MAD MAX Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I know that Blacksmiths are pretty picky about the hammers they use, particually the main one they use for 90% of their work. My favorite one at tha moment is what is acually called an engineers hammer with no peen at all, I just like the way she feels. Bit my question is what are the opinions on the Swedish pattern hammers? I have tried French hammers and dislike the ones I have tried. But I am told the swedish pattern is good for control. Dont get me wrong control is not an issue for me, But I was just wondering what people thought of this pattern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 (edited) Companies manufacture hammers we make them tools by using them and no I'm not being facetious. Tools are just things till we learn to use them and by learn I mean develop the muscle memory and reflex to operate it on autopilot while our conscious mind directs the players. The only way to do that is use it a lot.A lot of smiths tend to have a couple three most used hammers. Mine are a 32oz+/- turning hammer, a 2.?lb driller's hammer and a straight pein I made from a ball pein. I don't really know the weight of any of them and it doesn't matter, my hand fits them and they do what I want.I don't know what you mean by "engineer's hammer" most stores that a cross pein but under 3lb. single jack sledges, driller's hammers, big ball peins and who knows what else seem to fit the category. Your description of not having a pein tells me it's a single jack sledge but you might mean something different than I do by the word pein.It's no big deal, jargon gets a bad rap but without it it's really hard to know what people are talking about in a specialized craft. For instance the word "shiver" means very different things to someone in the mid west right now compared to an olde timey clipper ship sailor. Shiver me timbers doesn't mean make them cold, it means splinter them.Frosty The Lucky. Edited February 22, 2015 by Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Frosty an engineer's hammer is what you call a single jack sledge. Wouldn't be my first choice since both faces are the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Frosty an engineer's hammer is what you call a single jack sledge. Wouldn't be my first choice since both faces are the same. That's what I gather he meant. Take a stroll around the hammers in a hardware store here abouts and you'll see all kinds of hammers called engineer's hammers. Commercial fishing towns have a different selection, etc. I think I just got off on a rabbit trail in my brain.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Every couple of years there is a new "fad" hammer; being too cheap to buy at the peak of the fad I usually pick one up a couple years down the road from someone who did pay full price and then decided they didn't like that one. I however did like the 1500 gram swedish crosspeen that the previous owner had dressed extremely nicely into a beautiful face. I also have a french crosspeen with a very short handle and mushroomed face. (Lynch collection went through a factory fire in WWII I believe). My students like it as they can't damage the anvil face with it and the short handle allows them to wield a heavier hammer than they could with a normal length hammer. I started with one of those "2 faces the same" hammers back 34 years ago and it was my favorite for a decade or so. My opinion is use the hammer you like that works well for you and ignore folks who say anyone *must* use a certain type! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Nice thing about double jack hammers is you can grind out your own pein. I have a 1/2 dozen 3 pounders ground to different patters. My faverite has a 1/2 round strait pein. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJS Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Hammer and balance is very individualistic. I felt a French pattern up at DiverMike's hammer in, and I was surprised when I liked it. I haven't felt that many French pattern hammers that I actually liked... The shape of the handle, the length of the handle, the weight of the head, and the balance of the head all play a role in wither you will love or hate a particular hammer. I prefer fat heads, and short handles, with a deep flattened or flattened octagonal handle. I really need to start making my own handles from scratch;-) Most of my hammers have whatever handle that I had around that would fit... If you go to hammer-ins you should be able to try out some of the other hammer types. I use all kinds of hammers regularly: a 2# cross peen, a 4# straight peen, a 2# double diagonal peen, a 4# rounding hammer, an 800gram Czech style, a 1# ball pien, a 2# copper mallet, and a 4# brass hammer.... I do like the Hofi/Czech style, and the Brazeal style rounding hammers. A lot of rounding hammers feel awful to me, just depends. I probably dislike most of the hammers I pick up? Saves me money;-) A few feel right... You will know it when you feel it... Sometimes it is fun to get hammer heads cheap at a flea market, or garage sale, and then try to handle it up so you like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 That's what I gather he meant. Take a stroll around the hammers in a hardware store here abouts and you'll see all kinds of hammers called engineer's hammers. Commercial fishing towns have a different selection, etc. I think I just got off on a rabbit trail in my brain.Frosty The Lucky.Nah, you have used that term before. I think it is a misnomer and really refers to surveyors (land) who would use such a hammer to drive stakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawman Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I Have a 1500g swedish pattern and I just cant make my self like it. The balance seems strange to me. Its a nice hammer but just haven't got use to it I guess.I like the German pattern myself.....well I think its the German pattern anyway.Never Tried a French Pattern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 SLJ, most of the rounding hammers sold to farriers have a very flat face, as a blacksmiths hammer should have a slight crown. They tend to jump in your hand if you don't hit perfectly flat, try dressing it like a smiths hammer witha 12" radius or so. Fought that when I started smithing more and showing less Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJS Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Charles it isn't in use that I find them objectionable, its just picking them up. Like I said I don't actually like most hammers I pick up, they don't feel right. I have a bunch of hammers on the rack that I never use, cause they don't feel right to me. I have used a FLAT faced hammer just fine, I had a Chip Hunt cross peen that was Flat, but felt fine... (I have NO IDEA what happened to that hammer, disappeared into the ether??? along with several pairs of tong...