Kinda cool and very functional.

It is a Swedish style hammer. Newly purchased about 6 years ago from Centaur forge. The Swedish pattern is my favorite when I'm doing a bunch of peen forging like on a thumblatch.

@@jlpservicesinc1452 nice!😊

Hey Wild Bill, So great to meet you and share some time, experience and knowledge, and lighter to boot.. :) I will know it for sure.. Honored to meet you.. Really the conference was the best one ever.. People like yourself made it that way.. Thank for being there and helping me along the journey.. Splendid, simply splendid.. :)

Did it look better in person?? :)

superior? this is a tough question.. Strength is the strength of the metal. Without more details it would be impossible to answer. Forge welded? MIG welded, Tig welded.. lap joint, off the side, etc, etc, ?

Thanks and welcome

Thanks.

Not snarky at all.. It's a great question. it does several things.. It moves the center of the bar into a smaller section so the force being applied goes thru the center of the bar.. This help to keep the bar straighter during the upsetting. The mass (upset) needs to form further up the bar to start with.. If the end of the bar upsets first its' harder to keep things centered. And it helps with fishmouths.. Tapering.. in this example it's not; as important unless the fish mouthing is really bad an creates a cold shut. It's a progression.. I upset about 1"from the end first then allow for it all to upset.. This creates a better defined shoulder without it getting off center and no potential of cold shut behind the flatters face.. this would lead to a crack..

Thanks Jay. I don't really see one and a quarter inch square 4140 is that difficult. I max out at about 1.5 in square of 4140 . Hand forging 1.5"sq is not much fun, it's a lot of work but I find that that's about the largest size that I can work by hand. There are a lot of little things that are done behind the scenes that a lot of people don't notice like my anvil height is lower than most and that allows for a full hammer swing also I'm not having to hold the bar up with my arm vent I actually can leave my arm nearly straight when I'm forging which makes a huge difference. Once you get the size broken down some it's really not that bad.

By the way I struggled with 3/4-in square for years and years and then I struggled with one inch square for years and years as I kept going up in size I also noticed that those sizes that were smaller got easier so where I struggled with the 3/4-in square once I was doing 1 in 3/4-in was no longer much of a struggle.

I prefer wire wrapped for some things and wood for others. On larger struck tools like cold set a wire handle can be a treat and last long.. Heavy flatters or heavy set hammers too. On smaller tools I prefer wood.. Wooden handles can be shaped easily to fit the hand and comfortable tools make for less fatigue and cleaner work.

Hello, large hammers are swung differently. I go up and down with the whole arm vs just from the elbow. It works and I don't tire as easily.. I'm glad you found blacksmithing and are enjoying yourself.. Thats the important part. Its great you participate here.. Thank you..

Not bad in terms of forging.. But yes, a little bit of metal there.. Thanks

yes, yes.. :)

Hey, you.. Hope things are well. This is very doable by anyone. Thanks.. :)

Size adds a certain dynamic for sure.. Really brings out how to "move the metal". I remember when 3/4" was nearly impossible to forge. Long time ago now, but working bigger sizes makes working lesser sizes easier.. Thanks.

Thanks, Wasn't sure if having the reheat times would be interesting enough.

This will be a long response: I'll preface this response with : A person needs to accept responsibility for their own safety and all PPE.. Take your personal safety seriously and wear the equipment you feel will offer the level of protection your are after.. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY.. I typically don't wear eye protection for forging. Read an early blacksmithing book over 40 years ago that they mentioned squinting so the eye lashes catch any scale that might cause a problem.. Thats the method I use and prefer. I own 50 different kinds of safety glasses all of which I find useless and ended up in the emergency room 3X wearing them while forging.. They offered very little in terms of protection and with open sides were a problem. I also tried many, many pairs of goggles only to have them fog even with lense antifog and gels rendering them useless as well.. About 5 years ago I found a product called Clic and they made a goggle that I wear while teaching/demonstrating and while working around the grinders and other electric or air powered tools.. I also wear a faceshield I like. The Clic goggles are the only eye protection I can wear that is a full goggle ( I won't wear open frame glasses as mentioned above with 3 hospital visits). it did not dawn on me about the safety glasses missing in the video until you mentioned it.

I have owned an Obsbot Tail for years and it's a wonderful product.. Few short comings but the newer Obsbot Tail Air has a bunch more features.. The technology is pretty amazing when it works.. The voice commands is a neat feature.. Which switcher do you use?

