I noticed that this guy has a pretty good set of tools, leads me to believe that he knows what he's doing but honestly I love old hammers for their character and I believe that he has removed all traces of that character
I thought the same thing. If that was a legit viking hammer he ruined it by removing all the imperfections. He does great work and it came out bad ass but it was pretty disappointing at the same time lol
When welding on steel this thick and old, you will get better quality welds if you preheat the base material to 400 degrees. - A Lincoln Electric employee.
I don't think this person is interested in using proper techniques. Just another copycat who's bought the tools, but doesn't really know why. So they make justifications for using them.
As a metal worker myself two errors was made first for a block of metal that big you need to heat it first in a furnace before you try to fill any cracks for the weld to stick solid what you did is just surface cosmetic . Secondly you should have squared the edges by heating and hammering not cut anything off to maintain the weight of the hammer. By saying that after all you done a good job considering how it used to be.
@@Gnefitisis As a fool about to re-handle a sledgehammer, what do you recommend? I'm not going to polish it or burn the handle, I plan on using the repaired sledge. This video is an art/metalwork piece but that new tool is basically useless if you want to keep it pretty IMO.
the only thing I would of done different on the handle after it was put in the hammer it would of set in a bucket of water for a few days that way the handle would never come loose
You've made a very pretty item. Just wanted to mention that the starting tool is neither old, nor unusual, and has nothing to do with vikings. Just something left in the corner of the barn for a few years.
I agree. If that’s touted as a Viking Hammer then this man should be jailed. There should have been markings of the maker and of the owner and the battles fought . Aaahh lying seems to be the normal for these supposed professionals.
Now the hammer stands nicely on my closet as a decoration. My friends said that they also want such a hammer 😅. But I'm not selling my hammer. He's just too beautiful 🤩
@@MWRestoration Nice to start with a prime piece of steel. Well done restoration. Handle needed chain on end. Wonder how many met their end By that hammer !!
Amazing how that well used and worn hammer became a trophy piece. I love the hammer tone on top and bottom. Nice burnishing too. I am so glad you shared this. Thank you. A true craftsman.
Many thanks for the praise 😊. But it really wasn't easy to grind the hammer down. I didn't have any CNC or milling machines available. That's why I had to do most of the work with the hat. But the end result looks incredible. I already forgot all the hard work 😅
@@MWRestoration beautiful job, your very organized and neat. I appreciate that. Now someone has a hammer that is now a piece of art that could sit on a mantel.
Wow. this must have taken SO much time, effort and patience. Mad respect for your skill and work, and wow, I'm not really into wood but that piece of wood is absolutely beautiful, specially after it was burned and cleaned up (had never seen that done before). Great camerawork too with the macro lens! Edit: Wow, so many experts in the comments section critiquing the work as if it was meant to be a tool for hard work when what he's actually doing is transforming an old hammer that was once upon a time used for work, but is now an art piece to be displayed. I think that much is obvious when you see all the trouble he went through to make cosmetic additions and changes. This isn't some hammer that's gonna be used in a metalworking factory subject to OSHA regulations and all the other regulations that would go along with it, chill out lol.
You put a lot of work into that. Being a traditionalist when it comes to tools I would have stopped at the mirror shine. I would hang that on my wall though.
Thought the same. the texture looks cool, but all those little scratches in the divots are a great place for rust to start, even with it being blued. A mirror polish and a regular oil wipe seems like it'd keep the hammer rust free for longer.
I love watching such restorations videos. This is not the work for every ,Tom, Dick and Harry. This is the work of PROFESSIONALS. Very impressed, indeed.
I am impressed by your tools and how you keep them , your interpretation on refinishing a working tool is outstanding. I can’t imagine ever putting it back to work . It will make an excellent wall hanger - congratulations on a job well done
Thank you very much for your kind words! The decision to either restore a tool for functional use or turn it into a decorative piece like a wall hanger can depend on personal preferences and the tool's condition. It's great to hear that you're impressed with the craftsmanship and the end result. Your feedback is much appreciated! 😊🔧👏
I am always game to add another restoration channel to my list of subscriptions... but my standards are pretty high. I would rate the restorations of yours I have seen so far on the level of Mr. Patina, My Mechanics, Not So Terrible Restorations, Tysy Tube, Cool Again Restorations, and others... I am subscribed to several. I am happy to have found another channel! Great work!!
every imperfection was a look into it's use and age. You did a good job, but personally I would have stopped after removing the rust. I think now it just says how good it can look compared to previous condition.
Honestly removing the mushrooming and cleaning up the face can actually be pretty valuable. For use in blacksmithing, having a clean, flat face to work with is pretty important. Plus, it can have pieces break off when it's mushroomed out like that
A beautiful restoration. But is it genuine Viking? In which case its history, recorded in every dent and scratch, has been erased. The remains of the original handle could at least be carbon dated. Or maybe the term 'Viking' is referring merely to the design and it's not an original.
