Clover Saint Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 Hello all, I recently purchased and received the 2.75 pound japanese hammer, made by Arnon at Bridgetown Forge. And I have to say that it is quite amazing. The way it moves and feels in the hand is very nice (for me that is). And being someone who has long, thin fingers, the hammer fits well. As far as finish goes, it is a very rustic looking piece. Which I quite appreciate. Something I'd like to point out is that the pictures don't do the tool 100% justice. You really have to feel it for yourself to get an understanding of the tool. I'd like to close by leaving you guys with some pictures of this amazing hammer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romey Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 "Japanese" Hammers arent really Japanese per-say. That kinda gotthrown around 10 or 15 years ago by us Bladesmiths who were doing Japanese influenced work at Don Foggs. Dogleg and Sawyers hammers are same thing. Weight forward and in your case a pretty rounded face is going to move alot of steel as will any rounding hammer. Good digs, watch your forearm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorō Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 And I thought Japanese/Doghead/Sawyer hammers were only good for lighter work such as bevelling a blade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latticino Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 Just like any other, more conventional, type of hammer a weight forward hammer can be used for any number of operations, depending on your skill level, its size, weight, face configuration... The one pictured appears to have a pretty aggressive rounded face and should be great for moving material. I've seen weight forward hammers well up to 10 LBS of head weight that were used for anything from striking to solo slitting and drifting of hammer eyes. Of course with a more flattened face they also do very well at final clean up of a beveled knife edge. Nice hammer, going to have to put that on my list to copy. The one weight forward hammer I made to date has a face that is more optimized for finish work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rmartin2 Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 Does your anvil height need to be adjusted to use this type of hammer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoggy Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 Now that is a very good question Rmartin2, you've now got me pondering and awaiting a reply.......I suspect it will depend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 Put a piece of wood sheeting on the anvil face then hit it with the hammer. Look at the divots to see if the anvil needs adjusted. Full discussions of the divots have been discussed on the site several times already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clover Saint Posted October 8, 2016 Author Share Posted October 8, 2016 11 hours ago, Rmartin2 said: Does your anvil height need to be adjusted to use this type of hammer? In a sense, yes it will be a bit different. I'll post pics of my anvil or anvils once they are setup. Though yes, since it is a forward striking face my anvil will be a slight bit lower. Just in order to give me an affective blow to the material. I'll probably have a true japanese style anvil setup with the anvil in concrete. And from there I have a big block of mild steel that will be made hopefully into a striking anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorō Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 On 08/10/2016 at 2:16 AM, Latticino said: Just like any other, more conventional, type of hammer a weight forward hammer can be used for any number of operations, depending on your skill level, its size, weight, face configuration... The one pictured appears to have a pretty aggressive rounded face and should be great for moving material. I've seen weight forward hammers well up to 10 LBS of head weight that were used for anything from striking to solo slitting and drifting of hammer eyes. Of course with a more flattened face they also do very well at final clean up of a beveled knife edge. Nice hammer, going to have to put that on my list to copy. The one weight forward hammer I made to date has a face that is more optimized for finish work. So a rounded face better for moving material whilst a flat face is for bevelling? Ive been told with hammer faces that I need to dress the edges so it doesn't make dints and mar up the workpiece cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 You can see weight forward sledges being used in European paintings too (Goya's the Forgers IIRC) as well as medieval woodcuts. Useful designs tend to get "rediscovered" all over the world over time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romey Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Part of the gig for Japanese smiths using them for bladesmithing is the Japanese anvil and all their forging is down low to the ground on one knee and or fully sitting. I have seen the strikers use large dog legs while standing up but the anvil top was still only maybe 8 inches from the ground. Before I started and completed my blacksmith apprenticeship I had been bladesmithing for a couple years and to thought a dogleg hammer was a bladesmithing only thing. The Blacksmith I later apprenticed under was a fellow with well over 200 hammers of various ages and styles and I quickly was schooled on what a dogleg hammer was in the west and that is isnt a cultural thing but a tool of necessity. Though I myself have many hammers, I have the need for each one and find myself making more of them as a different need arrives. I still am a blade smith though and though I have several dogleg hammers I havent found a use for forging blades on English anvils at "normal" anvil heights, though I know other bladesmiths that think they are keen. Funny thing about traditional smithing and tools, of the 7 recognized and license blade smiths in Japan, one of the two I visited used a ball peen hammer exclusively, go figure On 10/8/2016 at 8:34 PM, Gorō said: So a rounded face better for moving material whilst a flat face is for bevelling? Ive been told with hammer faces that I need to dress the edges so it doesn't make dints and mar up the workpiece cheers Get some silly putty and make a round impression and then a flat impression. This will be the start of figuring out how steel moves. Round moves in a 360 degree and flat does so but less aggressively BASICALLY. the kicker is, turn your wrist a bit and use the EDGE of a flat face and it can become very aggressive. Hammers dont have to be used in a single plane and yes smooth is best so there are no xxxxxx xxxxxx. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gote Posted December 3, 2016 Share Posted December 3, 2016 This is a very beautiful hammer and obviously the style is used with great success by many smiths - not only in Japan. Personally I feel that it somehow would feel awkward but that is my idiosyncrasy. I am back to the question of balance again. If the Hofi hammer is so great because the distribution of weight in reference to the hammer, this hammer should be useless but is obviously not - at least not in the right hands. Comments please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted December 3, 2016 Share Posted December 3, 2016 The Hofi/Habermann/Czech style hammer is one tool suitable for a wide range of ornamental work without constantly having to change hammers. Just by adjusting your grip up and down the length of the handle, and turning the head orientation, it allows you to accomplish a number of tasks in one heat, all in a seamless flow. There are other hammers that try to fulfill multiple purposes in one piece: the standard engineers and ballpeen designs, farriers rounding hammers and cats head hammers come to mind. In all of the examples above, the striking surfaces are almost equidistant from the center of the eye, and the handle is shaped so that it can be turned easily in the hand. The other end of the spectrum is the specialized tool market. The dog head design allows excellent repeatability of blows, which makes it perfect for flattening billets, setting bevels, cutting files, etc. The handles are usually 'cranked' or otherwise shaped to orient the hand to the striking face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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