Thanks

Wow, thanks!

you're welcome. :)

I fully understand your concern with the shelf on the close side.. The story is very long as to how I ended up where I am, why I do what I do, and the equipment I use. I won't bore you with all the distance between then and now.. I can tell you everything has been calculated for how I work at the anvil of which I usually stand very close and work diagonally across the face.. (thus the face of the anvil or close corner is a problem if not knowing).. So the short story is. All my hammers have the correct distance from the handle to face so I'm not smashing my pinky against the face of the anvil.. (side shelf or not every anvil has the same flat surface) I can not use a Hofi style hammer with a short face to handle distance because of how I forge at the anvil an this shorter distance, I will lower my hammer handle to create a bevel and thus smash my pinky into the anvils face.. Again the side shelf is not the problem of itself.. I've been working at the anvil now 47 years.. I've found what works best for me. This anvil is a right-handed anvil. Right handed anvils have the horn to the left. I prefer to have my horn to my right hand though I am right handed.. So this side shelf is technically on the wrong side. (Refflinghaus does not make Left handed South German pattern anymore.) If you are right handed and run the horn to your left hand it will take a few years to get used to having the horn on the right but do so for several reasons.. (of which I won't cover here).. Anyhow, I like where you were going.. Skill and experience and awareness even in the thick of forging plays in. So, by having the side shelf on my side (this being a south German pattern anvil) there is no shoulder transition between the horn, table, face like in a north German or London pattern.. The shelf becomes that transition for forging chain scarf, or certain types of knives or just beveling stock. On the Refflinghaus the side shelf is 1" thick at the end and fully supported all the way back so it's extremely solid. I have a tendency to elaborate on any given question because the information runs deep.. But it's impossible to tell someone in a reasonably short essay/statement.. Seeing someone at the anvil in action, in person is usually the best..

sorry I don't.. I have the same problem.. My plan is to pull the pump and rebuild it. Usually it's a clearance issue..

Thanks.. :)

Thanks. Wise words.. I'm getting there dressing the edges.. Another 3 years and should be dialed in nicely.. Choosing your wife on their choice of anvils might not be such a bad thing.. Not sure why opposites attract.. Lot easier when both people think along the same lines..

Did you have both the 200 and 300 at the same time? It looks like the 300 was a heavier machine though about the same size.

@@jlpservicesinc1452 Yes and we all had a walk behind trencher but it was not a Davis.

HI John, that story about lenox is a good one.. Yes, still around and will be doing more videos in the future.. I'm a little discouraged with seeing so many people just putting out content with no real merit. I don't want to do that.. So finding items that I would want to film are few and far between these days.. I have some stellar YT followers and always feel badly when new content is not out in a timely fashion but I just can't see making something just to make something that has been covered 2 million times out in YT land.. I've been staying super busy with Farrier work and school building build.. I'm nearly to the end on the school build and really looking forwards to filming in there..

thanks. yes,yes still around. im not one to flood youtube with plain content. Over the years ive tried to pick content that is not well known nor shared. today it seems everyone just copies everyone elses content. i dont really understand. Anyhow there is a new video on forging a double joint compass in the works. 2 copies actually. 1 for the "Early American Industrial Association " filmed on location at the original location and recreated Moses Wilder blacksmithing shop. (the original shop was moved to Old Sturbridge Village). and also here in the trailer. The school is coming along and was hoping to film the next video in there. Still a few months out for that to happen.

This axe preform was made at a demonstration at a Vineyard. Nearly all the talking was with onlookers.

If you have a particular question let me know.. Glad to help. There was a whole year+ that passed from this video and the forging and video number 2.

Thanks.. John at Old Hickory is a great guy.. Welcome to the channel..

Thanks

Hey, Thanks Joe and you are very welcome.. Congrats on your equipment and getting out there and smithing.. Sounds like your have been interested in smithing for a long time with the assorted equipment you have picked up.. Way cool on old Navy forging hammer.. :) Have you posted any photos of your shop/equipment to IFI yet? If you have, I'd love to see them post back with a link if you don't mind. Love old metal and seeing what people have going on. Send me a PM on IFI.. Love to connect and see more of your stuff.. Getting the school finished in a main priority. With this I currently travel about and teach and demonstrate.. Idealy once the school is finished here I will start to travel more and maybe even some over seas venues.. They have a blacksmithing meet in the UK that is really cool looking and love to attend.. One never knows where they will end up if the opportunity presents itself.. :) Thanks again for leaving feedback.. It's much appreciated.

