Taylen Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 I was wondering if a hammer like this would be good for forging , I was looking to get into blacksmithing and knifemaking so I’m looking around for tools to get started. It was labelled as a stoning hammer but I’m not sure if it could be classed as a mini sledge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Sure if you dress the face so it has a more of a rocker curve to it instead of the hard angle edges. If we knew which of the 100+ countries that participate here you were in we might be able to suggest a better one to start with. I usually don't pay more than US$5 for a 1 hand hammer; but I buy most of mine at fleamarkets and garage sales. Many of them are old and already dressed appropriately for smithing. I picked up one very much like that when I was in the Netherlands for a special use hammer---used with my screwpress to make sharp transitions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylen Posted January 8, 2019 Author Share Posted January 8, 2019 Thank you for the response, I’m from the uk and it’s only £5 and readily available so I wouldn’t have to spend a bunch of time look for one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Check the face hardness, stone carving hammers are soft faced to allow the chisel shank to bite into the face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylen Posted January 8, 2019 Author Share Posted January 8, 2019 I havnt bought it yet , I was just seeing if I would be something to work with for a first hammer or should I just start with a ball peen , or claw . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kozzy Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 It'll service beginning smiths just fine with a dressing of the faces as ThomasPowers mentioned. 1 KG might be a hair heavy for some but not too bad. Usually a good starter size is about 2 lbs and 1kg is about 10% higher. Some people even prefer to go a little lighter--somewhere around .75kg until they develop a little more control. It depends on how much hammer practice you have already had in your life--and in spite of how simple it seems, it does take practice: Your body needs to learn hammer control with muscle memory and that doesn't come instantly. If you can get one with a straight or cross peen side rather than flat on both sides (not ball peen), that'd be even better as a first hammer---more uses once that peen side has been properly dressed. Ball peen later when you start collecting hammers and find one cheap in a junk sale. No claw hammers--except as something to forge into something else Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylen Posted January 9, 2019 Author Share Posted January 9, 2019 Okay thank you all for the help , I really appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 5 hours ago, Taylen said: I’m from the uk We won't remember this once leaving this post, hence the suggestion to edit your profile to show location. You might want to look at the sticky, Store bought hammer mods, if you do pick it up.https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/29218-store-bought-hammer-mods/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylen Posted January 10, 2019 Author Share Posted January 10, 2019 Should the hammer be hardened if not already ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 Yes, No, Maybe depending on how you plan to use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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