Swing the Hammer/Standing at the Anvil?

[Damion78]

It would be neat to see video's of people's form at the anvil . I tried to upload one of myself but I couldn't get it to work. I just hope I don't develop any really bad habits before someone who knows better than me can correct me.

[SJS]

Getting around to commenting on authors as "Authorities" on the subject;-)  Wenger like Bealer blacksmithed, but didn't come out of a solid well established blacksmithing tradition. Bealer knew things from reading old books, Wenger learned what he needed to know to make tools he wanted but couldn't afford as a starving artist;-)  Neither would I consider authoritative.  As far as the thumb on top of hanmmer handle school like Donald Streeter, and Joe DelLaronda???  They were able to use that method and not cripple themselves some how... I can only assume they both have/had a light grip on the hammer that didn't feed back as much energy into their joints, or they were men of iron and it didn't matter...  Streeter's book is great in my opinion, except the hammer technique section:-) Haven't read Joe's book yet. 

 

I try to advocate for the Hammer to do all the work, attempting to push the hammer deeper into the steel past where your swing carries it is pointless and counterproductive!!! Punching the steel with a hammer is also less effective and self destructive.  There are several schools of hammer technique that work well, Hofi's ergonomic hammer technique is very good if you learn it early enough;-)  Brian Brazeal has fabulous hammer technique, there are several European traditions that work well, and the fast and furious long handled small headed farrier's technique can be very effective (just be careful of the stress on your elbow;-) But standing way out away from the hot steel and flapping your arm and hammer like a chicken not so much;-)

 

I just spent the weekend demoing at a Pumpkin Festival, and I was remembering this thread while I was working, and I was all over the place;-)... One minute I was standing with my hip up against the anvil right on top of the steel, and then the next heat I was back off the anvil quite a bit and whaling.  I try to do what works for me:-)

[Damion78]

One thing I haven't heard much about unless I missed it that I think applies to this topic is breathing while swinging are there any techniques that people utilize to swing harder and longer.I've noticed a lack of breathing in some videos I've watched.

[Frosty]

Yes, every living blacksmith I know of breaths. Joking aside hammering and breathing are two different rhythms  trying to strike in time with your breathing just doesn't work, beginners often do this at first. If you're thinking about breathing for power like karate blows I don't know of anyone doing that and again it's the wrong rhythm entirely.

 

Good question though, something to think about anyway.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

[SReynolds]

I just spent the weekend demoing at a Pumpkin Festival, and I was remembering this thread while I was working, and I was all over the place;-)... One minute I was standing with my hip up against the anvil right on top of the steel, and then the next heat I was back off the anvil quite a bit and whaling.  I try to do what works for me:-)

 
Same here. I was at the historical society and found I move around (change my stance and hammer swings) depending upon the task at hand.

[Timothy Miller]

I work with the horn to the left I am right handed.  As far as I have seen this it the most common way of working most smiths being right handed.  I think it also make sense being most anvils have the logo facing out when the anvil is positioned this way so onlookers could see what brand of anvil the smith was using. I'm not saying its wrong to work on the other side of the anvil its just much less common. 

[Damion78]

I was thinking more on the lines of running a marathon breathing or sprinting breathing. A lot of muscle fatigue and strain can be caused by overexertion and lack of proper breathing during exercise.

[SReynolds]

I use both. One to the right and one to the left. This is how the shop was set up when I took over operations @ historical society. Use the left horn for shoes and right horn for hooks, radius work like handles etc.

 

It is comfortable to me as that is how it all started and that is what I'm used to. I'd hate to think how a shoe would look if I made one on a right side horn. It would all be backwards for me. Same with hooks and handles............. I'd have to relearn the trade.

 

I'm going to have to look at others and see how they do it. Not something I ever pay attention to.