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Greetings All,I of course with my elite status only use a custom A J Cergol design rounding hammer .... THE TRUTH .. I have many hammers with different shaped and after 40 years am still not sure wich is my favorite.. The pictured hammer is a birthday gift from A J and the custom brass blower handle a gift from the Frogman ... They joined me at my shops for a weekend of blacksmith fun and had a blast.. We all should be blessed with such great people around us .. I am indeed a lucky man.Forge on and make beautiful thingsJim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Hammer and balance is very individualistic. I felt a French pattern up at DiverMike's hammer in, and I was surprised when I liked it. I haven't felt that many French pattern hammers that I actually liked... The shape of the handle, the length of the handle, the weight of the head, and the balance of the head all play a role in wither you will love or hate a particular hammer. So true. I used to be able to tell my 28 oz framing hammer from a similar 30 oz framer my old boss had simply by picking one of the hammers up. The balance on mine was slightly different than his, even though they looked almost the same. Handle shape and style also play a huge part in things. I've had hammers I hated fell much better after they have been rehandled. When I took my 1st blacksmithing class, the hammers they had drove me nuts. I'm very used to swinging a hammer, yet the ones they had caused me blisters within only a few hours. The shape and size of those handles caused me to hold the hammer differently than I'm used to because they were too large for my hands. I went out and got one of my hammers at lunch to use, and bought a few new handles for a few cross peen heads I had to use the next day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Believe me, a rasp comes out often enough with new hammers and handles. The oilfield supply were I pick up handles caries a" blacksmiths hammer handle that is a good start, many hammers come with a hand sledge handle that is just way to fat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAD MAX Posted February 23, 2015 Author Share Posted February 23, 2015 Yes its a hammer that just looks like a little sledge. I also have a cross peen but just use it when the peen is needed, It just doesnot swing as good as the one without a peen. I am in the process of making a couple of hammers from some large square stock I just got, one a straight one a cross peen. I acually prefer a straight peen for most things that require it, seems easier to me. I also do not supscribe to the thought that you must use a certain kind of hammer, I use what I like and what feels good. I acually like my handles a little longer than most. I strange and I know it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 The rule of thumb is to be able to hold the head in your hab ant tuck thr end of the handle in your elbo. Some like a bit longer, others shorter. The first knuckle to the point of elbo is a safe starting point.as to hammer shape, they all have their advantages and drawbacks. That's why we all have more than one. But different shaped faces and peins realy increase your efficeancy for certain tasks. If you like a strait pein try grinding a half round strait pein on your hand sledge. Tux you have a drawing hammer that doesn't leave as deal of marks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Or a good smush with a press will straight peen out a single jackanda couple will do a double jack. You'll need to do a bit of cleanup and re-heat treating but the time saved over grinding is generally substantial This is a task well suited to using other peoples' equipment say at a meeting or hammer in... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJS Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I hate overly fat handles,stresses my tendons. Reforging cheap Chinese 2# hammers is a great way to try out other shapes and styles. I have a couple double diagonal peen hammers that I made that way. Also try different shapes on your handles and different lengths. Longer handle lighter head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 This is my favorite hammer, wt 28oz not really sure what it is but does a great job taking any hammer marks out and feels right.Also don`t know how common this but I have`t seen many big old 3lb ball pean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 I have many hammers I have made many hammers as well. I have my favorite cross peen that I have used from the beginning. I have a few rounding and fullering hammers it all depends on the task at hand. You can dress any face to be a peen to a round ball. it all comes down to one thing you can only hit with a hammer 5 ways. the flat of the face, the heal of the face, the toe of the face and the right and left side of the face. Style of hammer makes no difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudman Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 I have several hammers made by Dave Custer and Brent Bailey, along with the generic harbor freight ones. My favorite by far is a cross pein Dave made me, I don't forge often. But when I have the time, it's usually to make leaf keychains. Aside from the cross pein, I love the Brazeal style rounding hammers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 I have something of a hammer fetish. While the majority of my hammers are simple mass-produced affairs from the local stores, I am always on the lookout for a hammer that has something different about it. I'd gladly take a Brazeal-style rounding hammer over a store-bought one even though the latter is a fraction of the price. I just bought a cross-peen off ebay that looks absolutely delightful and I can't wait to see how she works on blade and leaf shapes.I like to say that surrounding yourself with beautiful tools helps you to make beautiful things. Average, commonplace tools.... well, you get the idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 I have something of a hammer fetish. While the majority of my hammers are simple mass-produced affairs from the local stores, I am always on the lookout for a hammer that has something different about it. I'd gladly take a Brazeal-style rounding hammer over a store-bought one even though the latter is a fraction of the price. I just bought a cross-peen off ebay that looks absolutely delightful and I can't wait to see how she works on blade and leaf shapes.I like to say that surrounding yourself with beautiful tools helps you to make beautiful things. Average, commonplace tools.... well, you get the idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big-D Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 I only use two hammers for forging. This one I made, and one of the Swedish hammers I re-forged. The peins are way too "sharp" on most store bought hammers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsMillerTime Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Not that I've had a chance to use them yet, but here's a couple of "Dog's Head" hammers my dad picked up for me from one of his co-workers when he retired. He and my dad are both Saw Filers. Can't wait to put them to use!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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