I want my coffin to be held together with them..

The traditional way was to braze the bowl on.. | Welding was done but to a much lesser extent.. Welding of the bowl led to a bunch of difficulties that were not time-effective. Historically trade "Tomahawks" were cheaply made items with the least amount of materials possible trying to seem like they ( the traders) were offering a good deal to the locals. Most people who make them today don't follow this "cheapness" aspect and combine viking, European, and others together to show a product. It's not ideal from a historical perspective. Where you do see more elaborate tomahawks were cast bronze.. They had piercings and all sorts of neat decorations. When I finally get the school opened I'll be releasing more videos from inside the school.. I will keep your request in mind but it won't be for another 6 months or so.. I have a huge amount of work to get done in the school building on top of my normal work. Thanks for the request.. I have a few months before the snow arrives so if I find the time I'll put together a video. Have you seen the tomahawk I did 3 weeks ago?

Hi Isaac yes I do remember the table.. Sorry it did not work out.. :) it is interesting how long it's taken to get this project nearly completed.. I really could use a month off from regular farrier work and just devote it to getting it finished.. But, with that it's a slow process. One of which I'm getting pretty excited about.. The building itself is nearly complete with just one section needing insulation and covering membrane, then interior siding. I've been able to get the electrical installed on the main and 3phase power installed. Now is the running off all the wires. I've started collecting the parts needed for the forge flues/stacks.. I'll be posting an update video soon.. :) Thanks for finding the channel and sharing your remembrance..

Thank you and your welcome. Here comes a story, but you might appreciate and enjoy it.. The shape of my hammer handles has morphed over 47 years.. It's only been the last 8 years that I have finalized the handle shape. Took me about 20 years to find a handle shape I liked.. I experimented a lot.. Skinny, fat, short, long, round, square etc, etc. This style and shape of the handle is one that started life as an oval.. Its the same exact handle with the corners left on going from square, to octagon to oval.. in wood working, just like in forging.. I split out all my handles so the grain is correct and then use a draw knife to shape them.. Finishing off with a scraper if need be.. I'll use a rasp and sand paper rarely, if need be in tough grained wood where the draw knife tears out wood.. ( I like knotty wood or figured woods). But generally, I use the draw knife for all of the work... So I decided some 10 years ago to leave the corners on the octagon as a time savings in making the handles oval.. And Never looked back.. This became my final hammer handle shape.. They are exactly the same as my oval hammer handles, length, girth, size.. only difference is they are not made oval. Handles last me about 20 years or longer so it's a slow process to change out the old handles.. One change that I have implemented on my oldest store-bought cross peen is I have gone to a longer handle.. it's a 2.5lbs true value cross peen bought in 1978. I like the longer handle and might do this with some of my other lighter forging hammers. Overall about 3" longer so about 17" total in length.. I'm getting older now so swinging a 6lb hammer has less appeal though I still do it. This past NEB fall meet, I asked all the older smiths with 30+ years under their belts how long it took for them to find a hammer head they liked and how long it took for them to find a hammer handle they liked.. The response was about the same for each smith.. Took about 8-10 years to find a hammer head they liked and about 12-15 years to find a hammer handle they liked. Also of interest.. The handle selection as for design came back about the same.. Longer, skinnier handles.. With lighter head weights. Also the major reasoning was the same: Snap and flex was their main attribute.. Over the last 10 years I have taken videos of most full-time long-term smiths to analyze and they all swing the hammer the same when the metal is forging hot.. (there are a few long term smiths who's primary job is education and they do not swing a hammer the same as full time working smiths).. What changes is how they swing the hammer as the metal cools off.

