If you could pick two hammers...

[Rusty Snuffers]

This may be a tall order for some of you with hammers coming out of your ears, but if you could pick two hammers out of your piles, what would they be and why?

As I sit here thinking about the grinder and forge I'm hoping to have built in the next few weeks, I'm rethinking my original idea of doing stock removal.  Why not "do it all"?  I have someone bringing me a piece of railroad track and some spikes to start playing with, so I need to think about what other tools I'll need in the shop, starting with hammers.  I figured others that are playing with the idea of forging might also benefit from this thread.

If two is just too small a number, what about 3 or 4?

Thanks in advance.
Rusty

[akaboomer]

I would choose a 2 lb crosspeen and a 3-3.5 lb crosspeen.
Aside from my resent venture into forge welding I could get by with my 2 lb crosspeen. I use a 12 lb to set the welds.

You could get by with a couple ball peen type hammers from flea markets.

Chris

[tippit]

Easy...95% done with these two hammers.

1) 4# angle peen for initial shaping & stretching (Joe Keeslar uses a 10# one!)

 

 

2) 2# Hofie style for finish work.

 


This one interchangeable with the Hofie...Brent Baily.

 

[gudspelr]

If you're not going to be forge welding for a little while, I'd say go for a 2 or 2 1/2 lb cross pein and then a lighter one for the second.  As a beginner who can get a little tired in the arm, it can get very frustrating when wanting to continue swinging the hammer, but too tired to do much anything effective (not to mention detrimental...).  Having that lighter hammer can still move metal and keep you forging for a bit more-which equals more fun   .

Oh, and one other thing-I personally like the square face hammers.  I started with a round faced first and a friend gave me a square to try.  Really like the square and use it now over the round.

Jeremy

[kansas stik man]

mine would be 2 pound ball peen with 10 inch handle and a 3 pound cross peen with a 10 inch handle.  i think that it would always be better to have a lighter hammer that you have to swing a little harder than to have a heavy hammer and have a really hard time doing smaller detailed work.  thats my thoughts.  i like to KISS most things in life lol........KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID!   if a tool is made to much for just one task it is not easily used for lots of others and im a poor boy so i have to use the tools i can afford and are readily availible.

[Lin Rhea]

In my opinion, hammers are like bows. You have your favorites and will do 90% of your work with that one. You get used to it and do the best forging with it. I like a 2 lb cross pien that I made, but keep a cheap production hammer for striking cold materials. I also have a 3 lb and a sledge for heavier work.

[Todd Robbins]

I have a 4.4 lb. Pedinghaus cross peen that I modified a little that I like for heavy work, and it's a toss up between either my 2 lb. cross peen and my 20 oz. ball peen for the other one.

I'd love to have about a 2 lb. Hoffi style hammer, though...

[Rusty Snuffers]

Found my first.  $8 at the flea market.

 

It's 2lb and is stamped with "Thorsen, Made in USA".  I had to pop the handle out, cut off about 1/2" and reshape it to get a good fit.  I used it to set a few stakes for a fence we're going to be putting up.  Can't wait to hit some hot metal with it next.   :D

[akaboomer]

There you go. My favorite hammer until I got a hand forged hammer was one I got the same way for the same price. It coming together for you.

Chris

[Doug Campbell]

I used an old cheap 2# crosspein, Vaughn maybe, for years and still use it some. Than some time ago Jeff was telling me about his Brent Bailey hammer (above). I liked what I heard so ordered one, not cheap but worth every penny imo. Also maybe three years ago my wife bought me one of Ed Caffrey's Double D drawing hammers for Christmas. Works great but I'm still figuring out how to get the most out of it.

I'm still looking every time we hit an antique store or something. Hammers are kinda like bows, anvils, flyrods... you can't have too many...