[TheForge] A maker of $100 hammers weighs in

Sat May 17 15:37:01 2003

Bill Bastas pretty much expressed my feelings accurately, and far more
eloquently than I could.
I would just add that, If Bob Schade is happy with his  hammers, more power
to you Bob.
I have seen some  wonderful work done by excellent smiths using
marginal hammers and atrocious anvils.
My  point is that better tools  tend to make the process easier and more
enjoyable.
And finally, Bob Bastas is absolutely right:
 There is a very small profit made for the amount of work involved in making
a custom made tools.
More than a few Bladesmiths have been drop kicked out of their friendly
local machine shops when they requested the shop machinists duplicate my
adjustable blade anvil  for less than the $400  I charge for them.

Chuck

----- Original Message -----
From: "Reynolds" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2003 12:14 PM
Subject: [TheForge] A maker of $100 hammers weighs in

>
>
> 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."
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com
> The most personalized portal on the Web!
> _______________________________________________
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
> theforge mail list group photo site is
> http://www.photoaccess.com
> Login:  [email protected]
> password:  anvil
> ___________
>
>