hammer unless you are a striker. Some farriers like a long handle with a light head some blacksmith like a short handle with a 32 oz head or larger. Foot pounds are a mathematical game it is deciding what will work best for you. My self, I like a hammer 2 pounds with a 14 inch handle. It gives me the option to swing at full length or to choke up on the handle for more controlled blows.

How let us look at the handle what are the 3 factors when considering type of handle yes I said type. There are three types of handle wood, fiberglass, and metal. With these types we must look at Shape and vibration conductivity. The purpose of the handle is to give you something to hold on to and to be able to steer the head of the hammer to the target. Shape a handle should be conical in shape smaller near the head of the hammer and larger where you hold it. I like a longer handle with 2 progressions so I can hold the handle in the middle or at the end to gain more velocity.

Vibration conductivity the vibration range that is produced from the hammer striking the metal on the anvil comes in 2 forms High and low frequencies. High frequencies go away fast and will cause very little damage to the hand, wristband elbow. Low frequencies, on the other hand, are what causes the damage. The handle that transfers the low frequencies the best is wood. Yes test show that fiberglass and metal push the low frequencies waves out of the handle and they become high frequencies faster protesting the body better. I know this comes as a shock to me as well but the science is sound. For new smiths the hardest skill to learn is hammering. I bought one of each to see how they work I was able to get use to the fiberglass faster. On the other hand I do like the feel of the metal handle. The great advantage of these hammers they can be bought at Lowe's or Home Depot for around $20.00 it is a great starting point for the beginning blacksmith and a great exercise for the experiences one. The face of the hammer will have to be dressed.

Years ago while working as a Chef there were many chefs that tried to convince new cooks that the$150.00-$400.00 knife was the way to go it will make them a better chef. But I believe that a $20.00-$30.00 knife was the way to start to learn how to use it and care for it and make the mistakes with. I think the same is true with blacksmithing. Then you can learn to make your own is another option as you gain experience.

So armed with this knowledge searching for a hammer starts we all have different size hands so you will find the one that fits you the best. In holding a hammer as a smith you are guiding it to the target. Your hand should be wrap around the handle with a loose grip you fingers should not touch the base of your thumb. While you are swing if someone took hold of the hammer it should come out of your hand. As far as your thumb goes using it on top of the handle for light blows off anvil is fine like starting a scroll but heavy blows will damage the nerve in your hand. Next we will look at your stance and swinging the hammer the study of ergonomics. I hope this helps.

[Glenn]

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