PSA: I was hammering way too hard on the horn of my anvil for about six months before a guy at the Tacoma hammer-in pointed out the sound was wrong.

He said my hammer blows were landing flat instead of glancing, which was why my scrolls kept coming out kinked, so has anyone else had a specific sound tip them off to a bad habit?

3 comments

3 Comments

grantp281mo ago

A book on old-school blacksmithing talked about listening to the anvil's song. The writer said a clear, ringing note means the energy is going into the work. A flat, dead sound means you're just beating the anvil itself. It's like the difference between a bell and a thud. Training your ear is as important as training your arm. That guy at the hammer-in saved you a ton of wasted effort.

the_oscar1mo ago

My old teacher in Spokane said to ignore the sound and watch the metal move. If the scroll is forming right, the noise doesn't matter much.

the_mary1mo ago

I always thought the sound was just about how hard you hit. A friend pointed out my hammer had a dull thud when drawing out, and it clicked that I was pushing the metal instead of moving it. Now I listen for a sharper ring to know the angle is right. Fixed a lot of my taper issues once I paid attention.