Hi I’ve been poking my nose in the old sledgehammer head market for a while now but only now that I’m taking a little break from forging have I actually been serious. 
I found this head and 30usd$ delivered sounded pretty good. My only reservation is it looks kinda like a masons hammer that you hammer on top of like a giant chisel meaning the face would be soft. Would heating it up and quenched ing it fix that problem???
im no expert and am wondering what you guys think? Is it a masonry hammer? 
 

also if anyone has a good recommendation for a place to buy old sledge hammer heads. Im not very picky along as there’s a hole going through a big old chunk of hard steel I’d be happy. 
I live pretty smack dab in the middle of the city so flee markets are probably?out of the question. 
 

Thanks for any advice u guys can give!

Pictures?

Yes, pictures!

That said, you would need to dig a little deeper before heating and quenching because unless you are prepared to temper the face you run the risk of making it too brittle which will result in spalling and chipping when hit which causes sharp pieces of metal to go flying around your shop, sometimes hitting soft, squishy objects and letting out the red stuff inside.  Not good.

I'd suggest spark testing it and try to get an idea of what kind of alloy it is.  You can look up charts and videos about spark testing.

In fact, it may not be a bad thing to leave it soft, if it is already.  I think I'd rather have to redress the face periodically than risk flying bits of metal.

Also, although a couple of sledges are nice to have around the shop my experience is that you don't use them all that much.  You may use them more is you have a striker (minion, friend, teen, spouse, etc.) available but if you are by yourself it is harder to use a 2 handed sledge without quick and effective hold downs for the work.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Sorrry I meant to ad those!

Here we go:

I have a couple double jack sledge hammers and single jack sledges, that's old timey for two handed and one handed. I almost never use them at the anvil and have only used my 22lb. demolition hammer once and traded off with two friends as strikers. 

My go to hammer at the anvil is a 32oz. drill hammer, it's heavy enough to move serious metal but light enough to not tire or injure you quickly and the shorter handle gives you much better control and accurate is more important that hard blows.

I use my single jacks on some top tools and my smithin magician. but virtually never for general forging.

GOOD timing, your post came in just as I was about to hit submit! The ad is NOT a sledge hammer it is a demolition hammer, the rounded face is for breaking up concrete and masonry. It's not a good choice for general smithing. $30 is a rip off, they aren't that much new. An 8lb sledge or 4lb. single jack are easier to put some power into your blows. Top tools are easy to make and much easier to use accurately than a big heavy straight pein.

Frosty The Lucky.

what do you plan to use that hammer for?

It's a cool hammer, but your money would probably be better spent elsewhere. It's the wrong kind of hammer for forging, much too large, and not in great shape, not to mention (as Frosty says) overpriced. If you're looking for something to use at the anvil, you probably don't need anything bigger than 8 lbs -- any bigger, and control becomes a huge issue.

I agree with others opinions on this hammer. 

I do get a bunch handled or without cheap at fleamarkets. Wouldn't hurt to search for some in or around your area. Other than those there is fb marketplace, craigslist, pawn shops that have tools yard sales, second hand stores and for $30. you might even be able to get a new one. Try the TPAAAT and ask around, talk to construction workers, contractors, general laborers. Those type might have one with a broken handle that likely they might just Give to you. If one breaks they typically just buy a new one rather than replace the handle. Its amazing what you can acquire just talking to people about what you do, need or are looking for. Having a small hand forged thank you gift really helps and motivates them to look for more stuff you might be interested in.

If all else fails after a good attempt come back and ask, one of us may have a sledgehammer head we might part with for cheap and shipping cost. I have a couple extra kicking around. 

Hope that helps. 

Thanks you everyone for all your information!

im very glad I asked before just going ahead and buying. 

apart from just having one as a beautiful heavy old object I want get a head to sink into a stump as a portable anvil I was thinking that a straight or cross pein would be easier to get back out again as il probably be moving it from place to place often ish. 
 

 

A regular sledgehammer head would be best for that, as its flat bottom face will be better supported by the bottom of whatever hole you put it in. As for moving it around, make the hole in the stump oversized, and then secure the hammer head in it with some wedges. When you need to move it, knock the wedges out, and you’re good to go. 

About ads in the local papers, web sites, etc. "Rare, antique, vintage, etc."  don't really mean anything, mostly they're just buzz words to try and get people to pay more than it's worth. Usually vintage, antique means it's rusty. I don't pay for rust.

Another cool trick you can do with a sledgehammer head anvil is forge a horn that fits the handle hole and wedge it so it's solid for use and removeable.

Frosty The Lucky.

Sticking in a horn and over sizing the hole both sound like a good ideas. 
thank you frosty and jhcc. 
The search continues! Daswulf I’d be happy to bash on top of your guys’s old sledges if they are in need of a new home. 
 

In my searching I came across this cool claw hammer. 

With my recommendations, I'd sure hope you could score one for nothing or a few bucks. If not let me know. Give it a little time. 

Old sledge hammers are common for little or nothing at yard and garage sales. Second hand shops too but most everything is cheaper elsewhere. Besides hitting yard / garage sales you get to meet new people, pet their dogs find cool stuff you don't need and will never use even if you can.

Frosty The Lucky.

SFF mentioned they’re in NYC, where yard and garage sales are few and far between. 

I suppose, I've never visited the city so don't know. They do have things like Freecycle, Craigslist, etc. NO? I understand most city dwellers don't own a vehicle, public transportation is good and the costs of owning, licensing, taxes, parking, storage, etc. makes owning one prohibitive for almost everybody. 

I was thinking along the lines of reading ads in the paper, following online sites, etc. making a phone call on juicy looking stuff and then catching a bus, subway(?) etc. to the boonies and catching a regional bus or maybe the seller would meet you at the bus stop. 

There are ways to deal with almost anything. Just because it's inconvenient or hard is no insurmountable barrier. Of course if the seller lives in the heart of gang war territory I'd probably have to ask the police for an escort. Still . . . 

Of course that's more likely to be worth the trouble for larger finds, hammer heads should be pretty common at pawn and 2nd hand shops. And PLEASE don't try to tell me sledge hammers are rare in NYC. I'll bet you a dollar there is more remodeling per acre in NYC than most anywhere else not destroyed by a disaster. 

Hmmmm?

Frosty The Lucky.

NYC has changed a lot in the last several decades. When I moved there in 1992, there were still these great old surplus hardware stores on Canal Street where you could get just about anything you wanted and a lot of local neighborhood flea markets that would set up in parking lots on the weekends. Then a lot of the old working-class neighborhoods got gentrified, and the mom-and-pop stores couldn’t afford the rent. You can still find some of what you want in the outer boroughs, but not always very easily.