[TheForge] A maker of $100 hammers weighs in

[Reynolds]

In completing a purchase of another forging hammer from Bill Bastas, I brought up the discussion on the forge of those seeing absolute value in an expensive forging hammer and those who thought it near insanity. Here was his articulate reponse:

"Hi Reynolds,
I found your email very interesting, how much blacksmiths value the
most important tool they use. Sure, at $5.00 Harbor Freight is the
cheapest. But as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. Are these guys' hammers forged? I wonder if they know the difference between cast and forge?. Are they heat-treated properly, or are they soft or brittle? How is the grind, do they have to work them over? Are they polished? How about the weight proportion face to pein, are they balanced? Are the shapes usable? How about the handle, is it straight grained, sanded, finished? Is it the right shape, or will it encourage tendonitis? Is it the right material, is it handsome? Does the hammer make forging easier because of all of these considerations?

To properly make a hammer, it must be forged, annealed, ground,
polished, heat-treated and re-polished. The handle is split out of a log to assure straight grain, then ground to fit the hammer head and hand. The handle is attached using adhesive, wood wedges and steel wedges. The hammer is finished in tung oil, with at least two coats. It takes about four hours to make one, about ten dollars invested in the steel, wood, abrasives, wedges, glue, sandpaper, and finish. I don't make hammers often because even at a hundred dollars, there is no money in it. I make them for my friends as well as for people who can appreciate the value of a fine tool, like yourself. Thanks for the good laugh."


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