@@chrislowe7350 I figured it might have been in reference to the style or size of hammer just because it sounds better than "cross pein hammer" but it's not impossible it was actually used by vikings. Even if it was, it's not likely thousands of years old like you'd expect. I think for a tool like this, whoever made it probably would've wanted it to be used. It could easily outlast every person that uses it and I kind of feel that a tool like that deserves to be used. It's full of history but chances are it'll still show signs of its creation a thousand years down the line
I really liked the video, except for two things. You left cracks on the face, they will get worse. Also why did you square off the cross peen? It's supposed to be rounded off, squaring it off makes it unusable for it's designed purposes. Both of these issues assume that this is going to be used instead of just put on display.
I'll be honest, initially I wasn't a fan of the texture you put on the top and bottom. however, after you put it all together, I'm very impressed. This is a beautiful restoration. great job
"The surface is badly scratched ..." SO WHAT???" IT"S A HAMMER!! IT WORKED FOR A LIVING!! REMOVING ALL TRACES OF ITS HISTORY IS SACRELIGOUS !! People who think that "restore" means "put back to pristine condition" are loonies who end up destroying more antiques than they preserve !! I won't watch this guy any more...
Gorgeous. Sehr gut! Have you thought about using citric acid to remove rust and oxidation? It takes longer, but there is less metal loss. Also, have you thought about using forging techniques to hammer things back into shape (also preserves metal) before cleaning and polishing the surfaces? The dimpling could also be done with forging instead of removing more metal with a grinder. I’m trying citric acid with Rusty railroad spikes I found and plan to try forging them into knives someday, and so they look good.
Wow I'd love to have that, just beautiful, especially with the mirror finish, but I wouldn't have a real use for it other than actually using it and it would be just as bad as it was before, great job
As a person who knows nothing about this skill, how is this considered a "restoration?" Couldn't the same thing be done by starting out with a chunk of metal and leave all the character the head HAD, that you removed, alone? It does look cool. I'll give it that. :-)
IIRC there is something about hammers specifically that they get better over time as they are used. Each impact fractionally improves the crystalline structure of its mental... or something. Might be an old wives' tale though.
Every time I see you do something like this with different tools it makes me jealous. I've been thinking on what I might have just so I can try this for myself. I finally remembered I had a full set of ball-peen hammers that was my grandfather and he gave them to my father and now they are mine. If winter ever ends I'm going over to my garage to give this a try. I really love how you finish this all. As always I made sure to give you a thumbs up and I'm already a subscriber so I can't do that one again for you. Look forward to your next video
Maybe don't start off working on something so sentimental. Go to a local flea market or thrift store and buy some junk to work on first so you don't destroy something you can't replace.
Great video MW. Was the dimpling an after thought? Seems I would have not spent the time sanding and definitely not polishing to a mirror finish if the intent was to dimple with the black contrast.
This was exactly what I thought too 😂 awesome job he did anyway the dimpling made it look aesthetically pleasing. I like the flamed wooden handle as well.
Oh to be the blacksmith who made that to watch your work be revived so much later into the future. After all that time degraded brought back to life with care and detail
From the looks of it, I’m 99% sure that’s just some old forge hammer. Definitely isn’t a Viking hammer like he says. But it’s still a nice restoration.
That 100% is not a actual Viking hammer. It's just an old sledgehammer. You can tell because this large of a piece would have been made out of soft iron in Viking times. That would have been way more gone if it was a thousand years old.
@@stompingpeak2043 Not necessarily. If this were an actual historical artifact of some kind (it absolutely isn't) there are actual laws in place that would limit what could be done with them. It depends on where you live, where the item was found, where it was purchased and so on, so what could be done to it restoration wise is very situational
Yeah, it really annoys me when they smack on "Viking" infront of any tool and then be done with it. "Viking axe" and its just a regular agxe you can buy at any store that sells tools and then they use an angle grinder to make the beard shape, and and some engravings and suddenly it's a "viking axe". Naah
You've got a lot of negative comments, so I'm going to show my support. This is a great restomod. You made it your own and it looks beautiful. To improve the function you could harden it before the final finishes/sands.
I never except for yourself. See the handle burnt for an item. Oh I lied. There is a Man in the western states that makes tables and he did the same thing you do. Only with a huge blowtorch once. It creates contrast and makes it look different. Very nice look. And THANKS...
It is now a work of art and hangs on my wall at home. Whenever I have visitors, people ask where I got such a hammer from and want to buy it. Maybe someday I'll use the hammer for a certain moment. 😁
Eeee, well done again, it's a great honor for me to see another person with precise attention to detail and his wonderful work, well done and respect from old BG.
It gives me a lot of pleasure when people comment positively about my work in the comments. Thank you very much for watching the video and enjoying it. Until the next video. Greetings from Germany 🇩🇪
