Manno Posted December 12, 2019 Share Posted December 12, 2019 Howdy, Was made an offer on this lot from a local collector. $50 for all of it. However, as a beginner, I'm not sure if it has that kind of value for a beginner. For reference, I don't currently even own a hammer, so this lot would take care of that and give me several other things. Can anyone help me identify these? Thanks! Mat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAG Posted December 12, 2019 Share Posted December 12, 2019 Mr. Phats, I am confused. Are you buying or selling? SLAG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 12, 2019 Share Posted December 12, 2019 Top row: top left a set of shoeing tools, nipper or pull offs---note can be reforged into tongs with care, 2 sets of gas pliers Bottom row: bottom far left a drilling hammer, not the easiest to learn to forge with and would need careful dressing, small cross peen, another style of drilling hammer?, another set of gas pliers, A set of tongs I'd have to look at to specify use---possibly able to be reforged into a more useful set , tile nippers, swager,. cabinet makers hammer and lastly hammer to the far right is a cobbler's hammer used for working on shoes, some of them were made from cast iron and not suitable for hitting metal. Not much use for a beginning smith; and prices from "collectors" tend to be higher than prices from garage sales and junk shops. The gas pliers can be used to hold small items but you would only need 1 set---the longer handles the better. The small crosspeen would work for doing leaves and other small work. What I would be looking for is a 2-3 pound single jack, (like a sledge hammer but with a smaller head and shorter handle to be used in one hand), sometimes called an engineer's hammer. Perhaps a 32 oz ball peen and a 2-3# cross or straight peen with a ROUNDED peen---my favorite has a peen around 1" in diameter! see https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/htmlpubs/htm05232810/page09.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stash Posted December 12, 2019 Share Posted December 12, 2019 50 bux? Naah. Get the hammers cheep at flea markets and garage sales. I've turned nippers into usable tools, but the rest is 'meh'. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 12, 2019 Share Posted December 12, 2019 My first "blacksmithing hammer" a single jack, I paid US$1.50 for and am still using it regularly 38 years later.---It's on its 4 handle, students help a lot with that...It originally had a red handle on it and when I put a new one in I had to colour it red too so I could "find it", next handle after that I was able to stop doing that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manno Posted December 12, 2019 Author Share Posted December 12, 2019 5 hours ago, SLAG said: Are you buying or selling? Sorry, I'd be the buyer. Apologies for not being clear. Thanks all! Much appreciated. I think I'll pass on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 12, 2019 Share Posted December 12, 2019 Yard, garage, etc. sales are your friends, hammers with broken handles go for cheap or are sometimes part of an all or nothing table clearance. Sometimes you have to buy a whole tablefull to get the one or two things you want but I don't up my offer. You frequently end up having to take the table to. My current forge stand is a nice little steel serving cart. Oh yeah, your question. $50? No. What did you counter offer? I'd counter $10 and walk for more than $15. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 12, 2019 Share Posted December 12, 2019 Learning to replace handles is part of the "necessary skills" for a smith in my opinion. Keeping an eye open to pick up handles cheap helps a lot as does being able to look at a handle and see if it's a good one or a bad one or if the bad spot will be removed when you fit the handle to your hand... Out here I have to let "store bought" handles hang for a year as the ambient humidity is often much lower than kiln dried wood! Buying one at a garage sale that been sitting around a while speeds up use! And beware of "new" handles in old tools that were NOT put in correctly! My favorite tale was I was haggling for an interesting hammer head where the dealer wanted way too much for it because it had a NEW HANDLE in it. I finally pulled the new handle out just using my hands and handed it to him and asked "How much for just the head?" I would have had to junk that brand new handle anyway it was so badly mounted and didn't want to pay extra for it to boot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 On any wooden handle, use 100 grit paper and knock any glazing off the wood. Then coat the wood with a 50/50 blend of mineral spirits and BLO Boiled Linseed Oil, until the handle can absorb no more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 