What's-It Hammer, Could be Black Smith?

[lauver]

Gang,

I recently found an interesting hammer/mallet and would like some help identifying it. Specifically I would like to know:

1. What is it called?

2. How is it used?

3. About how old is it?

4. Who might have made it?

Here's some photo's and what little info I know about it:


About 4" across, both faces are about 1-3/4" in diameter (1 flat, 1 rounded with low crown), head weighs 2.2 lbs/1kg, handle was pretty straight and 16" long.


Flat face.


Rounded face... low crown.


Side view of rounded face.


Only mark on hammer, "KW". Could be owner initials or makers mark.  Looks to be hand stamped.

Any knowledge, thoughts, comments, theories, or possible leads appreciated.

[Mac53]

That is a blacksmith \ farrier's "Rounding Hammer". Used mostly to shape shoes. Couldn't tell you anything about how old it is....a lot of people make them today, and I'm guessing a lot of different people have for a long time. I can tell you they are normally pretty expensive. $70-200+

[anglesmith]

I agree with Mac, rounding or turning hammer. Didn't Heller make them like that?
Blacksmith's and Farrier's tools at Shelburne museum by Bradley Smith, has lot of info about hammers. Don't think it's still in print, library maybe?
Graeme

[keykeeper]

Maybe this helps.....

[lauver]

Gang,

Thanks for the names and other related info.

I'm going to see what I can find out about Bradley Smiths' book.  Might be some more leads there.

Do the initials "BK" suggest any possible manufacturers?  Does the weight of 1 kg suggest foreign manufacture?

If you have any more thoughts, please post.

[lauver]

Gang,

Just an afterthought and a dumb question, but wouldn't a farrier be a highly specialized black smith?

[keykeeper]

In today's world a farrier is a specialized blacksmith, so you are correct.

Way back when, though, the blacksmith did everything. Shoeing of horses and oxen, fixed the wagons, made household items like hinges, door pulls, latches, just about anything that needed done involving metal.

[anglesmith]

Lauver,
In Sellen's Dictionary there is picture of a similar Heller rounding hammer pge 210. It looks a lot like yours in any case I think your hammer is factory made, it looks rough because it has rusted (pitted) a fair bit. My guess it was 2 1/2 lb originally, Like anvils weights could vary bit from hammer to hammer, and they were commonly sold by ounce weight. Old hammers can lose quite bit of weight over the years especially if they are not well loved, a few dressings of the faces, deep pitting and its suprising how much can be lost from inside the eye, some blacksmiths routinely left their hammers in the slag tub over night to tighten them up!
Graeme

[lauver]

Keykeeper & anglesmith,

Thanks for the info and thoughts.  Always good to know.

You may be right about the loss of weight due to rust and wear.  My hammer had both in spades.  I have resurfaced both ends of the hammer and derusted the entire head.  I'm in the process of rehandling the hammer; I'm going to go a little shorter and a lot stockier on the handle to fit my purposes and style of use.

I'll post a photo of the finished hammer.  In the mean time, I'm going to spend a little more time on the internet to see if I can find an exact match and ID.

Thanks again.

[Branson]

From Wikipedia:

"A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves, if necessary. A farrier combines some blacksmith's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adjusting metal shoes) with some veterinarian's skills (knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the lower limb) to care for horses' feet."

That's for nowadays.  Farrier comes from the Middle French "ferrier" and simply means blacksmith (think ferrous).

The rounding hammer is made by just about everyone.  It's been around for quite a while.  The picture attached shows two rounding hammers in a group of tools labeled "Farrier's Tools ".  One source for this picture dated it from 1851, another source dated it 1841.

It isn't, however, restricted to farriers' use.  It's usually the first hammer I reach for in smithing, and I don't do horseshoes.  I like the pattern so much that I have three rounding hammers.

[Branson]

You may be right about the loss of weight due to rust and wear.  My hammer had both in spades.  I have resurfaced both ends of the hammer and derusted the entire head.  I'm in the process of rehandling the hammer; I'm going to go a little shorter and a lot stockier on the handle to fit my purposes and style of use.
I'll post a photo of the finished hammer.  In the mean time, I'm going to spend a little more time on the internet to see if I can find an exact match and ID.
Thanks again.

That's a perfectly usable head!  I think you're going to enjoy using this hammer.  Making a shorter handle is a good idea -- my first teacher used the short handle from his father and grandfather.  I 'spect it's a German practice.  Two of mine have the 9 inch length he preferred.   I like them just like this. The other one has a long handle but since it belonged to a smith I know, I leave it the way he used it.

[Branson]

Centaur Forge has a bunch of rounding hammers in stock.  The Nordics work fine and at $26, they're the cheapest of the lot by far!

http://www.centaurforge.com/Rounding-Hammers/products/108/

[keykeeper]

Branson:

I have the Nordic Forge rounding hammer, and it is the first and preferred hammer I use, as well. Seems to me the squat nature of the head makes for a balance that most typical blacksmith hammers doesn't have. To me, that balance in a hammer is the single most important factor in accurate strikes on hot metal!!

[lauver]

Branson & Keykeeper,

Thanks for the info... very interesting.  Since my last post, I have looked at a pant load of rounders but have not found any that are shaped quite like mine. 

You're right the 2.0lb-2.5lb weight and the compact shape of the head makes for a very useful general purpose mechanics or smithing hammer.  But, what specifically do you guys use the low-crown rounded end for.  I watched a couple of horse shoing videos this morning and saw how farriers use the rounded end... it was pretty cool.  Those steel shoes were reshaped like they were made out of plumbers putty.  One guy made a toe cap on the shoe that protects the front of the hoof with about 10 strokes of the hammer.  It looked like it had been machine made!

[keykeeper]

Your hammer is a rounding hammer, pure and simple. Shape does not have to be exact to make it such. The way the center of the head is flat with an oval shape is very similar to Heller and Champion hammers I have seen.

Come to think of it, Heller made some "engineer's" hammers similar to yours, but BOTH faces were flat with no crown to them.

I use the low crown rounded side for mostly softening sharp edges on bar stock, and for spreading metal in all directions quickly like when fanning out an end of flat bar for a whales-tale accent bend on wall sconces.