Straight and ball peen combination

[dancho]

This is one of my last visions of the free forging hammers which goes together with a cross peen and flat ones

In many ways it resembles the geometry of ancient battle axes which is no wonder – they serve quite similar functions.

Weight is around 800 g. The body is made of mild steel, the faces are forge welded with 0.8 % C steel.   I would like to stress that welding the faces of the hammer is not only valuable from the point of view of historical reconstruction.  It is defintely gives a very special feeling of the metal forged.  Maybe it is vibrations being damped in the very soft middle maybe something else. 

The handle is self wedged.  No grinding as usual.

[Ridgewayforge]

Interesting idea- I guess the real question is, does it work? It looks strange from my point of view, that is, from the point of view that I am used to harware store cross and ball peins. But I like the look of it and may have to try one sometime. When you forge welded, how did you keep face and body together until striking them? I have hear of nailing them together, or chiseling spikes on the back of the high carbon. I would greatly like to know how you accomplished this.

Thank you,

RF

[dancho]

Interesting idea- I guess the real question is, does it work? It looks strange from my point of view, that is, from the point of view that I am used to harware store cross and ball peins. But I like the look of it and may have to try one sometime. When you forge welded, how did you keep face and body together until striking them? I have hear of nailing them together, or chiseling spikes on the back of the high carbon. I would greatly like to know how you accomplished this.

Thank you,

RF

From the point view of shape -- it really works great FOR ME.   It the design I need very much for forging the ancient shapes of axes.  

 

Unfortunately I must say that exacty on this axe I simply spot welded with electric welder the pieces of steel to  the main body before the forge weld.  It does work but I do not like this approach.   I'do  from time to time experimenting of weld without electic prehold and it works but not always as predictibly as I want.  Need to invest more time in it in winter.   However the trick I like  to master fully is to do it without any spikes or whatever.   It was described in old ruusian blacsksmith books and also my teacher saw it from the old smith.  You just put the steel piece at the the end  on the top of main body piece laid horizontally in the forge and  bring all together to welding heat. Then quickly bring to the anvil , twist to put the steel piece on the anvil with the side free of flux up and then put the main bar vertically on the top of it and strike.