Hi folks, anyone have an idea of what job this hammer would have been designed for? I'm going to use it for sinking thick bowls. One side is slightly larger & flatter than the other.
Cheers

Yes.  It is a raising hammer.  Designed for raising-sinking bowl shapes but most commonly used by silversmiths.  You might find it a bit light for the work you intend.  If so, make yourself a heavier version!

Cheers. I can't see it being too light, the bathroom scales say it's just under 3kg or 6lbs. 6mm plate is probably as thick as I'll go for the minute & I think it'll be man enough for the job.

AT 9" long and over 2" diameter, I would be hard pressed to swing that hammer for long.  It would probably be too heavy for me except for initial work.

Yeah I can't see myself raising with it T.B.H, I'll probably just use it for the initial sinking before raising with a lighter hammer.

I have several boilermakers hammers that are quite heavy and have the domed faces on them.  Dishing would be my guess.

My old 1894 tool catalog shows four sizes of that style and calls them "raising hammers."

"Manning Maxwell and Moore"

 

Sayings and Cornpone

"Gossip is the warp and weft from which the frame of the earth is made."

     Charlotte Wilcoxen, Southern gentlewoman

Okay I didn't see any size reference in the pics and the ones that I am familiar with are usually about 4 ounce hammers.  6 pounds should handle whatever!

My old 1894 tool catalog shows four sizes of that style and calls them "raising hammers."

"Manning Maxwell and Moore"

The handle is quite long so my guess is it's intended to be used 2 handed when used a raising hammer. I say that because whenever I see videos of people raising it's typically around chest height and I think you'd wear your forearm out pretty quick using this one handed.

By the by, does anyone know of any fire bowl making videos lurking about on the internet?

Eric Things raising a helmet article over at anvilfire comes to mind 

Yeah cheers, read that a few times before but always good to be reminded of it.

That reminds me, whilst we're on the subject of raising, check out these cool bench stakes/anvils...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQoiVnYYnjs&list=FLvIcTMXYVztEQpEgZTxzdOw&index=1

Skip forward to 5:22, I don't know how to do the time link thing.

 

They're very similar to Eric's but have a nice curve too.

This is obviously an old documentary but still useful and I know the processes apply to steel even though this is silver. Everyone in Britain still talks exactly like the narrator...everyone.