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problems ergonomic "hofi style" hammer - solved


hans138

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I would like to ad that using a copy of a Hofi hammer, ( that appears to have cost you the same price as IFI charges for a real one) then coming here attempting to blame others only shows poor judgement on your part. Blame the people that tried to tell you its the same as his. I strongly object to your rudeness in blaming Uri for your mistakes.

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Francis: Kind of a snappy reply there. I don't need to personally know more about hammer handle fit,I just thought that it should be included in a discussion about how hammers work or don't for us.Helping me fit my hammer handle to me was one of the first things my teacher did in 1965. As far as experience I know how to google,it's just simpler to reply to posts if somebody gives us a hint of their level of expertise at the time of posting. Didn't mean to insult anybody here.....

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Why is it common for threads to go bad like this one? I have not been here long, when I signed in it was to learn and it seems like a good place to share info and a lot of good info is shared. But some of these threads that are filled with such negativity that is not even part of the original posts topic make me wonder if IFI stands for: Instigate-Frighten-Intimidate. Cant we all play nice.
smith out

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make me wonder if IFI stands for: Instigate-Frighten-Intimidate. Cant we all play nice.

IF IFORGEIRON were to stop any negative or objectionable post we would then be blamed for censorship of the forum.
IF we deleted the posts, we would be accused of sanitizing the forum.
If we let the discussion progress, we would be accused of not stepping in and stopping it.

The basic site guidelines are no fussing, no cussing, no personal attacks, and please stay away from the discussion of religion, politics, and illegal activities.

Discuss the topics as you wish, but when the discussion gets heated, please site your references to back up your posts.

hans138 original post:
i just got a ergo hammer from pieh tool co and the eye was drifted 1/8th" off center. it really doesnt feel right but ive never really swung a ergonomic hammer before. does anyone have any input on the subject, should i exchange it or do these hammers just naturally feel real wonky??

hans, your issue with the hammer may be valid. I have not used a off center eye so can not comment from experience. I can speculate that it would change the balance of the hammer to some extent. If you are not happy with the purchase, contact the seller for an exchange or a refund. Please let us know how the problem is resolved.

Reference
A0019 The Hofi Hammer

The Hofi Hammer - - The REAL story
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I would appear that may be a rite of passage for some and you can include me on that list a few years back. You are not the first to bring this up R Smith.
In general the folks you`ll meet here are very helpful, opinionated but helpful.
It took me a while to learn who to ignore and who to listen to. Everybody has a bad day once in a while,some people have a bad day everyday and they hang out here a lot.
Ignore the haters and soak up the knowledge.
Welcome to IFI., a little slice of Americana.

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Having met and spoken with both Uri Hofi and Alfred Habermann, I can tell you that both men were extremely opinionated. Both men are also (or sadly in Freddy's case were) extremely talented too. I took from both what I found to be useful to me, given that I am not them, do not swing like them, forge like them or work as they do/did. I work like me.

A wise man said 'there is nothing new under the sun' and there's a lot to be said for that, but as grown ups and with brains capable of decent cognitive action we've no excuses for throwing our teddies from our prams over this sort of stuff. Informed debate should be encouraged, but eppy scoppies waste everyone's time.
So what if Uri's 'ergonomic' technique is no more an original idea than hitting anything with a hammer? I've seen that style of swing in half a dozen countries used by guys who've never heard of 'Uri Hofi' or his patented hammers. Uri's in it to make a living boys and girls, so deal with it. I don't hold it against him, good luck to him. I'm just capable of seeing the wood for the trees.

Hofi hammers are an amalgam of ideas taken from other hammer styles (such as the Czech style, Ozark style and the hammer the Alfred Habermann's grandfather made, that Alfred himself used, plus others Uri has seen, I'm sure) Fine, if he wants to claim that as his design then whatever he sees fit. They are well made tools and like any hammer if used properly can do the job just fine. Are they better than every other type of hammer? No, I don't think they are, they are simply a good tool. Some folks love them, some hate them, non of which matters. It's what you think of them and what you can do with them that ultimately counts.

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Eric my attention was not to be snappy just trying to help and answer some of the questions you posted.



Francis: Kind of a snappy reply there. I don't need to personally know more about hammer handle fit,I just thought that it should be included in a discussion about how hammers work or don't for us.Helping me fit my hammer handle to me was one of the first things my teacher did in 1965. As far as experience I know how to google,it's just simpler to reply to posts if somebody gives us a hint of their level of expertise at the time of posting. Didn't mean to insult anybody here.....
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It was said that IFI was the only place to buy the hofi hammer. Where is it for sale on the site. The store tab wont show anything whene I click on the catagories. Is there a place on the site to see price, options and order?