4 hours ago, Phats said: I think I'll pass on it. A good decision, stuff is way over priced for what it is. I would make an offer of ten dollars (maybe go as high as fifteen) for the end nipper (top left), small straight peen hammer, cross peen riveter's hammer, the longest gas fitter's pliers (bottom center) and the smaller drilling hammer which can be modified into a rounding hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 7 hours ago, Frosty said: Oh yeah, your question. $50? No. What did you counter offer? I'd counter $10 and walk for more than $15. Wow Frosty. In the '70's, I was a stock merchandiser in a one-store town. We all nearly died from shock, when Butterfingers, et al., went from 10 to 25 cents each, in one iteration. Seriously. I know that I live in California, but come on guys! Y'all are the lowball kings! All kidding aside, the Mrs. and I will be seeing our Psycho Therapist tomorrow as the Bobsy Twins, in our matching Curmudgeon Club T-shirts. 5 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: "How much for just the head?" Thomas, handleless hammer heads are my Fa-Vo-Rite bargain, l think a lot of people believe that a hammer without a handle is nearly worthless - good for us! Robert el cangrejo Taylor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAG Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 Snr. Roberto Taylor, Not being a Spanish speaker, I just looked up the word 'el cangrejo' in a Spanish-English dictionary. It translates to 'the crab'. (the crustation type, not the kvetch variety). Still, I would like to continue calling you 'Sir". Regards, El SLAG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 I agree with Frosty for the most part. In Northern Kentucky the tools pictured are worth a little more than $15 bucks though. 15 dollars would be my opening offer and I'd go grudgingly as high as $25 but there's a scarcity of those types of tools at the flea markets around here. I see them more frequently at "antique" shops that think because they're old they must be valuable. An example I recently seen was a pair of nippers at an antique Mall for $40. How ridiculous is that? Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 As always there is the "I need it now" prices and the "I'll use it someday" prices. After 38 years smithing most tools are in the second category; but I started poor and learned to buy cheap, make my own or do without.. Now my "allowance" has risen to US$25 a week---which covers all my vices/vises: rum, books!, tools, refractories, shop extensions, etc and so on. So I still work on the cheap and save up for the big ticket items. (I'm going to a Blacksmith Estate sale coming up and may ask for January's allowance early to get something in remembrance). Of course we live fairly frugally too; my big Christmas gift to my wife was bought at the Student art/craft show and sale at the local University. To myself---over the Christmas break I'm going to give myself the time to read "The Sword and the Crucible: A History of the Metallurgy of European Swords Up to the 16th Century", Alan Williams from cover to cover! Which A won't cost me anything as I already own it and B will keep me from spending money on other things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manno Posted December 13, 2019 Author Share Posted December 13, 2019 Y'all are hilarious. Thanks again everyone. I'm passing on the lot as the seller is firm on price and actually suggested it should be higher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 No insult to the seller to respectfully pass on the deal. Speaking for myself, the Mrs. is a good sport when we are driving down the street, and I shout, "TRASH! Stop the car! Nothing could be more lowball than emerging from a dumpster with Treasure! 10 hours ago, SLAG said: It translates to 'the crab'. (the crustation type, not the kvetch variety). Herr SLAG, I have a number of Native Speaking friends, and they tell me the entendre is all over the map, at times, from town to town. Did you find the a kvetch iteration that you could share? Robert Taylor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAG Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 Senior Taylor, "kvetch" is a person who complains. Or who nags. I looked the word up on the net, namely Dictionary dot com. Their definition partially reads, "Words related to kvetch mean, squawk, nag, carp, grumble, mutter, murmur, fuss, groan, gripe, bellyache, grouse, whine, yawp, crab, grouch, yammer, pule, …" I strongly suspect that your chosen moniker is the crustacean definition. Regards, SLAG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 I was wondering if there is a word for "kvetch crab" (that is me) in Spanish. Robert el kvetch crab Taylor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 