@@jlpservicesinc1452 Thanks for the reply, we seem to share a lot in common. I recently bought about twenty Sawsmiths hammers ranging from 2 to 10 lbs in weight [mostly 5 to 7 lb] mainly cross+straight pein, and double diagonal pein. All handles were oval but wormy and rotten beyond redemption, but the interesting thing to me was just how small the section was where they were held ie from 7/8 x3/4" on the heaviest, down to 3/4 x 9/16" on the 'light' ones. They were also all the same length... just 14". The gripped section on all, was between 6 and 10" marks, before swelling out to the end. The guy that used these had clearly found his optimum handle, for this particular type of work, though sadly it is not possible to see how he managed to use these large hammers on such skimpy handles. The starting point for most beginners is probably going to be using 'shop bought' handles, though this is likely far from ideal. To me at least, these are almost always far too heavy in section, and. as for shop bought axe handles, most could be used to knock out an elephant. Unfortunately, this side of the pond, you simply can't find hickory wood, other than that already made into handles. A lot of my hammer handles are made from old pick or sledge handles, bought at car boot sales for next to nothing. When I can get good quality ash boards, I will use that. My absolute favourite is rippled ash when I can find it... usually when splitting rounds for firewood. Ash does seem to absorb shock better than hickory, something important to me, having arthritis, carpal tunnel, trigger finger and white finger. I also get some nice hardwood handles out of crates from India and China, that I get from the local stonemason. No idea what the wood is. Like you I started leaving handles in the octagonal stage, but decided to lose the mid shaft swell found in shop bought handles. I prefer the single taper from head to end. It just seems 'right' wherever you hold it. Most of the time I grip about 2/3rds from the head.... something I have noticed a lot of smiths seem to do.

@@bigoldgrizzly The hammers you are referring to are for tensioning blades.. I own 2 saw tensioners anvils and a few hammers. They are used on cold work only.. Congrats.. Kinda rare items.. I'm not a mid shaft swell person.. Haven't been in 30 years.. The mid swell doesn't even make sense.. But you know that already.. :)

It can happen.. But not this time.. :) People are funny about blacksmithing and hand forging of iron based metals.. It's a very non-precise activity.. Do a weld and think it's good (color is good, sound is good) and it falls apart in the fire taking the next heat on that tack weld. Or just as it gets lifted up off the anvil. Other times ( I do this often) nothing cleaned, prep minimal, held to just a scarf.. covered in Old oxidized flux and just for ha, ha.. weld it any way and it's the best weld ever.. I am always going for the lowest temperature I can and still get it to weld. So often times it takes 2 attempts and sometimes even 3 on the smaller stuff. 3 is the maximum attempts.. after that there are 2 many losses. Something I had to learn over a very long time is all modern forge welds done in a coal or coke forge are ample if the scarfs are correct. the important parts are where the "scarfs" are positioned and how the weld is weight-loaded. 2024 I'll be at the ABANA 50 yrs anniversary and will be teaching and demonstrating "hinges and their barrels" this will include H/HL hinges, strap hinges..

Hey, thanks.. Was hoping to visit more at NEB.. Hope you had a great time..

@@jlpservicesinc1452 Hi JLP Really great to see you briefly at NEB! I had a BLAST....I have so so much to learn and it's a big playground for me. I get so excited to learn a new weld, or even better perhaps - to get 1:1 feedback about my hammer and grip! Old dog, new tricks. Hoping to watch your forging magic at Fitchburg! Thanks again for the great vid! 🌷

Wow, congratulations on the 3yrs.. Are you able to apprentice with someone? Respect and love back at you..

not really , there isnt much blacksmithes here, but i do study a lot from books and the internet, i learn by myself but with the help of people like you with your videos i did a lot of progress in 3 years. thanks for all the knowledge you share ! @@jlpservicesinc1452

Thanks.. You are welcome.. I try to keep the information as concise as I can.. because of the length of the videos, i get to feel like I'm just talking to myself so I kind of get quiet toward the ends.. The side shelf is technically supposed to face away from the person.. This is a right-hand pattern anvil. and I have it in a left-handed position. Because this anvil does not have any kind of a shelf or drop like on a North German pattern or a London pattern anvil.. having the side shelf facing me is handy. it gives me a corner face (90 degrees both left and right of my body centerline). So scarfing chain is easy. I also find it handy when beveling since the shelf is heavy and imparts a good solid feel when working on it. I'm getting ready to design my own style of anvils and they will have a side shelf on both sides.. The side shelves are very handy once one figures out the advantages. Good catch on the space.. All the videos are recorded in a trailer and space is it at a premium ..

@@jlpservicesinc1452 Many thanks for your detailed reply, much appreciated. I have 2 London Pattern anvils so I don't have a side shelf. I work with the horn to my hammer hand [right] and the Hardy to the left. As a young fella, I used to strike in a 3 man shop and that was the way they all worked, so that is the way I tried when I came back to Smithing 50 or more years later. I guess we all find our own way of doing things that suits us best and I have made sure there is plenty of room to work all round my main anvil. Both mine are cast steel and the cutting plates are as hard as the main face so never get used for cutting. I do keep edges and corners on them really crisp and find this comes in handy from time to time, most often for marking out and cleaning up. I look forward to one day seeing your new design in action