Thanks
Mike


Mike check your pm

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well the only thing that really gets me is about the guy he seems like all marketing, let me embelish.

the fact that he sells a 45$ dvd on ebay on how to swing a hammer,
the fact that it seems he like to credit himself for changing hammer angles, or useing the edge of the anvil for fuller.
or the fact that the popular nomer is "hoffi hammer" like its his desighn

the fact is its a close tie between the oldest professions. you have blacksmithing, tattooing, and prostotution. no body in any of these fields can really come up with something that hasnt been done before. new equipment can be made but new ideas in the field arent new, maybe lost to history but not new.

i once heard a girl in a tattoo shop asking the owner if he thought that there were a lot of girls who might have the same butterfly tattoo, he said the same thing i just did. its soooo old and soooo many people have done it over the EONS that your a little out of touch to think that you are doing something original

so i think most people (and myself) just dont like the fact that uri markets himself like that. he is a good smith though

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sorry if it seems like there were any attachs on my behalf thats not how im trying to come off, i tend to have a dominant personality at times. my heart is always in the right place but my mouth seldom is.

Why is it common for threads to go bad like this one? I have not been here long, when I signed in it was to learn and it seems like a good place to share info and a lot of good info is shared. But some of these threads that are filled with such negativity that is not even part of the original posts topic make me wonder if IFI stands for: Instigate-Frighten-Intimidate. Cant we all play nice. smith out


i kinda felt the same way at the begining of this thread, but people just have strong opinions, what can you do?


so do any of the people here use one of these hammers and if so did it take getting used to or did you take right to it
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well the only thing that really gets me is about the guy he seems like all marketing,

Nike, Chevrolet and Ford all produce a product and market that product. Henry Ford put his name on his product. Hofi is no different, he produces a product and put his name on his product.

the fact that he sells a 45$ dvd on ebay on how to swing a hammer,

I looked on ebay and found two hits for the dvd. Neither one was being sold by Hofi or Hofi's world wide distributor Angele. It would be interesting to see if these sellers are licenses or authorized Hofi distributors and to check to confirm that information with Hofi.

the fact that it seems he like to credit himself for changing hammer angles, or useing the edge of the anvil for fuller.

Hofi explains how to use his product in order to get the best results from that product. He has posted either 65 or 67 how-to tutorials on IForgeIron to explain how he uses a particular technique or makes a particular project. All FREE to you the viewer.

or the fact that the popular nomer is "hoffi hammer" like its his desighn

Henry Ford, Martha Stewart, Oprah, and many Hollywood types have attached their names to their products. Hofi has produced a product (hammer) and attached his name to that product so you can recognize it as his hammer. You may wish to review the references at reply #32 this thread for additional information on the Hofi Hammer.

the fact is its a close tie between the oldest professions. you have blacksmithing, tattooing, and prostotution. no body in any of these fields can really come up with something that hasnt been done before. new equipment can be made but new ideas in the field arent new, maybe lost to history but not new.

I have looked into blacksmithing and the earliest reference is a fellow called Tubalcain, the 5th great grandson of a fellow called Adam.
Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron:
I have not looked into the other professions as to the time of origin. I will let others familiar with the history of blacksmithing speak to the new things in the metalworking craft.

i once heard a girl in a tattoo shop asking the owner if he thought that there were a lot of girls who might have the same butterfly tattoo, he said the same thing i just did. its soooo old and soooo many people have done it over the EONS that your a little out of touch to think that you are doing something original

The girl got an original piece of art placed on her body. Like the blacksmith, no two pieces are exactly identical, as they are hand crafted.

so i think most people (and myself) just dont like the fact that uri markets himself like that. he is a good smith though
Budwiser produces a product that not everyone agrees with, and through marketing they have a major share of the available market. Part of their advertising is 8 horses pulling a beer wagon. How out of date is that with beer in a can being delivered by truck in the year 2012? Hofi markets his products as he wishes and in such a way as to make money. The same with anyone else that produces and markets a product.

You may wish to spell his name correctly, Hofi with one F. I am sure he would appreciate it.
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so do any of the people here use one of these hammers and if so did it take getting used to or did you take right to it

I purchased a Hofi Hammer. It was not until I drove 11 hours one way to meet with Hofi himself that I learned about the man and his intense desire to teach others about the craft. Hofi took the time to explained each step and why, so the reason for the techniques would became clear.

