Chat with an old timer made me rethink my hammer technique after 15 years

I was at a hammer-in up near Lancaster last weekend and this blacksmith named Tom, must have been 70 plus, watched me work for a bit. He just said 'you're fighting your hammer instead of letting it work for you' and honestly I didn't get it at first. He showed me how he grips his hammer lighter and lets the weight do the swing instead of muscling it down. I tried it on a 1 inch square bar and my arm wasn't burning after 3 heats like usual. Made me wonder how many little habits I picked up that are actually making things harder. Has anyone else had a veteran smith point out something basic that totally changed your approach?

2 comments

2 Comments

kelly_craig23d ago

Did he show you exactly where he grips the hammer on the handle, or is it more about the looseness in his fingers? I've been trying to tell myself to relax my grip for years, but I always end up white-knuckling it again when the steel gets stubborn. I'm curious if he had a specific trick for keeping that light grip when you're doing heavy drawing out, because that's where I always fall back into my old habits. Also, did he mention anything about how the hammer head's shape or weight comes into play with that lighter grip, or is it all in the wrist and arm? Half my problem is I cycle through hammer sizes depending on the job, so I'd hate to change my form only to mess myself up when I switch to a smaller or bigger hammer.

finleym4322d ago

Three inches up from the base, did he say that's the same for every hammer size?