I offer hand forged hammers. The style is somewhat like Japanese hammers I have seen. Some call it a cutler's
hammer. I leave most of weight of the hammer in front of the eye. This creates a dropping effect when swung and combined with
good anvil rebound, makes this type of hammer easy on the arm. I make these hammers in mainly two sizes - 2.75
pound and a 1.75 pound.
For all
of my hammers, I now use S45C which is similar to 1045 in the US. S45C is a medium carbon steel which can be surface hardened,
but not through hardened. The result is a hammer that is not overly hard which is the way I prefer most of my hammers. For
certain types of work, I would rather the hammer be a bit soft and so less likely to mar my anvil should I strike and errant
blow when in close. Also, a softer hammer is more user friendly on the arm over time. For handles, I now use a kind of willow
which is lightweight and very durable. I secure the handles to the heads with a wooden wedge and a kind of flexible epoxy
and finish them off by soaking in a light oil. The weather here in Taiwan is extremely humid and so handles may lose
moisture and loosen after being shipped to a much less humid location. However, I have had very good success with this latest
method after trying many different ways to keep them tight.
