Restoring a small cobblers hammer

[Stoney]

I found a small cobbler's hammer head that had the face beat up and covered in rust at a friends antique shop for 5 dollars.  As some of you know I used to be a custom saddler and leather worker, so I'm a sucker for any abused leather tools. 

The face was so beat up that the top of the face was bent back as you can see at the top right and the face was so rough that it would mark the leather.  Cobbler's hammers and not tempered hard as they are used to drive tacks and shape leather etc.


And it had a big ding at the bottom.


I reshaped the face with a 10 inch mill bastard file.


Then dressed the face with a dead smooth file to remove most of the file marks.  I like some tooth to my hammer faces so I didn't give it a mirror finish.


Installed a new handle and a coat of paint and now she's ready for the workbench.

[Papaw]

Nice job, Stoney!

[Stoney]

Thanks Papaw, it was sweet to be working on tools again.

[scottg]

Hey Stony
Way to Go!!!
I love to see a good tool come back!

Show us the bloodstains?? Fess it up!
All finely restored tools have a little DNA evidence somewhere.  heehehe
  yours Scott

[Stoney]

No blood stains all done with a wire brush and files.  I keep a very good selection of files from Rasps to dead smooth.  But thanks.  After seeing your custom handles I'm ashamed to show my cut down bought handle.

[Branson]

Stoney, if there's anything I like, it's seeing a good old tool "returned to service."  Good job!