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I Forge Iron

new hammers


Rhettbarnhart

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I just ordered some new hammers and they arrived today :D I ordered a straight pein hammer made by M.O.B. .....I LOVE it!!!

 

I also bought a house brand loose handles Swedish hammer.....when they say "loose handle"...they mean it!When the hammer got here I was able to pull the handle right out :o buuuuuutttttt  I forged a wedge and now it works fine.

 

The shipping wasnt mentioned on site but two hammers shipped to me was 15$.any way here are pics.post-25948-0-47357300-1365816550_thumb.jpost-25948-0-23614100-1365816576_thumb.jpost-25948-0-23300000-1365816587_thumb.jpost-25948-0-37481800-1365816606_thumb.jpost-25948-0-63742900-1365816617_thumb.jpost-25948-0-91478500-1365816629_thumb.j

 

 

I don't have any particular reason to post these except they're aren't many good pics on their website aaaannnndddd  I kinda wanted to show 'em off lol

enjoy

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I know the feeling when you score a nice hammer. I feel about the same with my new straight peen. Even better feeling when you get it for a great price.
Dont think there be too many people on here who dont like pics of hammers

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I'm with you on the Swedish pattern, they work well. I have a good range of sizes (2000, 1500, 1000, and 500) in the shop and the design does move metal, particularly with the peen side, they are very effective. I tend to favor the American machinest straight line handles over the ergo-Europe shape. I get more control with the straight line configuration. It just works best for me and I usually dress the faces and change handles on new hammers anyway.

Peter

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Yeah,I didn't care for the handle on the Swedish hammer so I used a flap wheel to change it till I liked it.

Also,the hammers came with sharp faces so I spent about 30 minutes total dressing them.

the handle on the straight pein is probably the nicest one I have ever used :).One more thing,the straight pein was very narrow;when I got the hammer I ground it back about a half inch;this made the hammer look and feel nicer,plus the pein is now about a half in wide like I like it.

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Well fitting handles is important, poor ones make poor work, sore muscles and potential joint damage.

 

I like slab handles and am slowly converting all my hammers. I buy fine, straight grain, clear hickory at a local hardwood supplier who knows exactly what I'm looking for in hammer wood. He's been supplying Mark, (Metalmangler) and Mark has him tuned in on what we need. I get 1"x4" and cut my blanks with my horizontal vertical band saw. (Yeah, it's my metal cutoff saw but what the hey) I cut them so they're gently wedge shaped from the eye widening to the end where I give them a round section. It's not much taper, less than 3/4" overall, not counting the round end.

 

Being flat it's easy to index in your hand so you're never unsure if your hammer is going to strike in the right left/right orientation. Widening towards the end makes them much easier to hold onto without taking a death grip. I hold my hammers loosely, between my thumb and index finger and only put a grip on it at all just as it strikes. The wider circle on the end prevents accidently throwing a hammer when I'm tired or distracted.

 

My last tricks are finish, I sand them smooth and use Johnson's paste wax so it's smooth and easy to grip. AND here's my sneaky trick, I leave the face side of the handle square, smooth with broken edges but square. The pein side is rounded. This means I always know which way my hammer is facing without having to even glance. It only takes a little while before this is a habit, no learning curve to speak of.

 

This is not only convenient for me at the anvil, it's good theater at demos. Doing demos is theater, you have to entertain the spectators or they'll move along to something more interesting. A good patter is important, you not only need to be able to describe what you're doing and why but be able to discuss the project, it's history, uses, etc. answer questions AND tell appropriate jokes. so, what's hammer handle shape have to do with patter at demos? Being able to make eye contact while talking to someone AND switch hammer faces with a twirl without looking is a nice touch. Makes for GOOD theater, it's not juggling but it's flashy in a good way.

 

Attached are two examples of my slab handles. The square turning hammer is one Metalmangler Mark helped me make from a piece of a broken Ford pickup axle, mark's Ford unfortunately. The other is a modified ball pein I got for $0.50 at a yard sale because the handle was broken. I think that one may show the rounded pein side of the handle but maybe not.

 

post-975-0-77749200-1365889145_thumb.jpgpost-975-0-99669100-1365889129_thumb.jpg

 

Well, wasn't that a long rambly post. Oh well. <grin>

 

Frosty The Lucky.

 

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