I went from a 2 pound long handled hammer to a 3 pound Hofi hammer as they felt the same in weight due to the differences in techniques used with each hammer. Like any new tool, you must spend some time with that tool to figure out how it works and what it can do.
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I have a Hofi style hammer (clone by blu with Hofi stamped on it ) and it is a good hammer ... and it is much different from the other hammers that i use ( even the french style hammer ) ... and with that spongy glue used to hold the handle, it is a new idea
-its strange that people harsh on him for stuff when he's done a significant amount for the blacksmith community... and yet someone like the outlaw who's done jack for blacksmithing is oddly treated like he was Yellin or something
-his hammer is a good hammer and i believe it is pushing the trend towards this style of hammer... look at all the new clones out there

to the OP ... i'd return the hammer if you don't like it.. .... if it were me, i'd just knock the handle out and hand file the hammer hole to the right dim's ..... ... ( i'd just save the cost of shippin )

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I just spent around 30 minutes reading all the posts and that was entertaining.
That being said, it seems to me that the person who forged this hammer either does not have a very good quality control method or one just slipped by. A hammer that is drifted 1/8 off center should be a reject and destroyed before going into the scrap bin.

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Don't forget that Henry Ford started up by making nothing, he had others produce the chasis and body, then his "factory" assembled them. Later of course he instituted the "from dirt to pavement" ownership of the supply chain. Frankly, he was a major xxxxxxx and very tough to get along with. His moving assembly line resulted in the highest turnover rates in the country if not the World. The average stay for a new employee was one and a half months and it cost $100 to train them. Thusly he issued the $5 a day pay program for his workers, which was an astonishing wage at the time. It more then doubled the pay of most of the workers. Thusly he was heralded as a "peoples hero" when in fact the working conditions were so poor and his workers were driven so hard that the pay raise was required.

Unfortunatly it is usually the "throat steppers" with "the only correct opinion in the world" which make it to the top. They reach the top because that is where they demand to be and anyone which refutes their claim is crushed.

Frankly, almost everyone here, including me, is a stuborn xxxxxxx and wants to do things their own way. This can cause issues at times, especially if someone states that "there is only one way to do something", if they added "for me" then I would agree, but to say that everyone in the world should do things exactly the same way is flat out foolish and/or dictatorial. I for one live in a free country with free minds and am very proud of that fact!

Caleb Ramsby

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xxxx, now i gotta save for a cast Hofi hammer

Hofi says that the cast hammer is preferred by the German blacksmiths and other full time professional blacksmiths. By casting, he can choose and control the type steel and control the exact dimensions of the hammer. There will always be a slight difference in the forged hammer as each one is hand made.
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funny how crazy this place got just over a question about a... well lets just call it a czech hammer. glad some folks feel me on the whole 1/8" thing. sorry if opinions got exchanged in a coarse manner.


and did you guys notice the admin used the bible as a historical reference. the oldest mummified body found in europe the "iceman" had tattoos, and no metal objects, were not sure what happend to the prostitute though. any way thanks for all the posts guys

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If you read the references there is no "czech hammer". The reference explained how this tag came about.

The story of the ''Czech'' hammer started when George Dixon in his book on Francis Whitaker the late in the paragraph of hammers. He put a drawing of the Hofi hammer and called it Czech. Reference A0019 The Hofi Hammer

YOU may call it anything YOU wish, but that does not change the correct or proper name.

"the admin" (that was me) used a short 10 word reference to the earliest reference of working with metal that he knew about. No mention was made of the source, but it (the source) is available on request. If you have an earlier reference please provide it so it can be posted on the site.

If you would like to disagree with the reference on the "czech hammer", may I suggest you contact Uri Hofi directly as he is the source for the article on the Hofi Hammer. You may also contact George Dixon as he is the source for the comment in his book. Please let us know what these two have to say on the subject so we can post it as a reference on the site. It should go a long way to clearing up any problems in the future. The contact information for both Uri Hofi and George Dixon can be found with a google search.

This is the very reason IForgeIron suggests adding references to any discussion, so you can go to the source. This avoids speculation, rumors, and armchair arguments. Go to the source for the FACTS. The discussion then returns to a discussion of facts.

Let us get back to the original question:
You have a hammer where " the eye was drifted 1/8th" off center". Those responding on this thread suggest it should be returned or replaced by the seller. Have you contacted the seller? What was done to correct the situation?
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