[TheForge] How did the cross pein hammer come to be the standard?

[xlch58 at swbell.net]

I have several straight peens as well as cross peens.  Personally, I 
haven't found many tasks that the straight peen isn't more comfortable 
and easier to control for.  The only exceptions are peening a rivet 
heads I always reach  for the cross peen, probably only because I 
learned the technique that way.   I use a cross peen a lot in sheet 
metal work, just not smithing.   The straight peen is so much easier for 
me in drawing things out since it forms a ninety degree angle with the 
piece held in tongs.  I have seen some smiths use that vigilant crotch 
grip on the work, but I tend to resort to that only when chiseling.   I 
seldom have to widen a piece that I am not also drawing out, so I 
usually reach for a ball pein in those cases.   If I do need to just 
widen something the cross peen is a natural.   I will admit that my 
favorite hammer is an old cross pein, but that is only because the 
weight and feel is perfect and I can swing it all day.  I have told my 
son that I want to be buried with that hammer, but since it is his 
favorite as well he grumbles every time I say that.  I know I will end 
up end up spending etermnity with that ^&*% peice of &(& chinese ball 
pein.  Even being my favorite, I use the ordinary side mostly, though I 
will sometimes use the cross peen and the edge of the anvil as an 
impromptu cuttoff.      I also have a couple of the double enders 
someone else mentioned.  They are handy.   I think they were originally 
used for cleaning scale from boilers. 

Charles

Ralph Sproul wrote:

>Hi Bob, I use the straight peen for four things.
>1) Drawing out or rough setting a heavy shoulder
>2) setting veins in leaf in a treadle hammer between two round stock welded
>parrallel like Steve Howell explained to us. You have to use a set of 90
>degree holding tongs on the stem - but it keeps the leaf furls from hitting
>the handles of the cross peins by using a straight pein.  (if I was real
>smart I'd make another leaf tool with the rods going left / right instead of
>front/rear).
>3)Opening a folded leaf on the treadle hammer......stem to one side,
>straight peen to other direction.
>4) also used COLD on flat bar placed on legs up of channel iron to make
>gradual flat ring/band radius.  I keep four sizes of channel inside each
>other near a heavy bench for this radius tweaking (along with the straight
>peen I have with the greatest radius to the pein).
>
>Ralph
>  
>