I still need to clean it up and grind/finish the faces and I'm thinking of making the eye a little more oval (it's AWFULLY round right now), but I'm pretty happy with it so far.  It's about 3 pounds and I intend for it to be my primary forging hammer.

 

Oh, and please ignore the pizza crusts.  :P

 

 

Nice. Hand hammered, striker(s), or powerhammer? Starting stock (material and size)? What is your plan for the handle?


(Notice... no mention of pizza crust ;) )

Well, if they're old enough, those crusts might make pretty good handles.............looks like fun. Do it by yourself? Or was beer and "za" payment to your striker?

I had two friends there to help.  I had Avery position while Scott and I struck.

 

I also did a little more work on it today to flatten the eye out a little and added my maker's mark.  I still have to finish up the faces and of course haft it, but I'm REALLY exited!  I was just going to use hickory for the handle, but now I'm thinking of getting super fancy and using something like curly maple.  I haven't decided though.

 

 

Nice job...what size material did you start with?

Would the grain pattern of curly maple make it too weak for a working hammer? I've always heard you want straight grain in your hammer hafts.

Nice first hammer. It should serve you well. Looks like you might want to pull the cheeks out on the drift a bit. What shape is your drift to get  a round shaped eye?

Excellent work.  It's nice to have strikers when you want to do a big project like that.

Fine looking hammer!  Put it to good use. :)

 

For your handle, use straight grained hickory or ash.  You'll be looking at your work, not the handle (I hope).

I'm terrible at answering questions, sorry.

 

Started off with a piece of 2" 4140 stock.  The drift was just a tapered piece of round bar stock that was laying around at school.  I did go ahead and flatten the eye out a little.  I also roughed out a haft from a scrap of hickory.  I still have to finish the handle (and heat treat the head and polish the faces) but i'm pretty happy with how it's coming along.

 

 

You going to differentially temper with the drift?

You going to differentially temper with the drift?

I had not planned to, no.