Blacksmiths hammer signals

[Shabumi]

I found this article in the Jan 6, 1886 edition of the Truckee Republican about how a blacksmith would communicate to his strikers with different hand hammer blows between strikes.

I appologize about the highlights, I wasn't sure how to remove my search keyword from the website I was using.

[Frosty]

Thanks, it's good to see how others signal their strikers. I use one so seldom I just tell them where and how hard.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Nobody Special]

25 minutes ago, Frosty said:

Thanks, it's good to see how others signal their strikers. I use one so seldom I just tell them where and how hard.

Frosty The Lucky.

The old, "When I nod my head..."?

[Frosty]

 Uh . . . I don't remember.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Old joke, When I nod my head...hit it.

I've never had a striker work with me and I doubt I could remember all those signals. I have trouble remembering what I had for breakfast a lot of the time.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.
Semper Paratus

 

[LarryFahnoe]

On the one occasion I had a striker helping me, it was in a class & I was having enough trouble concentrating on what I was trying to do that I'm sure I frustrated the striker to the point of wanting to hit me, whether I nodded my head or not! 

--Larry

[JHCC]

This is an interesting code, and I can see how it would be useful in a shop where smith and striker are constantly working together and are both accustomed to this level of communication.

On the few occasions I've worked with a striker, the only instruction I've used has been "Hit where I hit, hit harder when I hit harder and lighter when I hit lighter, and stop when I tap the anvil twice."

When the Colonial Williamsburg blacksmiths demonstrated at Quad-State a few years back, they would signal to each other that they needed a striker by tapping the side of their anvil twice. They explained that in the shop at CW, there are no designated smith-and-striker teams, and whoever is free will respond to the signal.

[Frosty]

The couple times I've had a striker I've pointed with the hammer where I wanted the blow and waved it over the work to stop. When I wanted something special we talked about it while the piece was heating. 

The times I've struck went in a similar fashion, no actual codes beyond what we established while the piece was heating. 

The codes like the one above had to be between people who worked together regularly like John says and then I'd bet there wasn't any real code. Given time a team learns to read each other, the work, tools and machinery to the point you don't have to say or signal each other. There were days on the drill rig when we hardly said a word about the work and talked about other general stuff, the kids, sports, weather, lodging, etc. but not a word about drilling, testing, etc. unless something special came up.

I can see having sets of signals when you aren't working with the same people constantly, the work may be the same but styles differ so set signals might be beneficial.

Frosty The Lucky.

[JHCC]

On 1/21/2024 at 2:04 AM, Shabumi said:

I appologize about the highlights, I wasn't sure how to remove my search keyword

Here's another view, without the highlights:

I posted this on Facebook and tagged Aislinn Harris and Mark Sperry to ask what they do at CW. Here's Aislinn's reply:

Quote

We call for a striker with three quick blows on the anvil, the start of striking with two, and the end with one trailing off to the side. We mostly strike alternating hand hammer with sledge, so that the sledge mimics the placement, angle, face/peen orientation, and relative hardness of the hand hammer blows. If we are using the sledge exclusively it hits in one spot, usually the center of the anvil face, and we move the work beneath it. If more than one striker is used we start the cycle off with the hand hammer as usual, setting the tempo, maintaining a spot in the rotation throughout. Also, the sledge hammer almost always takes the last hit, as the striker is usually midway through their swing and it’s hard to stop that abruptly. There are also times where we point to a spot with the hand hammer for the location of an isolated sledge hit. When striking on the horn we always default to hitting center horn, so we don’t seesaw the piece.

 

So in a nutshell, yes, hand hammer signals drive everything, and lots of practice to gain accuracy and maintain a good rhythm of work. In our shop we also work so closely together that we can adjust to each others idiosyncrasies and gauge what’s likely needed next, which helps.

(My memory of the "striker needed" signal was off a bit, but close.)

[Shabumi]

JHCC, it seems like Aislinns signals are similar to the ones described in the article, with a few minor changes to start, stop and change speed. They both basically say the little hammer mimics what the big hammer should do. It makes sense from an efficiency standpoint. The striker just has to keep his eyes on the work for instruction instead of looking to the Smith for direction and then back to the work. That would help with accuracy by not having to split your attention and also save a split second each stroke. That isn't a big deal if your only striking occasionally, but in production work those seconds add up.

I also noticed that these signals seem to be about striking the piece directly with the sledge, and not about striking a top tool, which I think would be better with the head nod method as the Smith has to adjust the top tool between each strike

[JHCC]

In those cases when I've had or been a striker for top-tool work (as well as when I've seen other smiths doing such work, either in person or on video), the cue has been verbal rather than visual. That is to say, the smith says something like "Hit" or "Go" rather than nodding, as the striker can keep their eye constantly on the tool rather than watching the smith.

1 hour ago, Shabumi said:

the little hammer mimics what the big hammer should do

I know what you mean, but I'd rephrase that as "the little hammer models what the big hammer should do" or "the big hammer mimics what the little hammer does".

[Frosty]

At one time I said Okay but was advised to use any other GO word. It's too common for a person to say Okay when talking to themselves like when you're positioning a top tool precisely and you do NOT want the strike before you're ready. 

As a next level we establish my GO word while talking about it as the piece is heating. I like GO! or Hit it! I've struck for a fellow who liked STRIKE. 

Following the master smith's blows is easy enough, you can get verbal instructions in between blows, the striker is always a bit slower than the master.

Just stop the striker on the recovery, NOT the down stroke!

Frosty The Lucky.

[Shabumi]

I hadn't thought of an audio cue for top tool work, that makes more sense than a visual one when the smiths hands are busy with tooling. It also makes sense not using the word "okay" as your GO word. I am one of those that says okay to sort of focus myself before doing something and would be in trouble if that were the signal to strike.

Your right, I did mangle that phrasing. Thanks for the correction. 

 

[Frosty]

Now I remember the term, Okay is a common "filler word" they fill open spaces in sentences and such. If you ever watch "Cops" every other word a cop says to a "customer" is Okay. Like is another as are many foul words.

Frosty The Lucky.