14, 2019 Share Posted December 14, 2019 20 hours ago, Anachronist58 said: Wow Frosty. In the '70's, I was a stock merchandiser in a one-store town. We all nearly died from shock, when Butterfingers, et al., went from 10 to 25 cents each, in one iteration. Seriously. I know that I live in California, but come on guys! Y'all are the lowball kings! And that kind crabby sir is the reaction I'd expect if I was close to hand shake territory. Of course you lowball your initial offer or you're not a horse trader. Counting me amongst the lowball kings is pure flattery sir, I'm a piker in the groups Dad and I went to auctions, sales, etc. with. As a matter of course I never buy without counter offering. If it's firm I consider, if the seller counters it's game on. However if the seller takes offense I apologize for the wasted time and walk. I don't mind if the seller is adamant about standing firm, if I don't expect him/er to take offense I can't can I? I've shot myself in the foot countering and offending the seller when It was actually a screaming deal. Last time the seller was moving a lot of tools and asking under 10% for what looked pretty new roto Zip set and I countered half asking just because. Can't say he was a bad guy but he didn't just stand pat, he all but called me names. I still kick myself for not just buying it, sometimes habits will bite you. A reasonably new, RotoZip set in the case, in the box with: bits, saws, router bits, & guides, sanding, drums, stones, orbital sander corner thingies, blade sharpening guide and more for $10.00 I knee jerk countered $5.00. That one still smarts and worse I have to wonder what was causing him to sell so much for so little. It couldn't have been good times for them, makes me feel like a jerk. So yeah, I go: garage/yard/rummage/etc. saling like an old horse trader looking for a deal on everything. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted December 14, 2019 Share Posted December 14, 2019 Yeah Frosty, you are getting me all verklempt now. The fact that you felt all of that after the fact, makes you inclined to be a decent Human Being. I have seen well-off traders try to rob people in obviously dire straits at last-ditch yard sales, hurling insults as they stormed away, because the seller refused to be robbed. I have an old, crummy, cheap rollaway. I paid the asking price of $75, would not give you ten for it. The fellow was trying to finance his final expenses. Blacksmiths seem to have huge, hot iron hearts - honored to hang out with y'all. Many cultures take it for granted and invite haggling, I have been taunted, a time or two, into horse trading - seller said my full offer was boring! There must be something in the blood.......Go figger. Roberto El Cangrejo Quejarte Taylor (DeSastre) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 14, 2019 Share Posted December 14, 2019 I try to be one of the good guys but I tend to speak before I think things through too often. Maybe Smiths are big softies but I try not to do too much figgering, it keeps getting me in trouble. I'm not so kind with pushy sellers, it causes me a sudden loss of interest in whatever they have. "Not interested" is my preferred bargaining position and I really dislike you not interested leaves room for lots of fun. Loud angry sellers have a lot in common with internet trolls, they are too emotionally invested in themselves for their own good. Someone has to be pretty unpleasant to make me want to play them like that though, I really prefer to walk away. Playing them is on the minus side of the Karma card. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAG Posted December 14, 2019 Share Posted December 14, 2019 John, Did you mean to write 'quejarse" and not 'quejarte' ? My trusty Spanish-English dictionary translates quejarse as to complain (I. e. to kvetch). Regards, Good Guy, SLAG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted December 14, 2019 Share Posted December 14, 2019 SLAG, best I can tell, te = myself, and se = yourself. Robert the kvetch crab Taylor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAG Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 Senor Roberto, (a.k.a. r.t.k.c.). What a wonderful moniker. I'm jealous. SLAG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanglediver Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 My best/favorite hammer acquisition came from the dumpster. I spotted an 8 pound sledge with a broken pipe handle that had been welded by a baboon. Easy pickins! I bought a short chunk of black pipe and a threaded cap for a short handle and welded it in place of the rusty stump. I still use it to this day at work, and it gets loaned out on a regular basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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