Talked to an old timer about hammer weight and it messed with my head

Was at a hammer-in up in Bellingham last Saturday and this guy named Pete who must be 70 said my 3 pound hammer was way too heavy for drawing out. He handed me his 2 pound cross peen and told me to let the steel do the work, not my arm. I fought it for like 20 minutes before I started feeling the difference in how the metal moved. Has anyone else had a hand tool change their whole approach after years of using something else?

3 comments

3 Comments

hayden_nelson851mo ago

Same thing happened to me with a lighter hammer. Feels wrong at first but man it changes everything.

mary_foster921mo ago

Did you ever read that old blacksmithing book "The Complete Modern Blacksmith" by Alexander Weygers? He talks a lot about how most beginners use hammers that are way too heavy. I picked up a copy at a library sale once and he says a 2 pound hammer is plenty for 90% of the work you'd ever do. It makes your technique so much cleaner because you can't just muscle through everything. I remember him mentioning that heavy hammers just tire you out faster and make the steel move in unpredictable ways. It really clicked for me when Pete said to let the steel do the work.

wadem891mo ago

Saw my buddy Mike nearly toss his 4 pounder in the river after trying a 2 pound hammer.