Old timer told me my hammer strikes were all wrong

I've been forging for about 8 years now, but last spring a guy in his 70s named Jerry watched me work on a railroad spike knife at a meetup in Austin. He said I was using my shoulder too much and not letting the hammer bounce off the anvil. Changed my whole grip and now I get way cleaner bevels with half the effort. Anyone else get a tip from some old guy that totally flipped their game around?

2 comments

2 Comments

anderson.gavin23h ago

I get what Jerry was getting at but I have to disagree a bit. Letting the hammer bounce is fine for light work but on heavier stock you need to control the rebound or you'll wear yourself out fighting it. Different techniques work for different stages, there's no one right way.

-1

miles58121h ago

Yeah, you hit it exactly. I've found that on heavy stock you gotta catch that hammer right at the top of the bounce or you're just wasting energy fighting the rebound. It's all about finding that rhythm where your wrist is loose but you've got control when you need it.