LeMarechal Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 Hi folks, I bought a very nice hammer from Brent Bailey. It's one of these Aspery modified types. This is a weighted hammer, meaning that the handel is not in tye center of the hammerhead. The faced side is much longer than the crosspeen side. It's a little bit like a japanese hammer. Personally I'm feeling a little uncomfortable with its crosspeen side. It feels very difficult to control this boy during hammering. My question is if anybody else have sone experience with it? Greetings Sascha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 I use dogshead hammers. I wouldn't think it would be comfortable or easy to control a weight forward hammer using the pein on the lighter side. Perhaps you can just switch hammers if you need to use a pien for more than a few minutes. That may be easier and less frustrating than trying to get accustomed to a hammer that you don't find comfortable. I'm assuming you like using the hammer face just not the pien. If I'm wrong and the hammer just isn't comfortable using either side maybe try a different hammer if you can't get used to it in a reasonable amount of time. Good luck and could you post a picture of it please?. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeMarechal Posted August 8, 2019 Author Share Posted August 8, 2019 Hi Pnut, Thank you very much for your thoughts. Before I'll write anything more,I like to point out, that I definitely do not want to say anything bad about Brent and his work! I'm only searching for other people and their experiences with these hammers... Pnut I agree with you with all you wrote. Meanwhile it seems to me that such weighted hammers aren't useful for peening. Even though I noticed the boosting effect during moving the hot metal, the hammer feels surprisingly heavy in my hand. I have another 3.2lbs hammer, a balanced rounding hammer like (Brian Brazeal) wich feels much "lighter" and moves the hot steel similary fast and aggressively. I'll take a photo these days Greetings Sascha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 There are quite a few threads about these hammers. A quick google search. https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=brent+bailey+aspery+hammer+iforgeiron.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeMarechal Posted August 9, 2019 Author Share Posted August 9, 2019 As promised, photos, photos, photos. Brent made the peen of this hammer dead flat with rounded edges, I gave it a slightly crowned form but it is very slightly. I think the weighted side is well visible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted August 9, 2019 Share Posted August 9, 2019 (edited) You described it very well. It looks like the face would move metal very efficiently. If I was going to try to use the pein side I would try choking up on the handle to get a little better control. If it's still not comfortable I would use a different hammer for peining. I guess there's a trade off for the effectiveness gained by the weight being forward and the trade off is a pein that's a little harder to control. I bet with practice you would adapt to it and find it works as well as if not better than a regular cross pien. I think I would like to try that style of hammer. I use a dogshead hammer regularly and I wouldn't have to switch hammers or use the heel to pein material maybe. Pnut I just visited his site, he makes some very nice hammers.I'm considering buying one for myself but I always wait about a week before I make most purchases and usually find I don't really need to spend the money on it after all. They are nice hammers though and his 2.5# cross pien has caught my eye. Edited August 9, 2019 by pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeMarechal Posted August 10, 2019 Author Share Posted August 10, 2019 Yes that's right! He makes very fine tool and it is difficult not to get into a shopping spree :) ... The original hammerhandle is a round and massive one. Even though I got very big hands I don't like big and round handels. But, you know, after paying all the money I felt a little unhappy to touch my new toy with my farrier rasp so far... But yesterday ,time of protection ended and I reached out for my rasp and gave it a few strokes here and there. I like a little thinner handels of a more rectangular style and I was suprised how the feeling changed after that little corrections. Now the hammer is much more comfortable and I will try it further a while and come back here... Ok, that the handel should fit the individual blacksmith's hand are not the latest news but it seems that sometimes one have to rediscover long known things Sascha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 Sascha: Perhaps a slab handle would make it more controllable and less tiring to use. I prefer them on my forging hammers for the control and ease of use. This is a straight pein I made from a 32 oz. ball pein. The wood is clear, straight grain Hickory 5/4". The taper from head to end makes it easy to grip if it slips at all your hand will tighten enough to stop it faster than you'll realize it slipped. The flat sides make it natural to index the hammer, you instinctively know which way the face is tilted. My grip pivots between thumb and forefinger and almost isn't a grip at all. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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