Here are the 2 main shapes I use for my hammer peins, These are used for drawing out the steel. Pien 1 is an idea I got from Brian Brazeal, notice how I used a large radius of about 5 inches for the arch of the face, this is not a rounding hammer, one end is a straight pein, the other is a cross. Pein 2 is a photo of the pein of my normal working hammer, the radius on this one is a little over 3/4 inch diameter. I feel the very sharp peins that are on many factory hammers is close to a hot cut and I do not want to cut the steel, I want to move it gently.

On the design of the first hammer I call that a fullering hammer I have several with different radius's that way you use the same swing but by the tighter radius you have a more aggressive movement of the metal under the hammer. It is a very Europe design. I do like to use them on metal makes the work move along quickly. I also found it to be a great teaching tool

My favorite hammer has a peen that looks like someone welded a chunk of 1" diameter rod to the hammer to make the peen---(it was forged that way) It's a straight peen to boot and great for drawing out with no cold shuts to be worried about---especially I can use it standing point on to the anvils horn and use the horn at the same time---flip the piece every time it goes in the fire to keep it even.

I have a fairly rounded hammer face I like to use on knives when I need to pinch an area that's hanging back along the edge---far better to pinch it out than to grind the rest of the blade down to it!

Thomas wot you just said abouit pinching the metal out is a real key to blade forging..the steel is telling you that in that area it is thicker than the rest...When we see that it really helps doing blades.........Thank you!

The better the job at the forge the easier the job at the grinder---and I sure like forging more than I like grinding!

Steve, since the site ate the photos, do you have replacements for these missing images? Thanks!

I would like to see as well! thanks!

I ground the cross pien on my three pounder to the radius of a dime.

Pnut

 

Edited July 22, 20196 yr by pnut
posted wrong pic

I like a hammer with a narrow peen..    I don't want it with a wider peen.. A wider peen is great for finish work while peening but if one is trying to draw the metal only in 1 direction a narrower peen will offer a great advantage..  Using it properly will negate deep indentations which is one of the advantages for a wider peen. 

I was hoping the videos I posted on peening would help to explain this.  

I Also like a rounded peen for really large peening aspects and again move towards a flatter/wider peen for finish type work or if the metal does not need to be spread in one direction as intensely. 

One of the things that many forget is the metal will move mostly towards the easy side or away from the middle..  If you hold a bar in your hand the metal will move away from the hand.. If forming a knife edge and using a peen the metal will try to move mainly away from the back edge.