[TheForge] Re: hammer handle shape

[Mike Spencer]

> Make yourself a "handle" out of plasticine clay....  Adjust it in your
> grip till you like the feel.  Then check the shape.

I don't go quite that far but I do use a draw knife to shape handles
to fit my hand.  The result it sort of rectangular but asymmetrical.
In general, there are flats where the pads at the base of my fingers
and at the finger joints fall.  And there's a bit of a swell just at
the end so that I can feel that I'm at the end of the handle if I let
it out to full length while hammering.  That last bit isn't nearly as
helpful as the flats for making a better grip (altho it's *very*
helpful on the long handle of my 7# splitting maul.)

Years ago, one of the NS guys saw an old timer spit on his hand before
picking up the hammer each time and adopted this method for himself.
My personal opinion is that he mostly liked to gross out the
spectators and justify it with arcane lore.  I tried it and yes, it
does make the hammer slip a bit less but after a while it makes yer
hand icky.  Maybe if I were to take up chewing tobacco like the old
guys... :-)

- Mike

-- 
Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~. 
                                                           /V\ 
mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^

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