Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 No one is mocking anyone, threads just have a tendency to run off the rails into different themes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benona blacksmith Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 With all this talk of different hammer techniques and hammers to be used with the techniques, I decided to forge a hofi inspired hammer. I just need to grind heat treat and handle it and it will be ready for use. Then it will be time to try and learn a new technique!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 I in the worst way wanted to latch onto the hofi method.. I watched the videos.. I even tried it with my normal hammers and as pointed out.. The Hofi hammer is different.. The measurements to be a Hofi hammer are actually pretty solid.. If the measurements are off.. It is not a Hofi hammer.. A number of smiths from the USA hooked up with Hofi to learn about the hammer and hammering style and they brought back this information and started to produce "The Hofi" hammer in the USA.. Big Blu or the guy behind the scenes was one of these smiths.. At least this is the story I had heard.. There are actually a few and there are cast steel ones as well as forged ones.. Hofi himself said he likes the cast ones better than the forged ones.. Anyhow.. Because of how I work at the anvil ( I work all over it) but mainly at a diagonal.. the face distance to the handle is short.. the hammers are short overall for the weight and the handles are also short. Since I had planned on going to the 2018 ABANA conference I new Blu would be there and they would have hammers for sale.. I bought a 2.5 Hofi and gave it a try.. In 30minutes of forging time. I had smacked my pinky on the anvil face 3 times.. My pinky was so raw.. the grip of the hammer has to change to account for the shorter face to handle distance.. and even with this grip strategy I was still smacking my the joint at the tip of my pinky.. I returned it.. I could just not adapt after all this time frame of 40 years of forging. if I were sitting down I can see where it would come in.. I have to have some distance between the hammer face and handle as I use the hammer at angle of handle up or down vs rotation of the face to create tapers.. I use both but when I want to use a hammer a particular way.. I don't stop to think about how to do it.. I just do it.. I could probably get away with a bladesmiths round anvil and the Hofi hammer. I am in no way trying to talk anybody out of the "Hofi" hammer.. Many have great results and no a guy who loves his and he does production smithing. Any photos? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benona blacksmith Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 It is inspired by the hofi hammer but in no way is an exact copy. Weight is 3.2 lbs. I will get some actual measurements in a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benona blacksmith Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 The dimensions of my hammer are as follows 3 inch wide x 3 inch tall x 3 ½ inches long. Is this close to the Hofi hammer dimensions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 wow, that is really chunky.. I'm not an expert on the Hofi.. I'm sure there might be others with more info.. You might want to do a web search for Hofi hammer specs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benona blacksmith Posted February 9, 2020 Share Posted February 9, 2020 Yes it is really chunky. I can see how you can catch your knuckles on the anvil. How are these supposed to be ground? Also I noticed that there is distinct differences between the forged and the cast hammers!!! I made another one that is 4 lbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted February 9, 2020 Share Posted February 9, 2020 The forged hammers might have been a different design vs cast.. Hofi had said, that only the Hofi design is a Hofi hammer.. There were a bunch of guys who went and learned how to forge the Exact Hofi hammer.. I was not there but this was relayed threw a video or the like.. Hofi's hammers forged or cast are exactly the same.. if there is variation.. Than according to what I read, watched.. What ever they are not Hofi.. LOL.. The faces are rounded out.. The face stays square at the edges but the center of the face is completely rounded out.. Not as much as a rounding hammer but with a decent rocker. The guy from Blu was one of the people who took the hammer class and stayed there for a visit to learn other methods.. When Hofi came over he also stayed with the Blu guys and did a workshop at the shop.. All of this information is 3rd hand.. I had seen the information, from blog, video or read it somewhere so accuracy might be off.. I keep hoping someone in the know but come along.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shabumi Posted February 9, 2020 Share Posted February 9, 2020 Here's a blueprint in the Hofi series that points out the difference of cast vs forged, I think it was written by Hofi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasent Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 If your doing the hofi method of hammering your fingers are not on the bottom of the handle but on the sides so finger smash is of no concern Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 Yup, I thought the same thing.. I must have really fat pinky because when i tilt the face of the hammer while still in line with the anvil and try to use the face heel. I hit my pinky every time.. I never said I could operate a Hofi hammer I said I tried to.. Again with my method of working at the anvil I don't discern a safe hammering area or not I just hammer.. Maybe it's part of getting old.. I don't know. Or maybe I'm just making excuses but it didn't work for me and after the 3rd hit of the pinky, it was sore enough I didn't want to do it any longer.. LOL.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 Benona, You have got some serious grinding to do. It looks like you have a bit if a fish-mouth in the middle of the Pien end. Short and stocky is OK, just doesn't leave much room for fingers on the Handle. You will learn not to hold the handle close to the head. You will learn not to forge with your hand over the anvil, but to any side. Knowledge is a wonderful thing from the 'School of Hard Knocks'. First Hammer is a great teacher. The Journey is beginning, enjoy the ride. Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benona blacksmith Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 Both hammers are ground and one is handled. I will get pictures of them sometime tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasent Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 Can’t blame you there jlp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benona blacksmith Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 Here is the 4 lb hammer and a shot of it next to the 3 lb. Now I need to do some grinding to round out the faces a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 Wow, The faces were even rounded.. But I do understand not wanting to remove the metal till you figure it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluerooster Posted July 11, 2020 Share Posted July 11, 2020 Back to hammering technique, I managed to do something pretty stupid the other day, (knowing better the whole time). Driving 5 foot 2x4 stakes with my 8 pound. (I guess you can see where this is going) I was standing on the very hard ground, so the blows were landing just below chin height. needless to say I'll be off from swinging a hammer until my shoulder gets better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted July 11, 2020 Share Posted July 11, 2020 I tend to agree with Jennifer's issues with the Hofi style hammer. For me, personally, the balance is off and the handle too short (I know,... that can be modified). It's not a genuine Hofi hammer but it looks exactly like one; they were not available when I bought mine. I purchased it from one of the better known blacksmith supply companies. All I use it for now is the peen end which is nice, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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