Hand Tool ID

[markb]

I've collected a lot of tools over the years mostly at garage sales . Here's a few hammers I'm not sure of the type. All help in ID, type and use welcome.

[matt87]

The one far right is not a hammer but a flatter; this is a set tool which is placed on a piece of hot iron and struck on the back with a sledge hammer to achineve a smooth finish.

[skunkriv]

Really neat flatter. Have never seen one quite like it.

I believe the handled tool at the left is a cheese fuller.

[son_of_bluegrass]

The second from the right looks to me like a welders chipping hammer. I would guess the next 2 are handles cutting tools.

ron

[HWooldridge]

The two in the top middle are cold sets (struck cold chisels). Far left lower and small one at the bottom appear to be specialty hammer heads.

[habu68]

The one in the front of the 5" mark I believe is a cats head hammer. If you would like to sell it I would be interested, I used one an historical park that I demoed at and really liked it, I have been looking for one ever since.

[email protected]

[keykeeper]

Looks like left to right back row: cheese fuller, 2 stone mason type hammers, chipping hammer, and a flatter. The two in the foreground look like (l to r) a dishing hammer and a cats head hammer.

You might want to auction the cat's head, I'd like a shot at it myself, if it's for sale. They are hard to find in good shape.

aaron c.

[Ice Czar]

OK I'll bite,

what is a Cat's head hammer?
(other than the obvious example above)
what are its faces like, weight, balance, typical handle length and usetechnique?

[habu68]

OK I'll bite,

what is a Cat's head hammer?
(other than the obvious example above)
what are its faces like, weight, balance, typical handle length and usetechnique?

The cats head hammer, I have been told, by Frank Turley if I remember right, is a farrier's Turning hammer. It is a compact wide hammer with with a tight center of gravity, much like Master Hofi's hammer. The one I used was about 1 1/2 maybe 2 lbs on a short handle, it gave me good control on the small work I did for demo's and I could swing it all day. They are not real common, though the one in the picture above seems to a little rough on the hammer face.

[Jmercier]

The one in the bottom left corner looks like a boilermaker's set, technically not a hammer. I've got a large boilermaker's set myself, and yours looks like a more fancy version of what i've got.

[ThomasPowers]

Like they said: clockwise from lower left: boilermakers, cheese fuller, two stone hammers, a chipping hammer, a flatter and a cat's head hammer.

[keykeeper]

Well humdinger I was right about them all except the boilermaker's hammer. I guess reading all those books paid off!:D

[markb]

Thanks for all your help with Id.
How is a boilermakers set used?
Here's one more, small hammer, has an S set inside a diamond shape with a 6 or 9 stamped on the under side.

[irnsrgn]

left to right clockwise, Boiler makers planishing or bob tool, cheese fuller, straight pein hand hammer, mile stone hammmer, looks like a vaughn chipping hammer, beautiful old flatter , center bottom coal hammer, does it have advertising on one side, flea mkts here they abound for $2 on up depending on advertising, is it cast iron.

[habu68]

Irnrgn,
Mark sent me some additional photos of the Cats head hammer in an e-mail it is a Heller brothers hammer and appears to be steel, it has a few chips around the edges and not as beat up as I first thought

Mark
would you mind posting the additional links here?

[markb]

I loaded the pic's in the gallery here's one.

[keykeeper]

That Heller would bring pretty good bucks on eBay, even in that condition. I have seen several go on there for over $100 a pop. Many people collect the old Heller farrier tools, and they go crazy for cat's heads, rounding, and clipping hammers by that company. I had a pretty good set of old Heller farrier tools, but never did get any of those type hammers. Sold the lot for some decent cash, they were just in my way.

Kept the Heller fire tongs, though. Might have some use for them.

[Dan P.]

I would say that the hammer that has been described as a flatter is probably a panel beater's or boiler maker's or some other sheet workers hammer. It almost certainly isn't a flatter. The hammer described as being a cat's head hammer is possibly a knapping hammer, for some sort of masonry work. It seems too small for a farrier's hammer, and a cat's head hammer really should have the appearance of a rounding hammer with clipping point on one side and cross peen on the other (giving the appearance of a cat's head, sort of). Whitehouse still make them, but in general they are rare because the addition of the clipping point and cross pein turned out to be a bit of a waste of time, i.e. ineffective.

[Dan P.]

and the little one looks like a very nice engravig/chasing hammer.

[markb]

Dan
I am of limited experience but agree on the one described as a flatter.
My reason being that the round end is very round( at least it was before it was beat on) I don't think my pics show that.

[keykeeper]

It's a Cat's Head. Have seen many of them over the past few years on eBay. They call it that because of the bulbous shape of it, I have been led to believe. A clipping hammer is as described, face on one side, cross pien on the other. Kind of squat looking, also.

If you don't want the "Cat's Head", I'll take it, no matter what anyone wants to call it. Trade you a nice Atha 1 and 1/2 inch hot cutter for it!

If I would have had a Heller Cat's Head in my collection of Heller Farrier Tools, I would have kept the collection. Just got tired of trying to find one.

[Dan P.]

It's a Cat's Head. Have seen many of them over the past few years on eBay.

I'm not sure if I would necessarily recommend ebay as arbiter of what constitutes a cat's head hammer. I would accept that it might be a type of cat's head hammer, but it's not what I've always known as a cat's head.

A clipping hammer is as described, face on one side, cross pien on the other. Kind of squat looking, also.

My description was perhaps inadequate; I meant that a cat's head hammer has basically four faces, the two main ones being as per a rounding hammer, but with a clipping point and cross peen on the sides.

[keykeeper]

Seems to me that a hammer with four faces would be called a quad pein, or something of that nature.

Never said that I accept eBay as an arbiter of ANYTHING. All I AM saying is that for the last FOUR years or so, I have regularly (AS IN At least once daily) did extensive searches on eBay for many farrier and blacksmith related tools by Heller, Atha, Champion, Diamond, Iron City, etc. using many different search functions and phrases. I have looked at hundreds, if not thousands of auctions in that time period.

I research ebay, as it IS a marketplace, on a SOMEWHAT global scale. Nice to know what items are bringing on the open market. I am in many places in my travels, and may run across something I can resell for a small profit or use in my shop (READ THAT AS ADD TO MY COLLECTION). Not to mention I have dabbled in the antiques market since I was a teenage, pimple faced kid. My mother was a good teacher.

The eBay marketplace and the internet has also been a good learning tool for me personally, and will remain to be one of my favorite places to go for reference on tools, antiques, etc.

OK, I won't post anymore on this thread, as it is apparent no one really cares about my opinion, anyway. I'm just another "NOOB" anyway.

Peace be with you.

-aaron c.

[markb]

Here's a few more, some are obvious ,others I think are silver smithing or planishing hammers but again I'm not sure.

[steveh]

the one in the middle ,front row,is a shoe maker/cobblers hammer.i use the same style which i believe is a french pattern.